Plum Nelly is one of those places that embodies the mingling of community, art, and connection. Catharine Daniels, the store’s fourth owner in the line of women who have owned it since its beginning. “Plum Nelly started with an art teacher and a clothesline art sale on the backside of Lookout in 1947 and the original storefront in Riverview opened in 1972,” Catharine shares. “We’ve been around for about 54 years and I’ve owned it for 18 of those years.” Catharine started her turn with the store in 2008, and while she’s added her own touches to Plum Nelly, she’s kept the original heritage of the store alive.
One such part of the store’s heritage is the fact that the name has remained since its opening in 1972. “Fannie Mennen, the art teacher, had a sister named Celia Marks. Fannie and Celia, along with Celia’s husband, started the storefront,” she says. “Celia’s husband was from Tidewater, Virginia. After driving what he thought was a long way from Chattanooga, he remarked, ‘Fannie, your place is ‘plum’ out of Tennessee and ‘nelly’ out of Georgia.’ But with his accent, ‘nearly’ came out as ‘nelly,’ so his Tidewater accent was responsible for that change.”
Catharine’s own heritage began in Chattanooga as well, and though she has lived other places over the years, she eventually returned to her hometown. “I came back to Chattanooga in 1998 for a few years before moving to Virgina,” Catharine explains. “I came back here with my daughter in 2008 when I bought the shop.” When Catharine was moving back to Chattanooga, found this icon of a business, and the current owner was moving away—it was perfect timing for Catharine to take over Plum Nelly.
Returning to her community and getting to sell such unique items has been a joy for Catharine. “Our tagline is ‘Unique finds for your gift-giving needs’ because we’re just a little bit of a different shop,” she says. Plum Nelly has everything from pottery to wall art, home decor to jewelry, gifts and so much more. Plum Nelly primarily carries locally and regionally made items—something Catharine adores. “I love getting to know the artists whose pieces we carry, especially the local ones,” she says. “It really is supporting the community and the people we represent by selling things they’ve made.”
With so many one-of-a-kind items, Catharine sees the importance more than ever of making Plum Nelly a place where people feel at home while shopping. “I want people to feel comfortable when they walk in,” she says. “I want them to feel like it’s a not museum and that they can touch our merchandise.” This helps build connection not just with customers and the pieces they want to buy, but also as a store owner to customers. Works of art can become part of conversations and not just distant items to view. “It builds connection and adds value to the gifts,” Catharine adds.
In addition to being grateful for Plum Nelly’s ability to provide a unique shopping experience and support the community, Catharine is thankful for the support she’s received from the people of Chattanooga as well. “I’m part of the North Shore Merchants Collective—about 45 businesses of all kinds—and it’s such a wonderful support unit,” she shares. “I’m thankful not only for the collective and the community that surrounds this shop but the artists we get to carry and the causes we get to support through donations for local charities and everything else."
Making a difference is especially important to Catharine because of the principles instilled in her by her dad. “My dad was very involved in the community and was a well-known attorney. He and my mom would tell me, ‘Wherever you live, make sure you put down roots and make a difference,’” she recalls. “So I’m involved in our community and different organizations I care about. I hope when I leave this earth, I leave it a better place.” Catharine also enjoys being involved in book club, spending time with her family and friends, and travelling. “There are things that make our life full, wonderful, and definitely worth living,” she says.
See everything the store has to offer and connect with Catharine by visiting the store at 330 Frazier Ave #104 or through Plum Nelly’s website, PlumNellyShop.com.
“Wherever you live, make sure you put down roots and make a difference.”