Nashville’s mall scene has moved in different directions over the years (read: dead malls), but back when business was bustling, two Nashville-based department stores were household names.
Cain-Sloan
Pat Cain, John Cain, and Paul Sloan first opened the store in 1903 in a shop called “Beehive,” located on what is now 5th Avenue. It quickly outgrew the space, moving once again before landing at its $12 million storefront on the southwest corner of Church Street and 5th Avenue.
Here’s a glimpse of what your opening ceremony view might have looked like. | Photo via NPL’s Digital Collections
On Oct. 25, 1957, records show a crowd of 500+ people came out for the opening ceremony. That’s nothing, however, compared to the over 32,000 shoppers who visited between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The flagship’s success brought three additional locations in area shopping centers, including Hickory Hollow Mall.
The building was demolished April 24, 1994 after another department store still in operation today (can you guess which one?) bought the brand in 1987 and closed the downtown doors for the final time. The site in which it once stood remains a significant part of the city’s history. In December 1959, Cain-Sloan was the second business chosen for a “test” sit-in, which signified the start of Nashvillians’ work to desegregate local lunch counters.
Mayor Briley is pictured with student models promoting Castner-Knott’s “Fashion Happening” in 1965. | Photo via NPL’s Digital Collections
Castner-Knott
Before there was Cain-Sloan, there was Castner-Knott. The store, sold to the same chain that purchased Cain-Sloan, operated on a regional level in Kentucky and Alabama.
The flagship location was founded in 1898 by Charles Castner and William Knott and was relocated shortly thereafter to a five-story Classical Revival building on Church Street. The property, known as the Castner-Knott building, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and mostly houses offices nowadays.
In 1911, owners purchased the building next door, redesigned the space to match its counterpart, and connected the floors of both buildings to compete with other stores. Much like Cain-Sloan, Castner-Knott served as an anchor store locally. That said, its legacy lasted a bit longer, as the downtown storefront didn’t close until 1996.
