WPLN News Archive; Bicentennial Mall Carillon (Rebecca) 8 11 00; News Archive 7/5/00-8/17/00

is tennessee's bicentennial mall was a dream which took decades to become a reality the first real concrete step occurred in nineteen ninety one when state officials assembled a team of design professionals and historians from across tennessee to create a park to permanently alter the state's bicentennial the group looked at other successful parks such as the national mall in washington dc they called people all over the country to ask them what they identified with tennessee and they studied the history of the state and its diversity of then julie they decided the mall should celebrate tennessee's why and its people and its music architect ken henton has been closely involved with the bicentennial mall since day one and he has written a book about the park and its progress titled a long path we just taken outside and made it into a green lawn kind of gdp would go to the drive by but the concept of all very quickly that we had to infuse the site within us for if things about what makes our

state special that it would be certain outdoor museum an outdoor museum with some spectacular features the walkway of counties for example progress is geographically from the west to middle east tennessee a time capsule for each county rest under its mark are due to be opened on tennessee's three hundredth birthday and the landscaping along the walkway is reflective of each county's region from the scouring rush of west tennessee to the big leagues magnolia of the east the west side of the bicentennial mall is home to the pathway of history the history of the state is broken into decade incumbents with a purple pile on grandpa on the fifty feet apart and they are the shore like standing figures they're eighteen feet tall that march down seventh avenue and the sidewalk when the soda water is four foot tall granite wall as the history of the state a great deal of it and it's fourteen hundred feet long so it's as brutal war one of the most popular spots of the bicentennial

mall especially on hot summer days is the winners of tennessee area located on the mall's the southside near the capital thirty one vertical fountains representing the state's thirty one major waterways spray columns of water into the air a constantly changing heights adults walk along the curved wall surrounding the fountains read the text about the river's well children of all ages in brightly colored swimsuits race and splash in the jets of water at the opposite end of the mall and bring its north side is the brand new carillon located at the court of three stars again architect ken henton one develop something that would be based on their identity to say so and of course ninety five bells because there are different counties wind up with a composition of fifty columns twenty five on each side a circular arrangements and then at the top of all the columns are bells rich aren't some of the housings contain several smaller bills and some arm containing

a really big deal every hour on the hour the carillon plays the tennessee waltz than tolls the time we thought that that would be the signature be she'll begin as him being ding ding ding which we wanted something that sounds you know i just have to seize and waltzes ding ding ding ding jack ohman matters fall by three psalms one from leicester city one from milton's from easton says so there's a little short concert on the hour on a recent visit to the bicycle to the mall there were visitors from all over the world reading the wall of history strolling the walkway of counties watching children cavorting the fountains than listening to the bells one national couples said they've brought visitors to the bicentennial mall many times this is really something

until recently state park rangers guarding them all around the clock and acted as its ambassadors answering visitors questions sharing its history and ensuring a safe environment however due to state budget cuts and tennessee's park system a night watchman has replaced the to park rangers on the eleven pm to six am shift nearby residents hope this won't mean an increase in crime or vandalism to the bicentennial mall especially considering how long it took to become a much loved reality for national public radio please as is

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