By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–If you’ve been in downtown Paris lately, you’ve seen a lot of activity at the corner of Brewer and Washington Streets. Workers have been busy renovating the building at 125 N. Brewer Street, which over the past decades has been a busy location for numerous businesses.
Owner Mike Hafley said the workers are replacing the whole front of the building and renovating the inside. “I haven’t really decided what kind of business I’ll put in there. I’m thinking in a couple different directions, but I’d like for it to be a diner. I think we could use that downtown.”
Shortly after he purchased the building, Hafley said he noticed a crack in the front wall and one thing led to another as the renovation continued to the present day and the whole front is being replaced.
The one-story building was built in 1900. Hafley said originally, the site contained three buildings “but someone took the central wall out.”
In his research, he’s determined that the building was the home to a succession of businesses, mostly diners, cafes, bars and restaurants. “I think it’s been 75 different things over the years,” he said. “I received information from one gentleman who said that way back when, there was a blacksmith at this location.”
The site has been an object of curiosity while the workers have been there, he said. “Some people want to talk about what all has been in that location in the past, but most people want to know what we’re going to do with it.”
People have given him copies of photos of the building from the past, he said, including Steve Cannon, who gave him a copy of a photo of the location when it was the Southern Grill. Cannon owns Jack’s Pool Room across the street and is a local history buff.
The Paris City Directory lists the City Cafe at 123 ½ N. Brewer St. in 1976.
Hafley said other names of businesses that people have told him were located there include Pete’s Lounge, Junior’s, Jerry’s Pop-A-Top, the Silver Dollar and many more.
“The way I figure it, the reason there were so many bars and places to eat in this block was that it was so close to the old Shirt Factory (located at 205 E. Washington St.),” Hafley said. “Guys getting off at midnight would have a place to come when their shift was over and other employees could get a bite to eat on their breaks.”
Hafley said one of the renovations they plan is to return the interior to 11 foot ceilings. “I want to make it look like it did in the old days, when the old-style tin ceilings,” he said.
Pewitt’s Masonry of McKenzie, which earlier repaired the brickwork at Hessing’s Law Office in downtown Paris.
So far, workers have not found anything of interest, he said. “We’ve found a couple of old bottles and a card table and that’s about it so far.”
Top photo by Shannon McFarlin.
Photo from Steve Cannon shows the Southern Grill, with Esther’s Cafe next door on Brewer Street.