Purveyor of Past and Present

The city of Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee, but that was some 250 years after Hernando de Soto scoured part of the area in search of El Dorado. The plat for the town was surveyed by Charles McClung and included provisions for a town common along the waterfront, a church and graveyard, and a school, which was chartered as Blount College in 1794 (and was the beginning of the University of Tennessee).

Described as an “alternately quiet and rowdy river town,” Knoxville for a time was indeed part of the Wild West. The infamous Kid Curry, a member of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, was arrested and held in Knoxville’s jail. He later escaped and galloped out of town on a horse he stole from the sheriff.

Manufacturing and distributing became an important part of the local economy for Knoxville – and the Tennessee River and rail lines made much of the city’s growth possible. Gay Street was the center of commercial development and was lined with stores, warehouses, stables, and more. And then came the Million Dollar Fire of 1897.

It was 4 a.m. in the morning when flames were seen leaping through the roof of the Hotel Knoxville located right where the Mast Store is now. The fire department scrambled and got as many boarders out as possible.

Knowing that the fire could get out of hand, the fire department in Chattanooga was contacted and made the journey to Knoxville aboard a train in record time (at speeds topping 90 miles per hour). One building had to be dynamited to control the blaze. By the end of the day, only five lives were lost, the Chattanooga fire department returned home to cheers, and two blocks of Gay Street lay in smoldering ruins. The losses were valued at $1 million and the cause is yet undetermined.

Out of the ashes arose the building you see today, which was constructed in 1898.

Parking

The City of Knoxville recommends downloading the Parkopedia app or visiting Parkopedia.com. Enter “402 South Gay Street, Knoxville, Tennessee,” as your destination, and this site will display an extensive, up-to-date list of options for street parking, paid parking lots and garages, number of available spaces, rates, and distance from Mast Store Knoxville.

You may call Visit Knoxville at 800-727-8045 or local information at 311. Folks at these listings should be able to direct you to a parking lot or deck in the downtown area and have information about possible traffic changes for special events during the time of your visit.

Get Directions

Plan Your Visit

Knoxville was a capital city of Tennessee. Now it’s a city offering sophistication along with down home style. While you’re in the area, stop in at the Visitor Center to enjoy the Blue Plate Special. Nah, it’s not something you eat, but it sure is a heapin’ helpin’ of good music, plus you’ll discover all kinds of other places you’ll want to visit, too.

Bijou Theatre

Tennessee Theatre

Visit Knoxville

Area Events

JULY 4, 2026

Festival on the 4th

World's Fair Park • 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

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Weekly on Wednesday & Saturday

Market Square Farmers Market

Downtown Knoxville

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Local Flavor

The Story Behind the Store

The Knoxville store has been a retail landmark in Downtown Knoxville since 1898. The building was constructed after the "Million Dollar Fire" in 1897. The fire started in a nearby hotel and destroyed the entire block on our side of the street. The flames spread so fast and were so intense that the Chattanooga Fire Department was called in to assist. They put their pumper on a train that left for Knoxville approaching speeds of 90+ miles per hour.

When the building was rebuilt, it was home to the McNulty Grocery and Dry Goods Co.In 1901 M. M. Newcomer's Department Store made the move from across the street into the building at 402 South Gay Street. It was one of Knoxville's bigger stores.

Mast Store Knoxville

The Mast Store in Downtown Knoxville circa today.

As an interesting aside to the history of the actual building, the Original Mast Store in Valle Crucis had a long relationship with Knoxville, which makes the store on Gay Street even more interesting. In perusing the invoices for goods purchased for the shelves from 1902 until 1920, numerous invoices had Knoxville addresses. One of the addresses is just down the street at what is now the Downtown Grill and Brewery. In the early 1900s, it was Woodruffs, a wholesale and retail house for all kinds of goods. There are also a number McClung Wholesale invoices. The McClung Warehouses are just a short drive from the store and are near the rail yard. Farm implements, barbed wire, and other items were stocked from this business.

In 1932, the Knox Dry Goods Store replaced M. M. Newcomers. Through the years it provided all kinds of goods and services including a beauty shop on the second floor. Knox Dry Goods modernized its name in 1954 becoming known as The Knox. It was a mainstay in the downtown area until 1977 when The Boston Store moved into the building.

In the late 1970s, many retailers had left downtown for the suburbs. The store was vacant until the White Grocery Store moved in in 1982 and operated until 1988. After that, the building was used for storage including sewing machines and all other items.

The Mast Store opened in August 2006.

Community Partners

In a time when general stores dotted the landscape, business was a mutually beneficial agreement, and it was done with a handshake. That could easily describe our relationship with our Community Partners. The Mast Store supports many groups in its local areas that help meet human needs, champion the arts, promote conservation, and contribute to moving the community forward. These are just a few of the organizations we support locally.

Friends of the Smokies

Foothills Land Conservancy

Second Harvest