Downtown in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Berger Building / WDAD Radio Station “Where Dollars are Doubled”

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, October 6, 2021

1. Berger Building/WDAD Radio Station “Where Dollars are Doubled” Marker

Inscription. Berger Building In 1926, Samuel W. Berger hired local architect Ozrow J. Billis to design this stylish building outfitted with colorful glazed terra cotta tiles. Berger was a Hungarian immigrant and one of the city's leading retail merchants. The Roy Warden Piano and Organ WB Co., a popular music store, operated here for over forty years. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the building is one of Nashville's finest examples of early 20th century commercial design.

WDAD Radio Station "Where Dollars are Doubled" Prior to the Berger Building, Nashville's first commercial radio station WDAD operated at this site above Dad's Radio Supply Store. Launched in Sept. 1925, WDAD was Nashville's first studio to broadcast country and blues music nationwide with artists such as Humphrey Bate, Uncle Dave Macon, DeFord Bailey and Bessie Smith. WDAD's old-time fiddle contests inspired rival station WSM to create the Grand Ole Opry. Due to street widening, WDAD relocated and became WLAC in 1926.

Erected 2020 by The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. (Marker Number 225.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture

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• Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee, The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1925.

Location. 36° 9.646′ N, 86° 46.993′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on U.S. 431 just north of Commerce Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 164 US-431, Nashville TN 37203, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Smith House (a few steps from this marker); Baptist Sunday School Board Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Ward's Seminary (within shouting distance of this marker); The Jungle and Juanita's (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Vine Street Temple (about 400 feet away); Vine Street Christian Church (about 500 feet away); Doctors Building (about 500 feet away); The Bennie Dillon Building (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.

Also see . . . The Berger Building at Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 7, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia.)

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, October 6, 2021

2. Berger Building/WDAD Radio Station “Where Dollars are Doubled” Marker

Berger Building/WDAD Radio Station “Where Dollars are Doubled” and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay

3. Berger Building/WDAD Radio Station “Where Dollars are Doubled” and Marker

The marker is to the far left in this view of the Berger Building.

Berger Building National Register of Historic Places Plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Shane Oliver, December 20, 2021

4. Berger Building National Register of Historic Places Plaque

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 386 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 6, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 4. submitted on December 26, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.