Built in and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the upper floors of the four-story Italianate-style building were closed for several decades and have been restored as part of the boutique Dream Hotel Nashville. The Climax Saloon was owned by principals of the George A. Dickel and Co. The three-story saloon began operation in , with a saloon bar on the ground level, pool tables and gambling on the second floor, and prostitution brothel in the bedrooms on the top level.
The bedrooms had false wall panels, allowing the working girls a place to hide from police in the event of a raid. It was a place where any self-respecting Victorian lady of the time refused to walk down the street. A woman who valued her reputation did not ever venture into this block.
It was densely populated with saloons and other adult or erotic businesses catering to the interests of men. A constant and abundant supply of male customers, including attorneys from nearby office buildings; businessmen travelling from the famous Maxwell House hotel, which was located adjacent to quarter; and plenty of construction workers and riverboat crews from the nearby Cumberland River.
Occasional raids did take place but they often resulted in only a nominal fine. Dickel Company Distillery used a method of acquiring or constructing saloons in Nashville, to create outlets for selling their whiskey. The Dickel company owned the Climax Saloon, which survived on 4th Avenue until being demolished for replacement by Dream Hotel Nashville, which features some original fixtures and architectural elements from the old saloon and hotel.
The Maxwell House Hotel from which the coffee got its name stood across the street at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Church Street until it burned on Christmas night, The ornate Victorian facades of these buildings stand in vibrant contrast to most of their contemporary neighbors. In the years leading up to final closure of the Climax Saloon in , local churches including the The Union Gospel Tabernacle known today as The Ryman and Tulip Street Church preached against alcohol consumption and the sinfulness of the Cherry Street brothels and saloons.
