In the pioneer days of Nashville, Col. Robert Weakley built his mansion at a spring. His mansion was named Lockeland in honor of his wife's family name, and the community that sprung up around here became Lockeland Spring. (The mansion was where Lockeland Elementary School is today, where there is also a historic marker.)
At the beginning of the 20th Century, businessmen wanted to sell the water. at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, the Lockeland Springwater won a prize for its "unique mineral composition and salubrious quality." Eventually, the springwater company went out of business, and the bottling plant went out of business, and this spot remained vacant for many decades.
In 2010, the property was deeded to the Metro Nashville Parks Department with a goal of making this historic site a place to be visited again. Only the foundation of the building remains today. Much of the overgrowth has been cleared out, nature trails have been established and a couple of footbridges over the stream have been built.
The best way to get here today is at the entrance along South 19th St. @ Oakhill Dr. where there is room for a couple of cars to park on the side of the street. While there is no parking, there is an entrance for locals at the end of Woodland St. There may be an entrance from the back of Lockeland Elementary School. There are also plans to extend a trail from Shelby Park around the golf course into this area.
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