Central Gardens, Memphis

Also in 1853, Judge William Roland Harris bought 40 acres from B. L. Rozelle and built his home, Clanlo Hall, on what is now Central Avenue.

[3] Viser identifies 1900-1929 as the "boom years" for Central Gardens, the period in which it was "the newest, most prestigious neighborhood" in Memphis, with homes ranging from "elegant mansions to Queen Anne cottages and cozy bungalows."

[5] Central Gardens has been home to Mayor E. H. Crump,[6] Clarence Saunders,[7] Mayor Walter Chandler,[8] Memphis grocer Frank Montesi Sr.,[9] photographer William Eggleston,[9] Judge Julia Smith Gibbons,[10] U.S. Representative Steve Cohen,[10] entrepreneur Abe Plough, preservationist June West, and Crissy Haslam, wife of Tennessee governor Bill Haslam.

It reflects the prevailing tastes among early twentieth century middle class Memphians, and the best in urban residential community planning and architecture of that period.

The wide variety of architectural styles works well because of uniform setbacks, cornice heights and massing, and the characteristic use of such details as front porches, bay window, porte-cochère, and leaded glass.

The mix of architectural styles contained in a typical district block achieves a very strong compositional harmony because virtually all houses adhere to the same rules of massing, scale, and cornice height setback and lot size.

[30] The designation means that a property owner seeking a building permit for exterior work must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from Memphis Landmarks Commission.

[32] The Commercial Appeal wrote the "inner-city neighborhood offers an elegant, inspiring reminder of how urban decay, middle-class flight and mind-numbing architecture don't have to rule the day.

Central Gardens dazzled last week's home-tour crowd with its leafy green, walkable and surprisingly diverse urban landscape.

The status "officially recognizes the critical role trees play in defining the unique character and beauty of " Central Gardens.