The predictable growth of Memphis, central hub for Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee was hampered in the 1870s by a series of epidemics that cut the population almost in half, reducing it to 32,000. Everything slowed down, including building projects as the city worked hard just to survive. Homes prior to the epidemics can still be viewed, especially in the midtown area. Clano Hall (1853), the Hunt-Phalen House (1830), and Annesdale (1855) are a few examples of everything from antebellum Federal brick architecture to Italian Villa style. .
The 1890′s ushered in an era of functionality and utilarianism in Memphis realty design. Superflous architectural flourishes died off as an emphasis on regularity and volume came into vogue. Modernism had begun to influence the designs of both houses and commercial business properties, including factories. Steel buildings replaced older structures along the venerable Memphis streets of Union Ave,Main st., and Madison. Memphians also would alter the facade of older building to be more in keeping with modern styles. Memphis counted it’s first skyscraper by 1914. The emergence of the streetcar also allowed the first development of Memphis’s future historic home in subdivisions such as Central Gardens and Annesdale Park.
Blue collar communities established themselves in that area. Higher end properties can also been seen with expensive materials and spacious yards. The cottages and smaller homes were either Craftsman style or a modern version of Greek Revival design. Occasionally, an imitation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School style was also interspersed, boasting bands of wooden casement windows, horizontal lines, and deep overhanging roofs.Practical housing projects were also pursued, but the city didn’t start zoning until 1924.
Atypically for Memphis, Memphis led the nation in focusing on the design of smaller affordable homes. In 1936, the Small Home Builder’s Association published a catalogue with over 100 design plans costing $2500 – $6000. Local architects offered low rates to aid in the rebuilding. Memphis’s special interest in home ownership dates from the Great Depression.
Patriotic fervor during the Second World War slowed adoption of modern European design. International styles lost popularity with the association with the feuding Europeans. A small historical oddity was the late 1950 attempt by Mies van der Rohe to restablish modern design with steel framed houses and glass curtains. Not really popular, the effort gradually died out in Memphis realty although his work can still be seen there today.
Memphis currently benefits from a slow and steady appreciation in the housing market. The city is slowly revitalizing itself, growing from the west. Older commercial buildings are being renovated while the Midtown area has salvaged its southern charm. In the far east, faux-estates with acreage abound. While there are homes for sale in every price range, values are appreciating, and the higher the price the more the competition. With pro-sports teams, museums, year-round festivals, cultural activities, and southern ambiance, Memphis Tennessee offers a great place to settle in and raise a family.
That’s a basic description of the history of Memphis realty.
For more information on Memphis Real Estate and to learn about Memphis Downtown Condominiums please visit.
|
|