Nashville Tennessee Vintage
Photos - Third Avenue south and Mallory Street
Photos - Third Avenue south and Mallory Street
You may find the attached old photo interesting. It shows a building at 1053 Third Avenue South (Third and Mallory). Mallory Street has been
renamed. View is West toward 4th Avenue and the old City Cemetery. At the time of this photo my father, Sam M. Weems, Jr., was operating a
shoe store in the building (he is facing the camera on the sidewalk). My father called his business the "Bargain Center" and kept it in open
from 1950 until 1969. The storefront had previously been "The Blue Front Cafe" and was a thrift store after my father closed his business. A
small grocery store operated across Mallory facing Third Avenue, and a competing shoe store was almost directly across Third Avenue.
renamed. View is West toward 4th Avenue and the old City Cemetery. At the time of this photo my father, Sam M. Weems, Jr., was operating a
shoe store in the building (he is facing the camera on the sidewalk). My father called his business the "Bargain Center" and kept it in open
from 1950 until 1969. The storefront had previously been "The Blue Front Cafe" and was a thrift store after my father closed his business. A
small grocery store operated across Mallory facing Third Avenue, and a competing shoe store was almost directly across Third Avenue.
Visible from this vantage is the Morris Shoe Store across Third Avenue. You can make out some of his large hand-lettered signs but not the
first-quality men's shoes he offered at tempting prices through dangling single shoes by their laces from those outside signs. Though those
shoes were top of the line brands his stock consisted mostly of men's shoes in odd "sample" sizes like 7C. My father sold Genesco "second"
shoes in a variety of sizes for both sexes and all ages. He prospered, and the picture was taken in 1960 on the occasion of his purchase of the
building. At that time apartments were rented on the side and upstairs of the structure (I remember the girl vaguely seen sitting on the doorstep
in the distance had the most remarkable red hair). My father methodically closed off the apartments as tenants moved out, bricking off street
level windows and doorways and converting the living spaces into storage for his expanding business. His business did so well Genseco took
notice and opened its own "outlet" stores. Being unable to compete with his supplier my father shut his business down.
first-quality men's shoes he offered at tempting prices through dangling single shoes by their laces from those outside signs. Though those
shoes were top of the line brands his stock consisted mostly of men's shoes in odd "sample" sizes like 7C. My father sold Genesco "second"
shoes in a variety of sizes for both sexes and all ages. He prospered, and the picture was taken in 1960 on the occasion of his purchase of the
building. At that time apartments were rented on the side and upstairs of the structure (I remember the girl vaguely seen sitting on the doorstep
in the distance had the most remarkable red hair). My father methodically closed off the apartments as tenants moved out, bricking off street
level windows and doorways and converting the living spaces into storage for his expanding business. His business did so well Genseco took
notice and opened its own "outlet" stores. Being unable to compete with his supplier my father shut his business down.
This final photo is of the same building in January 1963 and shows its continued conversion into a completely commercial structure...note the
bricked up side entrances.
bricked up side entrances.
I could never tell what the original purpose of that building was. In its basement was a huge and beautifully carved Victorian oak table. As far as
I remember it remained in the basement because at that time none of the existing stairwells were wide enough to permit its passage.
I remember it remained in the basement because at that time none of the existing stairwells were wide enough to permit its passage.
Contributed by William W. Weems - Class of 1962 - Central High School