Davies Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Davies Manor
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9336 Davies Plantation Rd. Memphis, Tennessee |
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| Built | 1807 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001787 |
| Added to NRHP | March 19, 1975 |
Davies Manor is one of the oldest homes still standing in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It might even be the oldest in the entire West Tennessee area. This historic house is made of white oak logs, stacked and filled with a mix of clay and straw called "chink."
The home has two stories and was once part of a large farm called a plantation. This plantation covered about 2,000 acres (about 8 square kilometers).
Contents
The Start of Davies Manor
Historians aren't completely sure who built Davies Manor first. Some stories say Native Americans built it in 1807. This idea might come from a Native American trail that ran nearby. Also, Dr. Julius Augustus Davies, who lived there later, loved collecting Native American artifacts.
In 1821, a man named Thomas Henderson received 600 acres of land. This was a reward for his service in the Revolutionary War. In 1830, Henderson sold 320 acres to Emmanuel Young. Young, however, didn't pay the taxes on the land. It's possible that either Henderson or Young built the first small log cabin. This cabin is now the parlor of the main house.
Early Owners and Expansion
Joel W. Royster, a tax collector, bought the home in January 1831. By 1837, he had made the house bigger, adding a second story. In 1838, William E. Davies bought land in Shelby County. But the 1850 census shows his family living in Fayette County.
William's two sons, Logan Early Davies (14) and James Baxter Davies (12), often traveled to Shelby County. They farmed the land, using Stage Road (now Highway 64). In 1851, Logan and James bought the land and house from Royster. This is how Davies Plantation began.
Life on the Plantation
At its biggest, the plantation was about 2,000 acres. Before the Civil War, around 23 enslaved African-Americans lived and worked on the property. This was during the time of American slavery.
The Davies Family Story
William Early Davies was the father of Logan and James. His wife, Sarah Hadley, was a skilled quilter. Some of her beautiful quilts are now shown in the museum. William was a Methodist minister and ran a grist mill, which grinds grain. Logan was born in Maury County, Tennessee in 1824, and James was born in 1826.
Marriages and Children
In 1854, James Baxter Davies (28) married Penelope Almeda Little (21). Their son, Julius Augustus Davies, was born in 1855. Two years later, William Little Davies was born. Sadly, Penelope passed away in 1859 at only 26 years old.
Logan Early Davies (36) married Frances Ina Vaughn Davies (19) in 1860. Their daughter, Gillie Mertis Davies, was born on Christmas Day in 1861. Another daughter, Linnie Lee Davies, was born in 1863. Frances also passed away young, in 1865, at 24 years old.
Later Generations and Legacy
James Davies served in the 38th Tennessee Infantry during the Civil War, from 1862 to 1865. After the war, he married Pauline Leake, his first wife's younger sister. They divorced after two years. It is believed that James may have suffered from a condition similar to what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder after the war.
James Baxter Davies passed away in 1904. He left 596 acres, including Davies Manor, to his sons, Dr. Julius Augustus and Dr. William Little Davies. Both sons never married. Dr. Julius Augustus Davies passed away in 1924. He left his share of Davies Manor to his brother, Dr. William Little Davies.
Seven years later, Dr. William Little Davies passed away. He left the 596 acres, including Davies Manor, to his cousin, Ellen Davies-Rodgers. In 1976, Ellen donated the house to the Davies Manor Association. The house is located in Bartlett, Tennessee, which is a suburb of Memphis. This area was once part of Brunswick, Tennessee. It is also sometimes linked to a nearby place called Morning Sun, where a Civil War battle happened.
Davies Manor as a Historic Site
After Ellen Davies-Rodgers received the home and land, she started a big project. She wanted to fix up and save the log home. Her goal was to open it to the public for tours. The Zachariah Davies Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution helped her.
Ms. Davies added electricity to the home in the late 1950s. She began hosting tours, meetings, and parties. When she passed away in 1994, the Davies Manor Association, Inc. took over. Their goal is to keep Davies Manor Plantation preserved. They want to show what early Shelby County farm life was like. This helps educate and entertain visitors.
Visiting the Museum
The museum is currently open from Tuesday through Saturday, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The tour starts with a short video. Then, a guide (called a docent) leads visitors through the house. Since 2011, visitors can also take a self-guided walking tour of the grounds.
Historic Outbuildings
Several other buildings are on the grounds of Davies Manor.
- Mose's Cabin is a small cabin. It helps visitors understand the lives of both enslaved people and tenant farmers. It's named after Mose Frasier, who worked on the plantation for many years.
- The Gotten Cabin was built in 1948 by a local family. It looks and feels like homes from the 1830s.
- The Liberty Cabin came from Middle Tennessee. It's built in a style common in the mid-Atlantic region.
Both the Gotten and Liberty cabins were moved to Davies Manor in 2006. They came from the Libertyland theme park.
Davies Manor was also used as a filming location. Several scenes for the movie One Came Home (2010) were shot here. The movie was directed by local filmmaker Willy Bearden.
The Landscape and Nature at Davies Manor
Davies Manor was once recognized as a Century Farm. This means it was a Tennessee farm owned by the same family for over 100 years. This recognition lasted until Ellen Davies-Rodgers's passing.
The property is also a certified Backyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. This is because many different animals and plants live there. A pond at the back of the property is home to fish, turtles, dragonflies, and frogs. The woods around the property also provide a home for wildlife, including deer. You can often see deer wandering the grounds.
Gardens and Education
The Davies Manor Association, Inc. works with the Memphis Area Master Gardeners. Together, they have created several gardens. These gardens help explain pioneer and farm life. They include a kitchen garden, an herb garden, and a shade garden. The Master Gardeners also grow a "Plant a Row" garden. The vegetables from this garden are given to Youth Villages, an organization that helps children and families.
The Indian Mound Legend
Family stories and local legends suggested that a small hill in front of the home was an Indian mound. However, archaeological research has shown this isn't true. No evidence was found during a recent dig on the plantation grounds. This myth likely came from Dr. Julius Augustus Davies's interest in Native American artifacts. He found many artifacts on his own plantation in Walls, Mississippi. He also found some artifacts near Davies Manor because of its closeness to water. Dr. Davies's collection is now kept at Mississippi State University.
See also
