Harding Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedHarding Mall was a former enclosed shopping mall in Nashville, Tennessee, and the first enclosed shopping mall in Tennessee.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Harding Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Nashville, Tennessee, located in the Paragon Mills neighborhood southeast of downtown at the intersection of Nolensville Pike, also designated U.S. Routes 31A and 41A, and Harding Place, or State Route 255. The center became historically notable as Tennessee's first enclosed shopping mall. Although it no longer exists, the surrounding district continues to be associated locally and commercially with the Harding Mall name. Plans for the development were reported by early 1962. The original proposal described a roughly 200,000-square-foot shopping center with an unusual open-entry concept based on controlled air rather than conventional doors. The scheme changed as development progressed. Groundbreaking took place in April 1963, with Nashville mayor Beverly Briley participating in the ceremony. By then, the project had expanded in scope and had secured a substantial tenant roster, including Nashville department-store operator Castner Knott as its principal anchor. Other announced tenants included Walgreens, G. C. Murphy, F. W. Woolworth, and an A&P supermarket, as well as a bank. The first portions of the project opened before the main mall. A&P began operating in August 1965, and First American National Bank opened in October of that year. Castner Knott opened its anchor store in March 1966, the date generally associated with the mall's completion and opening. The property subsequently added entertainment and retail offerings. The Capri Theatre, a single-screen cinema operated by Martin Theatres, opened in 1969. Harding Mall changed repeatedly as retail formats evolved. Castner Knott expanded its space during the 1970s. A Service Merchandise annex occupied the former G. C. Murphy location around 1980, while Marshalls later moved into that space in 1983 after the Service Merchandise operation had been reduced to a surplus-oriented format. The cinema was acquired into Carmike Cinemas' operating portfolio when Carmike purchased Martin Theatres. During a major late-1980s redevelopment, the original cinema was removed and replaced with a six-screen Carmike theater. The mall itself was renovated and expanded, and plans also called for a freestanding strip center and additional restaurants. The renovated complex reopened in stages around 1990. The center's department-store identity changed again in 1998, when Castner Knott became a Dillard's store following Dillard's parent company's acquisition of Mercantile Stores Company. The cinema later declined into a discount-theater operation and closed in August 2000. Harding Mall remained open until the end of March 2005. A Walmart Supercenter was proposed for the site soon afterward. Demolition began in July 2005, and the replacement Walmart opened in January 2007. Harding Mall therefore represents an early phase of suburban retail development in Tennessee: a pioneering enclosed center that initially combined department stores, junior anchors, a supermarket, banking, and entertainment. Its later history reflects broader changes in American retail, including anchor consolidation, the rise and decline of catalog-showroom formats, multiplex replacement, renovation-led repositioning, and the conversion of aging malls to large-format retail. The mall is defunct as a physical property, but the Harding Mall area designation remains in use in local advertising and wayfinding.
History
Harding Mall was developed in southeast Nashville's Paragon Mills neighborhood as an early suburban shopping destination. Public descriptions of the project appeared by January 1962, when developers proposed a large enclosed retail center. The initial design was unusual for its period: rather than relying on standard doors, it was envisioned as an environment protected from weather by controlled air and invisible barriers. The concept and scope evolved before construction. Groundbreaking occurred in April 1963 in a ceremony attended by Nashville mayor Beverly Briley and representatives of the development company, Castner Knott, and First American National Bank. By this stage the planned investment and scale had increased, and a number of tenants had been identified. Castner Knott was the leading department-store anchor. Walgreens, G. C. Murphy, F. W. Woolworth, and A&P were also associated with the opening plan, giving the center a combination of department-store, junior-anchor, grocery, and service uses. Operations began in stages. A&P opened on August 18, 1965, while First American National Bank began service on October 1. Castner Knott opened on March 14, 1966, and Harding Mall became the first enclosed shopping mall in Tennessee. The property later expanded beyond retail. Martin Theatres opened the Capri Theatre there in March 1969, providing a single-screen cinema for shoppers and nearby residents. During the 1970s and 1980s, the tenant mix changed in response to new retail formats. Castner Knott expanded its store beginning in 1973. Service Merchandise used the former G. C. Murphy space for an annex around 1980, reportedly complementing a larger Nashville showroom with toys and sporting goods. That operation was later reduced to a surplus-oriented format, and Marshalls occupied the space in May 1983. The cinema changed operators after Carmike Cinemas acquired Martin Theatres in 1982. A major redevelopment followed a change in ownership in December 1988. The renovation plan covered the existing mall, added space, and proposed a freestanding strip center and restaurants. The Capri Twin Theatres were demolished and replaced with a six-screen Carmike cinema. The new theater opened in May 1990, and the wider mall renovation was completed in the fall of that year. In 1998, Castner Knott became Dillard's following Dillard's acquisition of Mercantile Stores Company. This preserved a department-store anchor but marked the disappearance of the original local chain from the property. The Carmike theater, by then operating as a discount venue, closed on August 24, 2000. Harding Mall closed at the end of March 2005. Plans for a Walmart Supercenter on the property were public by June, demolition began on July 5, and the replacement store opened on January 19, 2007. The mall itself is therefore defunct, but the Harding Mall area name continues to appear in local commercial references. Its history illustrates the lifecycle of an early enclosed mall: ambitious regional development, tenant and entertainment upgrades, anchor succession, declining traffic and specialized formats, and eventual replacement by a large-format retailer.
