Downtown Kingsport in 1951

When you’re alone and life is making you lonely you can always go, Downtown.

– Petula Clark

That was sure the case in Kingsport for more than half a century. Suburban strip centers (Parkway Plaza, Greenacres, etc.) started taking business from downtown in the sixties. But it was the Ft. Henry Mall that opened in 1976 that accelerated the exodus.

If you want a few fond memories of the days when Downtown Kingsport was the place to see and be seen, check out today’s offering: a 1951 map of downtown, complete with store names. It is the store names that most interested me. Many are familiar, a few are obscure. Some are a revelation. I didn’t know that the Rialto Theater was ever known as the Capitol Theater. I had forgotten that Woolworth, W.T. Grant and Kress’s – all dime stores - stood side by side on Broad, flanked by The Charles Store and that vacant lot.

The map is titled “Central Business District, Kingsport, Tennessee, Sept. 1, 1951” and seems to have been drawn for a Bristol real estate man named Jim Dougherty.

A friend of Lance Harris’s loaned it to me after a speech I gave at the Kingsport Historical Society. I photographed it with my cellphone so there are a few dark splotches. But all the lettering is clean and clear and legible.

If I were better with Photoshop, I would have stitched my two images into one map. But I’m not so here are two overlapping maps from a time when Downtown was King.

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Added Saturday afternoon:

In 2003 I gave a speech to the Friends of the Archives (of the City of Kingsport) about Downtown. 
For that speech I dug through old city directories and created a list of Broad Street stores from four different decades: 1939, 1949, 1959 and 1969.
Here is that list. Please pardon the fact that the list is in note form and not every store has a street number. Also remember that the list will seem out of order because stores are listed in numerical order. You will see the State Theatre and the Strand next to each other but as you know they were across the street. One side of the street had odd numbers and the other even numbers.

1939

102 Kingsport Drug

Dougherty Roller Real Estate

U.S. Loan 

109 Bank of Kingsport

Dobyns Taylor

Shaffer’s Lunch Room In Jan Mar Spot

Busy Bee Luncheonette

127 Baylor Nelms

134 Holston Drug

140 Strand

144-46 J.  Fred’s

151-153 Penney’s

State Theatre

156 Palace News

160 Clinchfield Drug

Market Street crosses

200 Charles Store

Broad Street Fruit And News

208-10 Woolworth

214 Grant's

218 Kress

240 Fuller and Hillman

242 Freel’s Drug (Also at 252)

246 Nettie Lee

245 Parks Belk

247 Montgomery Ward

253 First National Bank

Center Street crosses

300 Block Vacant

New Street crosses

415 Kingsport Inn

1949

102 Kingsport Drug

Dougherty Roller

Uncle Sam Loan

109 Insurance Building

111 Vandervort Larue Shoes

Dobyns Taylor

Southern Cafe in Jan Mar Spot

Baylor Nelms

128 Bowers

134 Jewel Box

140 Strand Theatre

143 Broadstreet Furniture

144-46 J .Fred’s

145 Darling Shop

151-153 Penney’s

State Theatre

156 Palace News

158 Harrison Bootery

160 Clinchfield Drug

Market Street crosses

200 Charles Store

Wallace News

207 Betty Gay

208-10 Woolworth

214 Grants

218 Kress

240 Fuller and Hillman

242 Freel’s Drug (Also 252)

246 Nettie Lee

235 Parks Belk

247 Montgomery Ward

248 Sobel’s

253 First National Bank

 Center Street crosses

300 Future J. Fred’s Site Was Kingsport Chamber of Commerce

New Street crosses

415 Kingsport Inn

1959

Dougherty Roller Real Estate

Kingsport Drug

Deluxe Beauty

Uncle Sam Loan Office

Van Dervort Larue Womens Shoes

112 Jan Mar

115 Joseph’s Musicenter

116 Dobyns Taylor

Southern Shoe Store

Baylor Nelms Furniture

Droke’s Shoe Store

134 Jewel Box

Advance Store

Strand Theater

State Theatre

156 Palace News and Barber Shop

160 Clinchfield Drugs

Market Street crosses

204 Charles Store

Wallace News

214-216 W.T. Grant

218-220 Kress

229 Harrison Bootery

229 Nettie Lee Boy and Girl Shop

235 Parks Belk

240 Fuller and Hillman

242 Nettie Lee

252 Freels

Center  Street crosses

300 J. Fred’s

301 JC Penney’s

Next to J .Fred’s was Kinney Shoes, Diana Shop and McCrory’s

Next to Penney’s was Bell Shoes and Woolworth

1969

Dougherty Roller Real Estate

Kingsport Drug Replaced By Dollar General

Deluxe Beauty

Uncle Sam Loan Office now U.S. Loan

112 Jan Mar

115 Joseph’s Musiccenter Moved Across The Street

116 Dobyns Taylor

Southern Shoe Store

Baylor Nelms Furniture

Droke’s Shoe Store

Jewel Box had been 134 Moved To 231

Advance Store  

Strand Theater  

State  

Western Auto Moved Into Bowers At 151

156 Palace News and Barber Shop

160 Clinchfield Drugs

Market Street crosses

204 Charles Store

Wallace News

W.T. Grant 214-216 Gone Replaced By White Cross

218-220 Kress  

229 Nettie Lee Boy and Girl

Diana Shop Moved To 230

235 Parks Belk

240 Fuller and Hillman

242 Nettie Lee Still There

252 Freels

300 J. Fred’s Now Millers Expanded Into Kinney And Diana

301 JC Penneys

Next To Millers, McCrory

Next To Penneys Was Bell Shoes And Woolworth

Kingsport Inn razed in 1960