b

Where Ages Meet and Stories Gather: Mahjong in Morristown

In her loft overlooking Main Street, the tiles click like quiet punctuation — and around the table, hands of every season gather. The soft tremor of age, the steady confidence of middle life, the eager patience of youth — all finding their place in an ancient game that asks only this: come, sit, stay awhile.

The game at the center of it all, Mahjong — pronounced MAH-jong, like “mah” (as in “mama”) and “jong” rhyming with “song.”

Part strategy, part storytelling, Mahjong is a traditional Chinese tile game played in groups, a social ritual as much as it is a game — one that has been bringing people together for more than a century.

Local Roots: A Legacy on Main Street: The Story of Gigi’s & Rowena’s

This gathering didn’t happen by accident. It began with Regina McCormick and her mother Rowena, the visionaries behind the boutique Gigi’s and Rowena’s downstairs. Regina’s story is threaded into the fabric of downtown itself.

Rowena’s — named after her mother — has held a place on Main Street for 22 years, becoming a landmark for locals. And in 2011, they opened Gigi’s, named after Regina, extending the family legacy and creating a new chapter in the same beloved block.

Few businesses can say they have watched downtown Morristown grow, change, and return to life the way this family has.

What Regina’s family began in fabric, gifts, and gathering spaces is now being continued through the sound of tiles.

In recent months, they have watched something unexpected unfold: Mahjong — a centuries-old Chinese tile game — is finding life here in Morristown.

From Dynasty to Downtown: The Game That Refuses to Fade

Mahjong traces its roots to China in the mid- to late 1800s, where it emerged from earlier tile and card games played during the Qing Dynasty.

The game’s name, Mahjong, is thought to evoke the chattering sound of tiles being shuffled, and for centuries it has been a beloved social pastime in Chinese homes and tea houses. Mahjong didn’t stay still.

It crossed borders, picked up passports, and gathered new identities along the way.

Now, more than 40 versions of the game exist—from American styles to the fast-paced tables of Singapore and Japan—each one a reflection of the culture that adopted it.

During the pandemic, when life felt quieter and lonelier than ever, Americans started longing for time together — not through phones or laptops, but around a table. Mahjong stepped into the picture. Its hands-on nature, its friendly competition, and the easy conversation it encourages made it a natural way for friends and neighbors to reconnect.

A Spark Becomes a Movement: Regina is bringing Mahjong to Morristown

Regina says Mahjong didn’t arrive by coincidence. During their Market trips in 2024, she noticed Mahjong vendors multiplying. Curiosity led her to bring sets into the store — making Gigi’s and Rowena’s one of the few places in the Knoxville area where shoppers can find them.

Learning Together: From a ‘Guinea Pig Group’ to a Full Calendar of Connection

But the story didn’t end with stacks of tiles on a shelf. Regina decided she needed to learn the game for herself— not just to sell it, but to understand it and feel it. She did what she always does: she gathered people. A small “guinea pig group,” as Regina affectionately calls it, began meeting in her loft. They shuffled tiles, laughed over mistakes, and slowly learned the cadence of the game together. “Linda, with the Dallas Mahjong Club, encouraged us to do a club,” Regina explains. “As a way to experiment, we began meeting with some locals of all ages to play. We even had a Friendsgiving event at Thanksgiving!” What began as a small test group is now becoming a full calendar of connection.

Wanting to learn the game the right way, Regina reached out to the Dallas Mahjong Club — a group recently featured on Good Morning America — and invited them to Morristown to teach the rules and the rhythm. What began as a simple experiment quickly became a spark: the start of a new community tradition taking shape one tile at a time.

To bring this growing Mahjong community to life, Regina and coworker Donna Kelly are launching something brand-new: Mahj on Main — a series of classes and free-play gatherings beginning January 2026.

Participants can take Mahjong 101 — taught by Donna Kelly, the lead instructor — and even advance to 102 once they’re ready. Every Monday and Thursday, the Loft will open its doors for free play, giving women a space to practice, meet new friends, and enjoy the slow, joyful rhythm of the tiles.

Inside the Loft: History in the Walls: The Taylor Building, 1907

They aren’t meeting just anywhere — they’re gathering in a space that carries history in its walls. The Mahjong tables sit in a renovated loft inside the old Taylor Building, built in 1907 and restored by Regina’s family. The loft rests just above the Bible Book Store, overlooking Morristown’s iconic overhead sidewalks — a feature of downtown that exists almost nowhere else in the country. “We all sat here and watched the Christmas parade this year,” Regina says, smiling. “We played Mahjong and looked out at Main

Street below. We want to offer this same experience in this beautiful space.”

Walk inside, and the story deepens. Exposed brick frames a hallway lined with framed generational photographs — including a striking series of Neyland Stadium, from its 1921 beginnings to the landmark it is today.

The room opens into a wide array of Mahjong tables, each waiting for laughter, strategy, and connection. It is a mix of family and East Tennessee heritage and global culture — a space where the past is honored, the present is held, and new traditions are just beginning.

And in true Gigi’s and Rowena’s fashion, it won’t be ordinary. The year ahead is already planned with themed events — from Galentine’s gatherings to Kentucky Derby Mahjong nights — celebrations designed to bring joy, laughter, and a touch of flair downtown.

As Regina puts it, “We love it because it takes away the generational divides. Literally everyone loves to play. It’s like a celebration of all women, and we want to celebrate this fun game with the women in the city we love so much — Morristown.”

Classes, Community & Connection: What Mahj on Main Offers — From 101 to Free Play

Curious where to start? Getting involved is simple. Stop by Gigi’s on Main Street — 157 Main, right in the heart of Morristown — or give them a call at 423-586-1990. You can also email gigisonmain@gmail.com, follow @gigisonmain on Instagram, or find Gigi’s on Facebook for updates and registration details. Ask about “Mahj on Main” and how to join.

The shop is fully stocked with everything needed to play — from mats, lamps, and racks to a wide selection of Mahjong tiles.

Their sets include all tile categories — craks, bams, dots, dragons, winds, jokers, and blanks — ensuring players have exactly what the American game requires. (Many sets sold elsewhere leave out jokers and blanks, but because they are essential for American-style play, every set at Gigi’s includes them.) You’ll also find the official American Mahjong League card, the key to playing the American version.

Gigi’s rents Mahjong sets for parties, and through Mahj on Main, they offer classes and weekly free-play sessions in the loft. At free-play nights, participants are welcome to bring their own set or simply borrow one provided upstairs — making it easy for both new learners and seasoned players to take a seat at the table.

A Place for Every Season of Womanhood: Where Generations Meet, Laugh & Belong

Donna and Regina both explain, “Mahjong brings generations of women together and bridges every background. It’s a place to build relationships, laugh, and simply breathe for a moment.”

In that loft above Main Street — where the tiles click like punctuation and time seems to slow — a new chapter of Morristown is being written.

One where women of every season, story, and background gather not to perform or impress, but simply to belong. Downstairs, Gigi’s and Rowena’s continue the family legacy that has held this block for decades. Upstairs, Mahj on Main carries it forward — one tile, one table, one shared moment at a time.