Massey House
c. 1849
Lawyer Benjamin Massey built the Massey House, the oldest house in the neighborhood, between 1844 and 1849. The house has had many different owners over the years, but the Neo-classical clapboard house maintained its integrity. Sophia Harsson Maydwell lived in the home with her husband James Maydwell following the Civil War. Sophia’s father had built the first rear section of the home, now known as the James Lee Memorial. The home has a “Dogtrot” floor plan with a central hall and rooms on either side, a wide front doorway with a sunburst transom, floor-length front windows, and original thick cypress floors.
The house is currently the home of Memphis City Beautiful, a city government agency striving to transform and keep Memphis a clean, green, and beautiful city. Memphis City Beautiful Commission was established in 1930, making it the first beautification commission in the nation.
Copy Source: With gratitude to Perre M. Magness, author of the book Good Abode, for portions of this narrative.