- 2007
Walmart opens on former mall site
[1]The replacement Walmart Supercenter opened on January 19.
- 2005
Mall closes and demolition begins
[1]Harding Mall closed at the end of March, and demolition began on July 5 for redevelopment as a Walmart site.
- 1998
Anchor becomes Dillard's
[1]Castner Knott converted to Dillard's after the acquisition of Mercantile Stores Company.
- 1990
Redeveloped complex reopens
[1]The replacement six-screen Carmike cinema opened in May, and the wider mall renovation was completed in the fall.
- 1988
Comprehensive redevelopment announced
[1]New owners announced plans to renovate and expand the mall, replace the cinema, and add a strip center and restaurants.
- 1983
Marshalls opens
[1]Marshalls opened in the former Service Merchandise space on May 5.
- 1973
Castner Knott expansion begins
[1]The principal anchor began an expansion that was completed by late 1974.
- 1969
Capri Theatre opens
[1]Martin Theatres opened a single-screen cinema at the mall on March 26.
- 1966
Castner Knott opens
[1]Castner Knott opened on March 14, completing the principal retail opening of the center and establishing Harding Mall as Tennessee's first enclosed shopping mall.
- 1965
First tenants begin operations
[1]A&P opened in August and First American National Bank opened in October, ahead of the principal department-store opening.
Products and positioning
A neighborhood and regional enclosed shopping center serving southeast Nashville, positioned around department-store anchors, everyday retail, food and grocery services, and later cinema and discount entertainment.
Shopping center · 1966
Enclosed shopping mall
Harding Mall's core offering was an enclosed suburban shopping environment combining an anchor department store with smaller retail units, grocery, pharmacy, banking, and later entertainment. Its importance was primarily geographic and historical: it introduced the enclosed-mall format to Tennessee and served the southeast Nashville area for nearly four decades.
Cinema entertainment · 1969
Capri Theatre and Carmike Cinemas
The mall's entertainment component began with Martin Theatres' single-screen Capri Theatre in 1969. After Carmike Cinemas acquired Martin Theatres, the cinema operation evolved into a twin-theater format and was later replaced during the late-1980s renovation by a six-screen Carmike cinema. The theater closed in 2000.
Department stores · 1966
Anchor department stores
Castner Knott served as the original principal anchor from 1966 and expanded during the 1970s. In 1998, the store became Dillard's after the acquisition of Mercantile Stores Company. The anchor role reflected Harding Mall's shift from a locally anchored Nashville center to a location within a larger national department-store network.
Brand decisions
2005
Replace the mall with large-format retailStrategyBackground
Harding Mall closed at the end of March 2005 after a long period of tenant and format changes.
Action taken
The property was demolished and redeveloped for a Walmart Supercenter.
Aftermath
The Walmart store opened in January 2007, while the Harding Mall name remained in use for the surrounding area.
1988
Redevelop and expand the mallStrategyBackground
The property changed ownership in December 1988 as Harding Mall sought to modernize its facilities and strengthen its retail and entertainment offer.
Action taken
The owners planned to renovate the existing mall, add approximately 90,000 square feet, replace the cinema with a six-screen theater, and develop a freestanding strip center and restaurants.
Aftermath
The Carmike cinema opened in May 1990 and the broader renovation was completed in the fall of that year.
Sources1 sources
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