NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Jefferson Street in North Nashville is rich with history. In addition to significance for Civil Rights advancement, the area was once a thriving hub for Nashville's Black culture and commerce.

For more than 60 years, Mary's Old Fashioned Pit BBQ was a staple on that street, right next to Mt. Zion Church in Nashville. With Mary's closed, the church is stepping in to carry the legacy forward. 

"Before Prince's, before hot chicken, it was Mary's," Dr. Joseph W. Walker III, Pastor of Mt. Zion Church, said. "I mean that was the place to be."

Mary's Old Fashioned Pit BBQ served more than just good food on Jefferson Street; it served the community and its neighbors next door at Mt. Zion Church.

"There were two competing lines — the line to get into Mt. Zion Church and the line to get into Mary's, and people would get their BBQ and come on into church," Walker said.

In January, the restaurant closed its doors. Mt. Zion Church saw an opportunity to honor its history by buying the building.

"In serving plates of BBQ, it was community building. What we are doing — this is a great footprint for us in a larger vision we have around the Dream Center that is going to happen in North Nashville," Walker said.

The Dream Center will eventually be a mixed-use development with housing, outreach programs and commercial space, but for now, the building will be used for church parking and community outreach.

"The acquisition of Mary's will serve as our outreach efforts in the North Nashville community, feeding, clothing, and providing other kinds of resources that allow us to still meet the needs of that community," Walker said.

Jefferson Street has deep roots in music, culture and enterprise. Mt. Zion hopes this move will keep that spirit alive.

"It was just a vibrant place. Now, to see folks in that community still investing and retaining some of that land and being able to repurpose it for generations to come I think speaks volumes to the collective will of people to say, 'We are going to keep this history going.'"

The church is looking for additional acquisitions across Nashville, but plans to announce more details on the building's future in the coming months.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/north-nashville-church-community-outreach-restaurant/