Following up on our podcast with L.A. Wilson about her book Once Upon a Nashville Night, which covered the history of Fred Harvey's gift to Nashville—the Nativity Scene in Centennial Park—Sarah talks directly with a member of the Harvey family: Fred Harvey III.

Fred Harvey III is the grandson of Fred Harvey, who founded Harveys Department Store in downtown Nashville in 1942. The store was truly one of a kind—and, in my opinion, unlike any other store that exists today.

A Little Pre-Listening History

Harveys called downtown—at 6th and Church (eventually expanding to 5th Avenue)—home until the 1980s, with several suburban branches added over the years. In the 1980s, the store was sold to Peebles; unfortunately, I’m not sure whether those locations are still operating today.

Fred shares wonderful details about the years he spent in the store as a child, the various jobs he held there, growing up in Nashville, and other anecdotes that make this podcast an especially enjoyable listen.

If you haven’t listened to the podcast with L.A. Wilson yet, I’d recommend it as well. While her episode focuses primarily on the Nativity Scene, it also includes important details about Harveys drawn from the extensive research she conducted for her book.

One final note before recommending this episode (if you haven’t already listened): Fred mentions the Glendale Park Zoo in reference to the carousel horses Harveys purchased from them. He notes that NES built the streetcar line; technically, at that time, it was the Nashville Light and Railway Company, which had consolidated several companies to provide electricity and commuter rail service in Nashville. That collection is held at Metro Archives for anyone curious about NES’s predecessor.

Call for Memories!

If you have a Nashville story you think listeners should hear, let us know! Metro Archives is here to preserve Nashville’s history—and that includes the anecdotes that help define it. Contact us if you’d like to join us for a future podcast episode.

~ Sarah