Rains Station: Early Outpost in South Nashville
- Jay Brothers
- May 30, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 29
Near Rains Ave. Nashville, TN
Circa 1784 blockhouse/ unk Woodycrest home
Capt. Rains was an early “long hunter” in the future Kentucky and Tennessee areas about 1770 along with Kasper Mansker and others.
About 10 years later, the Rains were traveling to the (then) western North Carolina frontier. They met and joined the Robertson group, and came to Ft. Nashborough. In 1784, Capt. John Rains (1753-1834) and Christina Gowens Rains (1752-1826) settled a 640-acre Revolutionary War land grant south of the future downtown Nashville. Their property stretched from these current landmarks: east of Nolensville Rd. to Woodycrest Ave. to Glenrose Ave to Murfreesboro Rd. (including the current area of the Nashville Fairgrounds). They were very early pioneers of the Watauga Settlement (1775-1779) which preceded the settlement of Ft. Nashborough. Their blockhouse was known as Rains Station. There is a historic marker at Rains Ave. and Merritt Ave. marking the general area of their home. They added another 10 acres at least by Capt. Rains’ death.
The plantation was divided among the children. Sally Rains Merritt wed Gilbert Merritt and erected Merritt House. Elizabeth Rains Dunn (1781-1837), was given land that was adjacent to Elizabeth, and sadly was killed a year after the bequest in 1837. Her husband was Michael Carnes Dunn of Croft House at Grassmere. Another child constructed what was later known as Woody-Crest. In 1910, it was owned by J. S. Robinson and listed in the Historical and Beautiful Country Homes book. The Robinson family were descendants of Rains. Mary Dunn Hamilton wed James W. Hamilton and built a home called Hamilton Place (it is gone now). Another daughter joined the family of another famed early local explorer: Christina H. Rains DeMonbreun married Jacques Tiimothe Boucher De Montbrun’s son Jacques Timothy DeMonbreun.
By 1919, Woody-Crest was part of Ward-Belmont College and called the Ward-Belmont Farm and Country Club or Woody-Crest Farm & Country Club. The home and property was sold to unknown buyers when Ward-Belmont sold its assets to the Tennessee Baptist Convention (see Belmont College). The families are recognized by Rains Ave. (off of Nolensville Rd.), Rains (Metro Transit Authority-MTA) Station Outbound, Woodycrest Ave, and the Woodycrest area. The Nashville Fairgrounds is the last large portion remaining of the original tract. See Belmont College, Croft House/ Grassmere
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