The Arcade and Walgreens

Modeled after the famous Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele in Milan, Italy, the Nashville Arcade was built in 1902. The interior space is two stories high, open to the gabled glass roof. It is a hidden historical gem in Nashville’s downtown core. During the Nashville Sit-in Movement, the Arcade became a focal point as one of its entrances fronted the department stores. Students first met here, in front of the Arcade, before they simultaneously entered stores in this shopping district. The sit-ins included Walgreens, which is part of the Arcade.

Walgreens was founded in 1901 as a pharmacy, drug store, and soda shop. At 2:00 pm on February 20th, students mounted a second wave of sit-ins and entered Walgreens. The store’s management, anticipating the protesters, quickly put a sign on display that read: “FOUNTAIN CLOSED IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY.” While the students sat at the counter in Walgreens, a group of white customers verbally harassed Carol Anderson, a student from Fisk University. Police cleared the store.

The episode at Walgreens caused Nashville students to devise ten rules of conduct for demonstrations, which later became the code of behavior for sit-in movements in other cities. Three days after the Walgreens incident, Bernard Lafayette (American Baptist College), Curtis Murphy (Tennessee A&I) and Julia Moore (Fisk University) met with Chief of Police Douglass Hosse. They wanted to thwart the possibility of violence. Their request fell on deaf ears as Hosse dismissed their request on the premise that it would disrupt business.

The students’ fear of violence was confirmed on February 27 when the peaceful protestors were beaten and then arrested—as mentioned earlier. Two days later, those arrested were found guilty and fined $50, but they insisted on a “pay-no-bail” strategy and opted to serve 33 1/3 days in the county jail. Z. Alexander Looby, a lawyer and professor at Fisk University, represented the students. Despite the imprisonment of their fellow sit-in comrades, other students continued their protests throughout March and April of 1960. Walk through the Arcade before exiting on Fourth Avenue. If you’re interested in learning about other aspects of the Arcade see our many other tours including Public Art and Murals and Food for Thought.

Exit the Arcade, and turn LEFT onto Fourth Avenue North. Walk a half a block until you reach Union Street and turn RIGHT. Walk one block to the corner of Third Avenue North and Union Street. Cross Third Avenue then turn LEFT and cross Union Street to reach the Public Square. Feel free to explore the Public Square while you listen. You can also walk up to the courthouse to view the civil rights plaque by the front entrance.