The Most Beautiful Buildings in Memphis
Memphis is known the world over for its thriving jazz and blues music scene, the bustling Beale Street and its delicious southern barbecue. But Memphis is also home to several buildings that create a visual masterpiece for the city. Take a look at our list of must-see buildings that will deepen your appreciation for the city and its history and culture.
1. Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum
Building, Museum, Park
The second owner of the house was Noland Fontaine, a businessman who ran the largest inland cotton business in the United States. Noland and his family lived in the home for 46 years, until his wife’s death in 1928. After two subsequent sales, the house moved to Overton Park in 1959, and the Association for Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities used a public fund to preserve the mansion in 1961. The mansion is made from machine-carved cypress wood, with most of the original cypress flooring still intact. There is an embossed tin design on the hallway ceiling on the third floor, which was hammered by hand.
Inside the mansion is a hidden door which showcases autographs and handwritten notes by craftsmen around the world who worked on the construction of the home.
2. Mallory-Neely House
Museum, Historical Landmark
All of the original furniture and artifacts still remain in the home, which has operated as a historic house museum since 1987. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located in the Victorian Village Historic District.
3. Sterick Building
Building, Shop
When it was first constructed, the Sterick Building had a bank, a pharmacy, a barber shop and a beauty parlor. The first three floors were made from granite and limestone, and the lobby had eight high-speed elevators that took the building’s workers and guests up to the higher levels, and even the Regency Room restaurant, which was located on the top floor. Today, the building is vacant, but still stands at the corner of Madison Avenue and North B.B. King Boulevard.
5. Lincoln American Tower
Building
In 2006, the tower was damaged by a fire that destroyed the top floors of the building, as well as the roof. The first tenants leased space in the 22-story building in 2008. The building currently has 31 residential apartments and three floors of commerical offices, and is accepting additional tenants.
6. Peabody Hotel
Building
In 1953, the hotel was sold to the Alsonett Hotel Group, but went bankrupt in 1965. It was sold in a foreclosure auction to Sheraton Hotels, becoming the Sheraton-Peabody Hotel. When downtown Memphis started to decay in the 1970s, the Sheraton-Peabody suffered financially and subsequently closed. After two more sales and another bankruptcy, the hotel was given a $25 million renovation by Jack A. Belz, who bought the property from his father-in-law for $400,000. The grand reopening of the hotel was in 1981.
Two of the hotel’s most notable features are the neon red sign atop the building, and the rooftop. The Skyway and Plantation Roof is often used to host rooftop parties in the summer, and offers views of Memphis’ skyscrapers. In the elevators, guests must press ‘S’ to get to the top floor. It’s technically the 13th floor, but due to superstitions, the top floor is referred to as the Skyway.
7. The James Lee House Bed and Breakfast
Memorial, School
After the art school moved to a new location in 1959, the house was vacant until 2012 when it was purchased by private owners and turned into a luxury B&B. The house is composed of three different sections, exemplifying late 19th-century architecture and décor, which includes plaster trim, plaster ceiling medallions and marble mantels. This National Historic Landmark house is an exclusive property that has five suites offering guests top notch amenities and services.
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