The Joseph Frank Building

While we do not have an exact history of the building, we learned from a 1905 newspaper clipping that the land was acquired in that year from the family of Captain M. B. Pilcher. The site, along with adjacent tracts, was the location of a large antebellum home that was built in the early 1800s, forty or so years before the Capitol was constructed.

The Joseph Frank Building was originally erected as a two-story retail establishment. Early occupants included the L.C. Tiller Piano Company. Later, a third floor was added to the building. In 1947, Joseph Frank & Sons, Inc. was granted a "stairtower" easement over a pedestrian alley to the adjoining building leased from the General Shoe corporation. To the immediate north the historic Knickbocker Theater entertained thousands as one of Nashville's original movie theaters.

After Joseph Frank & Sons closed, the property was acquired by a group of investors in the early 1980s. This group undertook a major renovation to the property and converted the building into offices about the time of the Church Street redevelopment initiative of the Metropolitan Nashville Government. The renovation upgraded the building's electrical systems, heating and air conditioning systems and made substantial changes to the interior of the building to accommodate the office tenants. However, care was taken to retain the significant historic features of the building including the original hardwood floors.

The demand for office space along the Church Street corridor waned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While the building was vacant pending securing a major tenant, a fire destroyed one of the adjacent buildings. Shortly thereafter vandals entered the Joseph Frank Building and caused significant damage to the property.

The principals of Work & Greer, PC purchased the Joseph Frank Building in 1997 and are working to restore the rich heritage of the building. Presently, the offices of Work & Greer, PC occupy most of the three-story building. The city has also constructed a new park beside the offices. The Cumberland, a high-rise, luxury apartment building, has been constructed across the corner of Church Street. Plans are underway to renovate the Bennie Dillion Building and other vacant buildings down Church Street. We are pleased to be able to do our part to restore some of the excitement and commerce to this historic part of downtown Nashville.

We are extremely grateful for the support of our clients and friends through the years that has enabled us to open this chapter of our firm's history. We hope you find time to visit the Joseph Frank Building and will return often to enjoy the impressive view of our Tennessee State Capitol Building from outside our front door and reminisce about our City's glorious past.