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is a town in Washington Township, Brown County, Indiana, United States. The population was 826 at the 2000 census. The town is the county seat of Brown County. The town is best known as the center of the Brown County Art Colony with a variety of specialty shops.
Settlement of land in and around Nashville began with the acquisition of land from native populations under the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne. This was expanded with more acquisitions under the 1818 Treaty of St. Mary's. By 1840, area population had grown to more than 2,300. The first Nashville courthouse was constructed in 1837 and a jail was added in the same year. The town was officially incorporated in 1872. The town grew to the point that a makeshift mental institution was established in what is currently the school administration building. According to the records of the institution over 100 lobotomies were performed successfully while the institution was open. However, local legend has it that the building is still haunted by those who were mistreated there. If you are a resident of the school district you can request to see the basement where the cells still exist. By the turn of the century, heavy logging in the area had caused significant deforestation which resulted in dramatic erosion problems. The population shrunk over the span of several decades and did not recover to 1890 levels until 90 years later in 1980.
Today, Nashville boasts a thriving tourist industry based upon the original works of resident artists and upon the area's natural beauty. Nearby Brown County State Park is visited by more than a million people per year, many of whom come to see resplendent fall colors in the trees of the forests in the park and its environs. Brown County State Park is also home to some of the best mountain biking in the Midwest.