Nashville’s Southern Turf Building: Secrets & Untold Stories

Located at 222 4th Avenue North, the Southern Turf Building is an architectural marker of Nashville history. Built in 1895 by a wealthy bookmaker, the Queen Anne-style structure doesn’t appear to have changed much over the years from the outside. But the inside is a different story altogether.

Best known in recent years as the location of Skull’s Rainbow Room, which resides in the basement, the building’s past lives include being home to The Tennessean and The Banner, a bank branch, and a dry cleaner. The penthouse is even rumored to have housed rocker Lenny Kravitz, whose manager had an office there. But perhaps its most fascinating life was as the Southern Turf Saloon from 1895 to 1914 — a gambling parlor where men could drink, converse, and … ahem … partake in a few sordid pastimes.

Pin

Located in what was referred to as the “Gentleman’s Quarter,” the building developed quite a risqué reputation. “The ladies never stepped foot in that area,” says owner Bill Miller, who also owns the Federal Reserve building across the street. “Once the business was established, it became quite notorious. The ladies in Nashville — not to be confused with the ladies of the night, who were probably in that building as well — would cross the block to not walk in front of the building. It was a place of ill repute.”

While remodeling, workers even found hidden passageways and three-inch thick doors with peephole slides! “It was quite the place to be,” Bill admits. “As long as nobody knew you were there.”

Though its early history may sound ominous, the Southern Turf Saloon was actually quite elegant. “When people talk about the Southern Turf and the other buildings [in that area], much of it was labeled seedy. But the Southern Turf Saloon represented one of the finest saloons in the entire United States. There were bronzes and marble floors, and all the fittings and fixtures were befit of a king. That floor catered to the sort of gentlemen who wore fine, custom-made suits … The saloon was sort of the window to a different world. The classy world. But then, on the upper floors, that’s where the bad things took place.”

Though the saloon itself may have closed during Prohibition, the years that followed further embellished the Southern Turf Building’s narrative, even adding a bit of death and mayhem to the mix. In 1916, Southern Turf Bar owner Ike Johnson killed himself in his upper-floor apartment after the Prohibition law was passed.

And that’s not the only tragedy that has befallen the building.

Opening in 1948 in the Southern Turf Building basement, Skull’s Rainbow Room brought in some rowdy business. It saw the likes of famous artists such as Elvis and Johnny Cash and served as a jazz club, speakeasy, and even a strip club. But it’s the 1998 robbery and attack of longtime owner David “Skull” Schulman that drew the most attention in later years.

Pin

“Skull Schulman, the proprietor of the business in 1948, was attacked; they attempted to murder him there,” says Bill. “The ghost story people go by in their golf carts every day, and I can hear them saying, ‘Skull died here on the floor.’ He actually didn’t. He went to the hospital, and Tanya Tucker stayed by his side and sang to him as he passed away. That’s a story that nobody knows, but Tanya herself told me. And being the sleuth I am, I verified it. Sure enough, she was at his bedside singing to him as he passed. He was a beloved man.”

With all the building’s tragedy, you might wonder about ghosts. “I’ve never witnessed anything, but if you talk to the employees of Skull’s, there are a few people who swear there are hauntings,” says Bill. “They’ve seen subtle things — or not-so-subtle things — like a plate literally ‘jumping’ off the shelf.” He’s quick to add, “But it’s not a creepy haunting. It’s kind of like, ‘Okay, Skull, what’s going on here?’”

Paying homage to the original, luxurious European style, Bill did everything he could to preserve the Southern Turf Saloon’s vibe. And being the avid collector he is, he even brought in vintage pieces to add to its flair. “You’ll find priceless antiques, paintings, and sculptures that date to the mid-1600s,” he tells us. “The outside speaks for itself, but I wanted people to taste what it might have been back in the 1800s — to step into that Southern Turf Saloon and have a glass of whiskey or some other flavor of the day in those days. We’re thrilled we’ve done that. “

There’s even a carved antique bench from 1648 that once belonged to poet John Milton (author of the famed Paradise Lost) and his third wife. “I think that bench is the most remarkable thing because ‘paradise lost’ is sort of a paradox there,” explains Bill.

“Paradise was lost downstairs when the grand saloon was closed forever during Prohibition. It was a bit of paradise in a questionable and seedy area — the one thing in the area that exuded pure European class. So, when I saw the bench, I thought, Wow, that says it all. Paradise was lost, but here we are, and it’s been restored in this beautiful building that I’ve been honored to be the custodian of.”