Davies Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Davies Manor
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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 the oldest house still standing in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It might even be the oldest house in the whole West Tennessee area. This two-story house is built from white oak logs and mud or clay (called "chink"). It was once part of a very large farm, covering about 2,000 acres (8.1 km²).
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How Davies Manor Began
Historians aren't completely sure who first built Davies Manor. Some stories say that Native American people built it in 1807. This idea might come from the fact that an old Native American trail was nearby. Also, Dr. Julius Augustus Davies, who lived in the house later, loved collecting Native American artifacts.
Early Owners and Builders
In 1821, the state of North Carolina gave 600 acres of land to Thomas Henderson. This was a reward for his service in the American Revolutionary War. In 1830, Henderson sold 320 acres of this land to Emmanuel Young. However, Young didn't pay the taxes on the land. It's thought that either Henderson or Young built the first part of the house. This was a simple one-room log cabin, which is now the parlor of the manor house.
Joel W. Royster, who collected taxes for Shelby County, bought the home in January 1831. By 1837, he had made the house bigger, adding a second story.
The Davies Family Arrives
A land record shows that William E. Davies bought land in Shelby County in 1838. But the 1850 census (a count of people) shows that Davies and his family were living in Fayette County. It's believed that William's two sons, Logan Early Davies (age 14) and James Baxter Davies (age 12), traveled from Fayette County to farm the land. They used an old road called Stage Road, which is now part of Highway 64.
In 1851, Logan and James bought the land and the house from Royster. This is how it became known as Davies Plantation. At its biggest, the farm was about 2,000 acres (8.1 km²). Before the American Civil War, up to 23 African-American people were forced to work on the property.
The Davies Family Story
William Early Davies was the father of Logan and James Davies. His wife was Sarah Hadley, who was very good at making quilts. Some of her quilts are now shown in the museum. William Davies was a Methodist minister, which means he led church services. He also ran a grist mill, a place that grinds grain into flour. Logan was born in Maury County, Tennessee on November 11, 1824. James was born on June 9, 1826.
Key Family Members
In 1854, James Baxter Davies (who was 28) married Penelope Almeda Little (who was 21). Their son, Julius Augustus Davies, was born in 1855. Two years later, in 1857, William Little Davies was born. Sadly, Penelope died in 1859 at the age of 26, after five years of marriage.
In 1860, Logan Early Davies (who was 36) married Frances Ina Vaughn Davies (who was 19). Their daughter, Gillie Mertis Davies, was born on December 25, 1861. In 1863, Linnie Lee Davies was born. Frances Davies passed away in 1865 at the age of 24, also after five years of marriage.
Life and Changes Over Time
James Davies served in the 38th Tennessee Infantry during the Civil War, from March 1862 to May 1865. After the war, he married Pauline Leake, who was the younger sister of his first wife, Almeda. They divorced after two years. It's believed that James Davies had a very difficult time after the war, which may have led to the divorce.
James Baxter Davies died on June 17, 1904. He left about 596 acres (2.4 km²), including Davies Manor, to his sons, Dr. Julius Augustus and Dr. William Little Davies. Neither of them ever married.
Twenty years later, on December 21, 1924, Dr. Julius Augustus Davies died. He left his share of Davies Manor to his brother, Dr. William Little Davies. Seven years after that, Dr. William Little Davies passed away. He left the 596 acres (2.4 km²), including Davies Manor, to his cousin, Ellen Davies-Rodgers. In 1976, she gave the house to the Davies Manor Association.
The house is located in Bartlett, Tennessee, which is a town near Memphis. This area used to be part of Brunswick, Tennessee. Sometimes, it's also linked to a nearby place called Morning Sun, where a small Civil War battle happened.
Davies Manor: A Historic Place
After Dr. William Little Davies left the home and land to his cousin, Ellen Davies-Rodgers, she started a big project. She wanted to fix up and protect 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 then started hosting tours, meetings, parties, and other events.
When Ellen Davies-Rodgers died in 1994, the Davies Manor Association, Inc. took over. Their job is to "preserve and enhance Davies Manor Plantation as a portrayal of early Shelby County farm life for the education and enjoyment of visitors." This means they want to keep Davies Manor looking like it did in the past. They also want to help visitors learn about farm life in early Shelby County and enjoy their visit.
Preserving the Past
The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The visit starts with a short video. After that, a guide leads you on a tour of the house. In 2011, the museum staff added a self-guided walking tour. This lets visitors explore the grounds on their own after seeing the house.
Exploring the Grounds
There are several other buildings on the grounds of Davies Manor.
- Mose's Cabin is a small cabin. It helps visitors understand what life was like for people who worked on the farm, including those who were forced to work there and later tenant farmers. It's named after Mose Frasier, who worked on the farm in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- The Gotten Cabin was built in 1948 by a local family. It was made to look like and use the same materials as houses from the 1830s.
- The Liberty Cabin came from Middle Tennessee. It's built in a style common in the mid-Atlantic and Pennsylvania regions. Both the Gotten and Liberty cabins were moved to Davies Manor in 2006 from the Libertyland theme park.
Davies Manor on Screen
Davies Manor was used as a filming location for some scenes in the movie One Came Home (2010). This movie was directed by a local filmmaker named Willy Bearden.
Nature and Gardens at Davies Manor
Davies Manor was once known as a Century Farm. This means it was a Tennessee farm owned by the same family for over 100 years, until Ellen Davies-Rodgers passed away. It is also recognized as a certified Backyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. This is because many different kinds of wildlife live on the grounds of Davies Manor.
A Home for Wildlife
A pond at the back of the property is home to many creatures. You can find fish, turtles, dragonflies, and frogs there. The woods around the property also provide a home for various wildlife. You can often see deer wandering around the grounds.
Beautiful Gardens to Explore
The Davies Manor Association, Inc. has teamed up with the Memphis Area Master Gardeners. Together, they have created several gardens that help show what pioneer and farm life was like. These 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 young people.
Uncovering History
Family stories and local legends suggested that a small mound in front of the home was an ancient Native American mound. However, scientists did some research and digging on the farm. They found no evidence to support this idea. This myth likely came from the fact that Dr. Julius Augustus Davies loved collecting Native American artifacts. He even found some artifacts on the Brunswick property. Dr. Davies's collection is now kept at Mississippi State University.
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