Victorian Village, Memphis

Victorian Village, Memphis is an area of Memphis, Tennessee.

Geography

The Victorian Village is located in the eastern quadrant of downtown Memphis.

History

19th century

During Memphis' early period of growth in the mid 1800s, a few wealthy Memphians built grand, Victorian-style homes in what was then the outskirts of the city. Edward C. Jones, one of Memphis's most significant Victorian-era architects, and his partner, Matthias Harvey Baldwin, built the Woodruff-Fontaine House (1870) and renovated the Harsson-Goyer-Lee House (1871).

Present

Some of these three and four-story mansions now stand near the city's downtown along Adams Avenue. While most of the original homes are now gone, several remain as museums: the Magevney House (198 Adams), the Mallory-Neely House (652 Adams) and the Woodruff-Fontaine House (680 Adams). The Harsson-Goyer-Lee House (photograph) was once the home of riverboat owner James Lee. This striking eclectic-style Victorian had been unused for years, but with the assistance of corporate and community donations it was refurbished in 2004. The Magevney House and the Mallory-Neely House are currently closed to the public.

The Victorian Village neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=J030 "Edward Culliatt Jones" in "The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture"]