Silver Dollar Saloon

Ornament: 4" Diameter 1/8" Thick PVC

The Silver Dollar Saloon building, situated as the "guardian" of the historic Market Street district, is located at the corners of Broadway and Second Avenue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. An excellent example of flowery Victorian architecture, it was designed by Julian Zwicker and built in 1893 primarily as a saloon catering to sailors on shore leave from boats that traveled the nearby Cumberland River.

Some of the many unusual features of the edifice include the octagonal turret, wreaths and garlands made of fired clay, unique portholes, cast iron facing for the angled front door and large arched windows on the second level. Of special interest are the silver dollars embedded in the elaborate tile floor...this the name!

Since 1910, at the beginning of prohibition in Tennessee, the structure has housed a variety of enterprises. But in 1976, when it was in bad repair and lacked purpose, the owners agreed that Historic Nashville, Inc. could restore the building and return it to a useful status. In this 1980 print, the building was headquarters for that non-profit organization with the upper floors utilized as the offices of the Nashville Metropolitan Historical Commission.