East Nashville Wind Telephone

Rosebank, East Nashville, Tennessee, United States

The East Nashville Wind Telephone is located in a quiet neighborhood about ten minutes from downtown Nashville. The address is 1425 Rosebank Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, 37206, around the corner from the now-defunct Cornelia Fort Airpark. The opening date was 4 February 2023.

It is made from a booth from the 1940s which was purchased from Mississippi by the steward. There are anonymous names and numbers written in pencil and sealed - check them out! In addition to the original surface holding the phone, two shelves have been added to hold tissues, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, a guestbook which is an old recipe box along with pens to write notes, a resin cardinal bird, and a small metal statue of two birds on a branch. Grief support materials from a local hospice are included as well as business cards with the address of this wind telephone. There is a light in the ceiling which is only on at night and is powered by a solar panel to allow access 24 hours a day. The chair is a neighbor’s grandmother’s organ chair from the 1800s, and there is an adjacent Little Free Library with bereavement books included inside. The plexiglass in the door, as well as the sign over it, were provided by an incredibly kind neighbor!

This wind telephone is dedicated to Dotti and Glen Stillwell, the steward’s paternal grandparents. The library is dedicated to Steve Harper, the steward’s maternal grandfather. More information is available in this article on The Hill.

This kind of wind telephone requires some knowledge of construction, and the steward’s father, a contractor of more than 30 years, was instrumental in its completion.

1. Begin with an older telephone booth.

2. Clean and seal the inside of the booth to better protect it from vandalism and make it easier to properly clean.

3. Hang shelves for items, if desired.

4. Add siding to any open areas. This wood will need to weather for 3-6 months before staining or painting.

5. Build a roof to protect the flat top of the booth. It can be simple like this one or different designs. This one is also totally closed in and insulated due to the risk of wasps building nests in it, as it is in the South.

6. Install door sensor, if desired.

For this one, the lifted floor also had to be replaced because it was flimsy. It was not placed on any foundation besides packed gravel. It was painted blue and white in fall 2023.