Headquarters of once-giant Genesco coming down in Nashville

By Bill Carey

I saw recently that the old Genesco headquarters building in Nashville will be razed to make way for the umpteenth expansion of the Metro Nashville Airport.

I know the tear-down is inevitable because no private company has shown interest in occupying the building for a long time. But before it's gone, I'd like to remind everyone what a big deal it was when it was built.

Genesco was, at one time, one of the largest employers in Tennessee. At its peak around 1960, it had shoe factories all over the state, in Nashville, Gallatin, Tullahoma, Waynesboro, Hohenwald, Lewisburg, Pulaski,...