num_pages: 394
description: From back Memphis is a city whose rich architectural heritage dates back to before the Civil War. This lucid, lively book, the first guide to Memphis architecture, invites readers to explore a very special urban environment, savoring its triumphs and mourning its crucial losses. Descriptions of some 550 buildings, together with 250 photographs and detailed maps, are organized to facilitate touring the city section by section. Brief histories of Memphis and of its architectural development introduce the text, while entries sketch the origins and characters of particular neighborhoods, suggesting the contexts within which individual structures were created. Of special interest are descriptions of important buildings no longer standing. With this book in hand, one can imagine a specific urban scene as it once was, then compare it with the same scene today. Buildings described include the great houses of Victorian Village; the rich trove of early twentieth-century houses in midtown; the principal tourist attractions such as Graceland, Mud Island, and Beale Street (whose urban renewal blues are chronicled sadly); and the modern buildings of the post-World War II era. In addition to public and private landmarks, An Architectural Guide encompasses lower- and middle-class housing and industrial structures. Moreover, as a product of extensive research, this volume reconstructs the careers of some very talented architects whose work had a significant impact on their city.
language: English
title: Memphis: An Architectural Guide
titlecomplete: Memphis: An Architectural Guide
ratings_count: 9
publisher: Univ of Tennessee Pr