Vollintine Hills Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Vollintine Hills Historic District
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Vollintine, Brown, McLean, and Evergreen, Memphis, Tennessee |
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| Architect | George Awsumb; Gruber, Herman |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, International, Minimal Traditional, Modernist Ranch |
| MPS | Memphis MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000684 |
| Added to NRHP | July 11, 2007 |
The Vollintine Hills Historic District is a special neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee. It's known for its many homes built after World War II. These houses were designed in styles like Minimal Traditional and ranch-style.
This area is unique because it grew around a former synagogue. A synagogue is a place of worship for people of the Jewish faith. The neighborhood helped members of an Orthodox Jewish group live close to their synagogue. This made it easy for them to walk to services.
The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. This means it's recognized as an important historical area. The original Baron Hirsch Synagogue was built here between 1950 and 1957. It was designed in the International Style. The synagogue building covered about 12.4 acres.
When it was finished in 1957, the main part of the synagogue was very large. In fact, it was the biggest in the United States for Orthodox Jewish congregations at that time.
The houses in Vollintine Hills were built between 1946 and 1957. They are still mostly in their original condition. These homes were meant for the synagogue's members. The whole district is special because of its old buildings and its close connection to the former synagogue.
Vollintine Hills is a clear and distinct area. Its growth was shaped by the needs of a religious community. This makes it different from other neighborhoods nearby.
Even though the synagogue moved in 1984, the original building is still there. In 1992, a church called Gethsemane Garden Church of God in Christ bought it. The Vollintine Hills area is still a lively place today. It has changed over time but remains important.
Vollintine Hills is about four miles east of downtown Memphis. It's in the northern part of the Midtown area. The neighborhood is generally bordered by Vollintine Avenue, Brown Avenue, McLean Boulevard, and Evergreen Street.
Protecting the Neighborhood's Character
In 2008, there was a plan to build a large apartment complex. It would have had 117 apartments on 2.81 acres of land. This land was behind the former synagogue site. Many people in Vollintine Hills were worried about this project.
They feared it would change the historic feel of their neighborhood. They thought it would bring too many people and cars into an area of single-family homes. Residents worked together for months to stop the development.
The Memphis City Council listened to the residents. They decided to reject the apartment plan. The council supported an old rule from 1947. This rule said that only single-family houses could be built in the neighborhood. It also said homes could not be taller than two stories.
The community's strong efforts were noticed by local news. They called Vollintine Hills a "middle-income area of 50- to 80-year-old homes." They also said it was "vigorously maintained by some of the most diligent neighborhood activists in town." This shows how much the residents care about their historic neighborhood.
