Baypointe: A Community By the Reservoir

Writer’s Comment: Reflections on a Freelance Project (and Finding the Original Copies)

More than a decade ago, I was hired by a site to create mini-blurbs about numerous communities. It was for a real estate project and was meant to highlight a community within a metropolitan area. In many cases, these were either towns or districts within a suburban city. In some cases, they were merely a collection of residential streets. 

I was given a Google Map, the Internet, and a few days to write what constituted a 300 word-limit article. Admittingly, many of these articles were fairly easy to write, but extremely boring.  Many of them simply had little in terms of attraction within their borders. In other cases, they were next to attractions, important monuments or institutions found outside their borders.  Also, the word limits didn’t give you much room to write something detailed and exciting. 

Baypointe in Hermitage, Tennessee is exactly that; it’s a quiet, suburban neighborhood that happens to be near a reservoir commonly used for recreational purposes in the Nashville metropolitan area. This local favorite near Music City managed to become the theme or setting for several country songs that have come out in recent years. Thus, much of what could be said about Baypointe, ended up being things (or a thing) outside the streets that created its borders.

I have no idea if the original article was ever placed on an Internet site or printed for publication in a magazine or book (still, I got paid for it, so we’ll leave it at that). A quick search on the Internet indicates that it doesn’t exist.

The following is the original article with new details added about the reservoir and its history. 

Why Reprint it? 

I spent nearly 20 years on the Internet writing articles. It was part of my own personal history. When I found it and a couple others from this particular project still on my flash drive, I wanted to reprint and renew them as a way to reclaim them as my own (if I recall the original articles for the site didn’t add bylines). 

 In addition, the article is an exploration of different places throughout the country. Its original intent was to represent a place someone may have wanted to move to. In this case, it becomes a look at a particular place that one may or may not want to visit or learn more about.

Thus, without further ado… 

A Community of Cul-de-sacs

East of the Bell Road and New Hope Road intersection, Baypointe Drive extends east into a tree-lined meadow. It intersects Spera Pointe Crossing, and then veers north, becoming the cul-de-sac named Lampe Court. This is the community of Baypointe in Hermitage, Tennessee.

Baypointe is one of several small residential communities north of J. Percy Priest Reservoir and south of Interstate 40. It is bound by New Hope Road to the west; the community of Hunter’s Point to the north; Lampe Court to the east; and the community of Windchase to the south.

In addition, it’s a young community. Many of its homes were built and completed between 2001 and 2002. 

The community doesn’t have a school, retail shop, or commercial center within its borders. At best, some residents run their businesses from their homes. By appearance, the community is similar to any other community within the Nashville metropolitan area, especially in suburban Hermitage.

The closest school to this community is Ruby Major Elementary School off of John Hager Road (John Hager Road intersects New Hope Road to the south. It heads east where the school is located). 

What Baypointe lacks in schools and businesses, it more than makes up for its proximity to noted attractions in the area. That includes the biggest, J. Percy Priest Reservoir (or just J Percy Lake), a government project that became a major recreational attraction in the region. 

Interstate 40 and the Reservoir

Although not running through it, Baypointe’s most important thoroughfare is Interstate 40. The freeway connects the community to other communities within the greater Nashville metropolitan area and to Nashville International Airport. In addition, it connects the community to J. Percy Priest Reservoir. 

Nashville Shores consists of parks, beaches and several marinas. The largest area is Nashville Shores Marina, which is on a peninsula off of Bell Road.

The reservoir has several recreational areas, marinas, and parks on its shores. The closest parks to Baypointe are Nashville Shores to the southwest and Cook Public Use Area to the south. Other facilities and parks nearby are Elm Hill Marina near Williams Bend Townhomes; Vivrett Creek Public Use Area and Suggs Creek Public Use Area further east on the lake.

Nashville Shores consists of parks, beaches and several marinas. The largest area is Nashville Shores Marina, which is on a peninsula off of Bell Road. The facility incorporates several boat launch areas and slips. Also, it offers family attractions such as a water theme park.

J. Percy Priest Lake Creation

The reservoir has become a place of leisure and family gathering. It is also a prime location for boating of all kinds in Tennessee. Like many projects of its kind, the lake and dam were meant more for producing hydroelectric energy and flood control in the region, especially in the watershed zones along the Stones River. 

The reservoir and its dam started as an authorization by congress in 1946 as Stewart’s Ferry Reservoir. A decade later, in 1958, Congress approved the measure to build a dam along Stones River. After construction by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers in 1967, the new lake was named  J.Percy Priest Lake in honor of a distinguished U.S Congressman from Tennessee. 

Despite being fairly new to the region, the lake has created a legend for itself, thanks to Nashville's most famous industry. Several country music artists have included the lake’s name in their songs or it has been the inspiration for several popular songs. This includes a song by Jason Isbell and the popular “Pontoon” from Little Big Town.

As a side note: When the lake was created, an old community was flooded. Once a thriving community, Old Jefferson now lies below the lake. In the meantime, new communities such as Baypointe now thrive. 

Fishing In the Lake

On top of all that, the reservoir is also known for its fishing. According to many sources, the lake is stocked with:

• Largemouth bass,

• Crappie, and

• Hybrid bass

Often the best time for fishing and boating is between late spring through early fall. Although this is a reservoir, the lake is supplied by a river and small streams. Thus, some species of fishes are indigenous to the area. 

Small Community in a Prime Location

Baypointe is a residential community. But, this community is not far from Nashville and shares a lively lake with other communities. And if those communities have a slew of weekend boaters, there’s no doubt they feel like they’re in paradise. Not too shabby for this community of cul-de-sacs.

Work Cited

1. Boypointe: Neighborhood.com:retrieved 2026

2. Percy Priest Lake:Wikipedia.com retrieved 2026

3. Google Maps for BayPointe