Gerst Haus and Stahlman Building

You’re now standing near Second Avenue and Union Street, a place where three very different Nashville stories intersect.

For decades, 315 Second Avenue North was home to the Gerst Haus. Founded in 1955 by William Gerst III, it honored his family’s German brewing roots. Gerst Haus was best known for its fishbowls of beer and hearty food, including bratwurst, kielbasa, Reuben sandwiches, and its famous pig knuckles.

The restaurant was a popular hangout, where surly waitresses handled food orders and beer boys kept the oversized mugs coming. Over time, it evolved into a family destination, complete with oompah music and group dancing to the Hokey Pokey and Chicken Dance.

As downtown changed, the Gerst House moved and closed for good in 2018. If you’re still craving Gerst, the last remaining Gerst Haus is in Evansville, Indiana—or you can explore Nashville’s historic Germantown neighborhood to enjoy plenty of other local brews.

Now look up. On the corner of Third Avenue North and Union Street stands the Stahlman Building. Completed in 1907 for Major Edward Stahlman and designed by architects J.E Carpenter and Walter Blairr, the twelve-story building symbolized Nashville’s financial power. Look for the Greek Doric columns and the name “STAHLMAN” carved in limestone. Crowned by the illuminated WKDF radio sign, the building remains a downtown landmark and offers residential living. Fun Fact: J.E. Carpenter was later the architect of the historic Hermitage Hotel on 6th Avenue.

Now for our final story. Across Second Avenue at the top of the hill stands a Colonial Revival–style building overlooking the Cumberland River. This high ground has long linked Nashville’s civic center to the local justice system housed in City Hall and the A. A. Birch Building on James Robertson Parkway.

One longtime tenant was Grumpy’s Bail Bonds. In a 2016 interview, owner Leah Hulan reflected on the human side of the justice system, stating: “It’s never a good day to go to jail. Pets are at home and children are at school. Who’s going to take care of them? For the most part, these are good people who have done something terrible. I was put in this place to help.”

Put another way, as Garth Brooks’s 1990 hit song goes:

Cause I've got friends in low places

Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases

My blues away

Now let’s go from low places to high ground. Listen to this stop as you walk across the Public Square to reach the Historic City Hall and Courthouse. This will be our last stop.