The recently re-opened Woolworth on 5th, now a hot spot for food, beverages, music, and dancing, is also one of Nashville’s most significant buildings, thanks to its role in our city’s civil rights movement. During the early 20th century, Church Street was home to several large local department stores, including Cain-Sloan, Castner Knott, and Harvey’s. Fifth Avenue, north of Church Street, was home to four separate five-and-dime stores, which included Woolworth, Kress, McClellan, and Walgreens. Each store sold retail goods and also had lunch counters that were popular with hungry shoppers in search of a quick affordable meal, usually cooked on a grill on the other side of the counter.
In 1913, the iconic Woolworth skyscraper opened in New York City; shortly after, the first Woolworth store opened in Nashville…
