At the turn of the century, the area now known as The Gulch was comprised of residential neighborhoods and stately homes. In 1900, Union Station and the rail yard were built, and the neighborhood was permanently altered with the opening of such a large transportation center.

 

With the coming of the railways also came soot, smoke, and noise, which led to the dislocation of families from this area. Passenger rail service in the U.S. went into decline after WWII, and Union Station was turned into a hotel in 1986.

 

Throughout the last half of the century and until 2001, when MarketStreet Enterprises was designated the Master Developer of The Gulch by the City of Nashville, the Gulch was largely underutilized and contained the environmental remains of the rail yard.

 

More historic photos of the Gulch can be seen in an online gallery from the Tennessean titled "The Gulch Development Over the Years."