Click Here for the Fountain Square Talking Slideshow, guided by Kris Kristofferson.
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Fountain Square. This is a place where dreams were both made and broken, where loves were discovered and lost, and where innocence was both gained and, just as quickly, stripped away in a sudden rage of ignorance. It is a landmark that takes all of us back to our middle school days, days of playing Tecmo Bowl for hours in the after school area, days of playing wall-ball and battleball as well. Days when I could not fathom that there was anything in the world more majestic or stately than this beautiful center of commerce.

In a way, I am still in those days. True, I no longer play Tecmo Bowl on a regular basis. And while Lagan and I tried to cause a resurgence in interest in Wall-Ball at Hillsboro, it too has faded into the sunset. But, I still cannot fathom a place quite as beautiful as Fountain Square. Perhaps Lion's Head Village comes close, but I am unsure as to whether it tops Fountain Square.

I am having difficulty deciding where to start this essay. Perhaps this is due to the puddle of tears that has now doused my keyboard, and my desk as well...I suppose one could start out by remembering the fine shopping establishments that once graced this beautiful area...First we must mention the logical first stop in every persons visit to the square. Sam Goody was a place where one could go and sample the latest in musical tastes, from the delectable ryhmes of "Snow," to the New Jack musings of "Boyz II Men" and "Another Bad Creation." I feel as though I should also point out that one, if necessary, could also purchase a copy of "Joe Public" and listen to the standout track "Live and Learn" for hours and hours on end on their walkman. As we continue down the walkway, we would pass other fine establishments...

I want to ask forgiveness for something. God, please forgive me for forgetting the name of the Candy Store which provided us with so much pleasure. I have three accounts of this store, none of which coincide - One, given to me by Samuel Smith himself, a noted Fountain Square Scholar, tells of beautiful taffy establishment, where one would sample the finest in taffys. He tells me of walls covered in teddy bear wallpaper, and gold ornamentation everywhere. The other account, by Steven Davis, an expert in is own right, tells of a fudge store... I think this thought is too much for me to handle - he speaks of a place where we might go and sample delicious, sweet fudges from all over the world.

The third account, which is almost the most appealing, was just recently given to my by my friend Rita Davidson. She speaks of a candy store where candy was kept in massive barrels, barrels that she described as being "even taller than my own person." I imagine these barrels were overflowing with mass amounts of sweet, beautiful confections. Gummi Bears, Sathers candies, Orange Slices...My god.



And there are other landmarks to talk about as well. There is, for example, Fat Tuesday's, a place of beauty and solace. A place where many early teenage romances were initiated. And we must not forget Hooters either - it is a place that I never entered, due to my young age at the time. I instead choose to remember it as an establishment that could have provided me hours of enjoyment now that I am a 22 year old. One also could, if they so desired, tour the facilities from the comfort of a boat provided to you by our friends at "High Country Outfitters." This would allow you the possibility to take in the whole complex from afar - which would help you comprehend and digest just how grandiouse and magnificent this whole area was.

Let us talk also of the movie theatre. 14 screens. Nashvilles first true megaplex. Lavishly equipped. It was a place where I witnessed the birth of my interest in film. A place where I viewed childhood classics - Wayne's World 1 and 2, My Cousin Vinny, Honeymoon in Vegas, Batman, the list goes on and on. Many films were viewed both at Lions Head and also the Square. It afforded us the possibility to take in these fine pictures in two compeltely different atmospheres.

I have left the best for last, my people. Yes, I know you have been wondering about this, or perhaps you simply skipped to this paragraph because you are only interested in what I will talk of next. I talk of NEW YORK MENS COMPANY. Just typing that name, it gave me goosebumps. I have now burst back into tears. Here any man or child could equip himself with the finest threads from such early nineties fashion pioneers such as: Boss Jeans Co., Cross Colors and Hypercolor. There was also a wide assortment of sweatpants. These sweatpants were a staple of middle school life.



I am unsure as to exactly when Fountain Square shut its doors for good. I believe it was around 1996. Unlike Lions Head, which disappeared for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, Fountain Square's demise is a little easier to track. Rumors ran rampant at USN every day in the halls about people dying there, people being shot, raped and killed. There were rumors that monster lived in the depths of the lake, a rumor which I firmly believe to be true. It is my belief that many of my childhood friends, who I have not talked to in years and seemed to drop off of the face of the earth, were consumed by this massive lake-beast, who we will call "monstrilika" from here on out. The theatre survived for a short while after the shopping mall itself, but it too eventually died a painful death. Sob.