Feature

My Memories of The Downtown Presbyterian Church’s Waffle Shops Past

BY JIMMY CHESHIRE | FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

My memories of past Waffle Shops long preceded my ever attending one. When I was child I remember sitting around our kitchen table while my mother and grandmother talked about something they referred to as “The Waffle Shop.” My grandmother would talk about cooking waffles and making children’s clothes, sweets and other items for the bazaar, while my mother would talk about waiting tables.

It was not until I completed law school and started working at a downtown law firm that I had the opportunity to actually attend a Waffle Shop. My secretary during part of this period took great satisfaction in placing Waffle Shop posters throughout the firm and in selling tickets. She was so diligent in her sales efforts that I remember on several occasions she would run out of tickets, necessitating her sending me to the church to get more.

In the earlier days of the Waffle Shop, Nashville’s three major banks and two major insurance companies had their headquarters downtown. In addition, Nashville’s three largest department stores were located downtown, many of Nashville’s lawyers were located close to the courthouse, and a contingent of medical doctors and dentists were still located downtown in the Doctors' Building and the Bennie Dillon Building. As a result, there were many business and professional people downtown who always looked forward to attending the Waffle Shop on the first Thursday in December. In addition, since most of Nashville’s retail stores were at that time located downtown, they drew a number of housewives to town to do their Christmas shopping and many of them would include attendance at the Waffle Shop in their trip.

While, to my chagrin, there have been modifications to the menu in an effort to make it more appealing to the younger generations, the Waffle Shop remains for me not only a highlight of the Christmas season, but also a welcome bridge to the past.

Reflecting on a Century of Waffle Shop

BY ERIN BELL | WAFFLE SHOP STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

The Downtown Presbyterian Church is full of gratitude to the community for supporting this year’s Waffle Shop so enthusiastically. We are particularly thankful for our corporate sponsors, including The Contributor. As hoped, nearly 500 people attended and we raised over $15,000! All of the funds from Waffle Shop are allocated to the church’s mission to provide a free meal to the community each Saturday morning. This year’s event was a celebration of Waffle Shop’s traditions, the Christmas holiday, and our downtown community — all while supporting a very worthy cause!

Waffle Shop is referred to as both an event and a tradition. The definition of tradition is “a delivering up, surrender, a handing down, a giving up.” There is an inherent reciprocity in a tradition that requires both giving and receiving. You cannot create a tradition alone. It’s usually up to others to determine if an idea or activity merits repeating. The same is true of determining when a tradition has reached its conclusion. As a steering committee member, we are exceedingly grateful and humbled by those who have handed down the Waffle Shop, each year relinquishing it to others to continue as they feel best. Now that this year’s event has passed, we too must wait to see what comes next.

Like so many things in life, the Waffle Shop has changed over time. It is interesting to see which traditions have remained essential and which have not. Sometimes the transition from “then” to “now” is obvious — such as the name change from Bazaar to Waffle Shop. Other times it is more subtle — hot chicken replaces turkey hash on the menu. For several years the Women of the Church hosted the waffle luncheon for three days the week following Thanksgiving! I have nothing but utmost respect for those who were hosting such an endeavor. I also feel comfortable following the lead of those who opted to scale it back to a one-day event. At some point along the way guided tours of the sanctuary and a silent auction became highlights of the annual Waffle Shop. This

As a church, we also celebrated a milestone this year. In June we honored the members who founded The Downtown Presbyterian Church in 1955, a process that began in 1954. The Downtown Presbyterian church is blessed beyond measure to have two founding members still in regular attendance — Jimmy Cheshire and Ridley Wills. These gentlemen and their families have given immeasurable support and guidance to DPC. They have served on its Session and its Corporation, helping to ensure its stability and its adherence to its principles.