Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-07-27
The Red Corner.

One of the oldest stands for bust
ness, and at one time the best, il
fast approaching the day of its door
to give place to the march of mod
ern improvement. Immediately
after the war, when we first became
a resident in GAINESVILLE, the co1nel
was occupied by Mr.. r. E. McCul
loch for the sale of ready-madt
clothing, and the next store to it by
Mr.. Townsend Thomas as a drug
store. The public square was then
the center of business, and in front
of the two stores we have mentioned
chairs were regularly set out on the
pavement in summer time and
occupied by a sort of informal club,
who smoked the after-breakfast pipe
there and settled the affairs of the
nation, State, county and city ac-
cOrding to their ideas. Every morn
ing there were to be found assisting
at this tobacco parliament" DIR. E.
b. Haskins, since dead, Major G..
A. Henry, the Rev. J. B. West,
Gen. w. A. Quarles and this editor.
There was no market-hOuse then,
and the spot, sheltered from the
morning sun and open to the cool
ing river breeze, was favorable to
mental tranquility and that conf
dence in ones own judgment which
encourages one in the edIfying en-
plOyment of laying down the law
for the rest of the world.
The buildings were not imposing,
but there were no better in sight,
and business was brisk, or at least
brisker than in other parts of the
city, and it was both figuratively
and literally the west end of Clarks-
vile. Improvements in other di-
rectiOns have put the Red Corner a
little out of countenance of late, but
Mr.. John S. Elder, the owner of the
property, has determined that it
shall hold up a bold front to the
world and refuse to be cast down
any longer. He has accordingly
projected what will be much the
most imposing building in Clarks-
vile for business purposes.
The plot of ground measures
eighty feet on Franklin street by
one hundred and thirty-five on the
public square. This space is to be
occupied by vast establish
ment for the trade in hardware and
agricultural implements, with two
public halls in its second story. The
different floors are to be distributed
as follows: The basement through
out its whole extent and the ground
floor, each measuring S0x135 feet, is
to be occupied by Mr.. Elders bust
ness establishment. The first floor
above will comprise a public eXhi-
bitiOn hall 51x100 feet and %! feet
high, a second hall 33X43 feet and
II feet high, an office 2O!x26 and a
storage room connected with the
business establishment. In the
third story the upper part of the
hall occupies the same area as on
the lower floor, namely, 51X100,
and the rest of the space is to be oc-
cupied by another storage room for
the business establishment.
The building will present three
facades, on Franklin
street, the Public Square and Straw
berry street respectively, the first
two being highly ornamental in
their character, that on Strawberry
street palmer. The whole is under
he architectural supervision of Mr..
John Andrewartha, whose plans,
sections and elevations we have
been allowed to examine.
Mr.. Elder has struck upon the
light method for preventing the de-
Darture of business from the western
portion of the city, and we trust !
will find himself handsomely remu-
lerated for his energy and enter
prise.