Nashville Public Library and Castner-Knott Building

Part I. Nashville Public Library

It’s fitting that Nashville’s title the “Athens of the South,” named for its numerous institutions of higher learning, is reflected in the public library. In 2001, the 300,000 square foot main branch of the Nashville Public Library opened its doors. The building pays homage to Greek civilization through its classical architecture as well as its purpose, which reflects the emphasis placed on knowledge and learning by Greek culture. 

The library was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects or RAMSA, an award-winning firm recognized across four continents for their residential, commercial, and institutional designs. Founder Robert Stern, the former Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, has written several books on historical and contemporary topics in architecture. Stern’s knowledge of both antiquity and modernity is reflected in the library. Clad in limestone, granite, and brick, the exterior of the building definitely draws inspiration from the Greeks. However, the building is richly decorated with symbols of Nashville’s cultural history as well. Look beneath the portico and Ionic columns on the façade to locate the double doors in the main entrance. Created by Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire, twenty-four relief bronze panels integrate representations of notable Tennesseans, as well as the state’s flora and fauna.

Many rooms are encompassed within the three-story building, from the Metro Archives to the Nashville Room, and from the interactive Children’s Area to the Civil Rights and Woman’s Suffrage Exhibits. Perhaps most impressive is the third-floor Grand Reading Room. Its high, vaulted ceilings feature eighty copper panels designed by artist Gregory Ridley that detail more than 200 years of Nashville history.

For the second part of this stop exit the library and look across the street. You will see Castner-Knott building on the corner to your left. Cross Church Street at the crosswalk directly in front of the library’s main entrance and turn LEFT to cross Anne Dallas Dudley Boulevard. Once you are in front of Castner-Knott resume the narration.

Part II. Castner-Knott Building

For most of the twentieth century this area was bustling with shoppers, and you are standing in front of one of Nashville’s most successful department stores. Founded in 1898 by local businessmen Charles Castner and William Knott, the Castner-Knott Dry Good Company’s first storefront was near Public Square and the Cumberland River. It was one of the first businesses to move west in the early 1900s—as Nashville’s downtown shifted from residential to commercial. At the 1906 opening, the importance of this building was not lost on those who attended. The new Castner-Knott building represented the expansion of Nashville’s shopping district and emulated the elegance of New York and Chicago.

Designed by St. Louis architect M.P. McArdle and built by Selden-Breck, this Classical-Revival style building amazed consumers with 10 by 12 foot plate glass windows and sweeping coffered ceilings. McArdle designed commercial buildings throughout the United States. At the 1904 Louisiana Purchase World Exposition, he was awarded the gold medal for his design of the Temple of Fraternity—his greatest architectural achievement. 

As Castner-Knott’s sales increased, they expanded into the two upper floors of the adjacent and newly constructed B.H. Stief Jewelry Company building in 1912. Stief’s five story Italianate retail building at 616 Church Street was designed so that its floors would line up with the Castner-Knott store. A 1958 renovation by Marr and Holman fully connected the two buildings and covered the storefront windows in granite panels, redesigning the first-floor’s interior and storefront in Art Moderne style. The combination of Classical-Revival, Italianate, and Art Moderne reflect the shifting trends of the twentieth century, as the downtown department store sought to modernize. Castner-Knott's historic flagship location here on Church Street closed in 1996. Fun fact: What was once Castner-Knott is today part of the Macy’s department store chain.

Continue your walk down Church Street, crossing over Seventh Avenue North. The Bennie Dillon building will be one block down on your right.