The Castner Knott building features a facade of ornate, light-colored terra cotta that separates it from the surrounding brickwork on Church Street. Arthur Benjamin Castner and his partner, Henry Knott, opened this dry goods store in eighteen ninety-eight. They filled their shelves with imported lace, fine silks, and tailored suits for Nashville shoppers. During the nineteen thirties, the owners installed the first central air conditioning system in a Tennessee retail store to keep customers comfortable while they browsed the upper floors.
Historic Castner Knott Building
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