Making Memphis Realty
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. The city slowed down and boasts few buildings from that period. 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. Victorian, Italian, and French designs can be appreciated in Central Gardens, the Evergreen Historic District, and Annesdale Park.