Built in 1884/85, this red-bricked Italianate structure was the home of Charles W. and Agnes Putnam. Charles W. Putnam was a hardware merchant and banker; Agnes Putnam taught music and was the first public school teacher in Nashville. Around the turn of the century, the Putnams hosted many elegant social events here. In 1921, they willed their home to Nashville for use as a public library and established a $10,000 trust fund to begin its operation. The Woman’s Literary Club launched the library in 1923.