Nolensville broke ground Thursday, Oct. 1, on Chrismon-Brown Park, a 19.56-acre community park at 1686 Sunset Road that honors two families central to the town's history.

Community members, town leaders and members of the Chrismon and Brown families gathered at the 5 p.m. ceremony, the Town of Nolensville said on X. The town signed a $1,681,625 contract with Steelhead Building Group in September 2026, as first reported by Hoodline, setting a 304-day construction window with a target completion date of July 17, 2027.

The event fell on the first day of Nolensville's month-long Founders Day celebration marking the town's 30th anniversary of reincorporation.

The park is named for Ben and Mary Polk Chrismon, who founded Sunset Park in the early 1900s, and Thomas A. Brown Sr. and Jessie Boyd Brown, who purchased Sunset Park in 1965 and ran it for about a decade. Sunset Park served as a recreation center and gathering place for the African American community across Middle Tennessee, according to the Nolensville Historical Society. The 11-acre park drew hundreds of visitors by horse and wagon, and later by chartered bus, for picnics, ballgames, a three-hole golf course and family reunions. Concession stands offered fried fish and homemade ice cream.

Ben Chrismon, a shoe cobbler who lived from 1877 to 1963, founded the park with his wife sometime between 1909 and 1929.

The Nolensville Board of Commissioners approved the name Chrismon-Brown Park on March 5 after a public process that drew 194 name submissions and 454 certified community votes, WKRN reported. Mayor Halie Gallik said at that March meeting, "By recognizing the families who operated Sunset Park, my hope is that we can honor the past while reaching toward the future with this exciting addition to our town."

Steelhead was the lowest bidder among seven submissions. Planned amenities include tennis and pickleball courts, a basketball court, a multi-purpose grass sports field, a restroom building, parking and a paved walking trail with a 60-foot elevated boardwalk over a stream tributary.

A $1.2 million Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, awarded in August 2024, is helping fund the project. Nolensville's population nearly tripled between 2010 and 2024, climbing from 5,861 to 16,836 residents, according to ClearGov data.

The Sunset Road property is also designated as the future home of the Nolensville Police Department headquarters.

Coming up: Nolensville's 30th Birthday and Founders Day celebration continues through October. Details are available at nolensvilletn.gov.