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The beginning
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W. D. Dabney owned some land in Memphis at the corner of Adams
and Orleans and sold it to Seth Wheatley in 1839. Wheatley, a
lawyer and planter, was mayor during Memphis' fifth corporate
year and the head of Farmers and Merchants Bank. Wheatley
kept the land at Adams-Orleans for 9 years and in 1848, sold it to
William Harsson. |
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Seth Wheatley |
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In 1848, the neighborhood streets of Memphis were paved with mud, and Memphians
dumped their trash anywhere they pleased. Mosquitoes
multiplied in the stagnated mud holes all over town. It was
the perfect setting for another outbreak of yellow fever that had
hit the city in 1828 and would hit again in 1855, 1867. The
great epidemics of 1873 and 1878 would later wipe out over half of
Memphis.
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Map - 1911
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The Harsson
and Goyer Families |
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William Harsson |
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In the year 1848, William Harsson, a lumberman from Baltimore built a simple two story farm house on the
lot at Adams and Orleans. The original house was not grandiose
by any means. It was built of brick and now forms the rear
wing of the current mansion. The entrance was not on Adams but
on the Orleans side street. Harsson and his wife Eliza had seven children. His eldest
daughter Laura, married Charles Wesley Goyer, who moved in after the
wedding. Charles had originally been a grocer but became a
wealthy banker and bought the Harsson house
in 1852. He proceeded to enlarge the house - the first time in
1853. Sadly, Laura Harsson Goyer and William Harsson both
died of
Yellow Fever in 1867. Laura's son, C.Wessie Goyer, 6, died 2 weeks
later. They were all buried in the Goyer family plot at
Elmwood. William was later moved to Winchester Cemetery.
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| Eliza
Harsson |
Laura
Harsson Goyer |
Charles
Goyer |
Goyer
Grave Stone |
Harsson
Memorial |
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After Laura's death, Charles married her younger sister,
Charlotte. With
10 children and a new wife to care for, Charles Goyer now remodeled the Harsson place from farm house to mansion. In 1871,
he employed his
neighbor's architects, Culliatt Jones and Mathias Baldwin, for a
major overhaul, which included the 3 story Victorian front section
and its tower, the sandstone facade and the stucco outside
entryway. The many descendents of the Harsson-Goyer families lived
in the house for 42 years. And many of them married into other
wealthy families on Adams "Millionaires Row". As
they eventually all moved out, they decided to sell the family
mansion. (Below are more members of the Goyer
Family) |
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Charlotte
Harsson |
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| Edwin Goyer |
Florence
Goyer |
Mildred
Goyer |
Edwin's
Obit |
Laura's photo used for Elmwood Cameo |
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The
Lee Family |
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In
1890, James Lee, Jr. a Princeton-educated riverboat captain bought
the house, making the James Lee family the last residents.
James Lee had been a lawyer who in 1877 joined his father's
steamboat firm. James and Rowena Lee had ten children and their 20th-century-style opulence is
evidenced by the marble fireplaces styled with ornate, gilded
mirrors that still hang in the first-floor drawing room.
Having switched hands so many times during the previous 42 years,
the house had become somewhat of an architectural nightmare - full
of mysteries.
Tycoon James Lee married
all the parts together to appear as "one style" and added
height to the great front tower simply "to impress".
The architects for the final addition were Edward C. Jones and
Mathias H. Baldwin. |
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James Lee, Sr. |
James
Lee, Jr. |
G. Peters Lee |
James Lee IV |
Rosa Lee |
Robt-Bayless-Lady |
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1890 Cotillion-James-Rowena |
Stacker Lee |
Shelby Rees - Robert E - James III |
Lee Section - Elmwood |
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For the
complete list of James and
Rowena Lee's 10 children and their
many descendants, click "leelinesteamers.com" . |
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The photo on the right, circa 1910-12, shows the
surrounding neighborhood on Orleans during the time the Lee
Family lived here. In addition, this may be the only photo
showing the original railing around the tower roof.
>
The
photos below were taken in 1974 by Jack E. Boucher, in conjunction with the 1972
Historical American Buildings Survey of the home. The survey
indicated that the Lee House exterior was still in good
condition, "with some deterioration" so these photos
would have looked much like the home that James Lee and his architects
completed in 1890-91 - at least on the outside. |
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1910-12 Photo -
"Art Works of Memphis" |
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Memphis Academy of Arts |
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In
1929, the house underwent its biggest transformation when it became
the James Lee Memorial Art Academy, as was the wish of James Lee's
eldest daughter Rosa, when she deeded the property and the
Woodruff-Fontaine property next door to the City of Memphis.
Traditionally, Art students, by nature, are not the best tenants and their 30
years in the building took a major toll on it. The name of the
academy gradually evolved into The Memphis Academy of Art. |
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3rd Floor Art Studio |
2nd Floor Art Studio |
Drawing on Walls |
B-Arts Ball 1953 |
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Beaux Arts Ball 1948 |
Beaux Arts Ball 1948 |
B-Arts Ball 1953 |
Beaux Arts Ball |
Academy of Arts |
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The 1972
planned renovation ... |
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In 1972 the Historic American Buildings Survey in cooperation with
the Tennessee Historical Commission and the West Tennessee
Historical Society - measured and drew these plans with the intent
to begin restoration work on the Lee House. The project
discusses all aspects of the house, including the condition of the
home and its design elements - number of windows, fireplaces, and
chimneys. The restoration work never began. These
Architectural Drawings are by courtesy of the Library of Congress. The
Lee House
measures 8100 square feet. There is a partial basement. |
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The "Untouched
Years" |
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After 30 years in the mansion,
the Memphis Academy of Art moved to new quarters in 1959. The doors were locked, the windows shuttered. The Woodruff-Fontaine house
next door, also donated to the city by Rosa Lee, became a museum and
wedding site. But the Lee house remained
virtually untouched while the city funneled grant money into the
Woodruff-Fontaine. The Lee house fell into
disrepair. Plaster fell off the masonry; paint chipped; wood rotted.
The last caretaker was the Association for the Preservation of
Tennessee Antiquities who had a one dollar a year lease for fifty
years. In spite of good intentions, they were never able to
develop this mansion. Their lease expired in 2011. Below
are some incredible photos showing what 50 years of neglect looks
like. |
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Victorian
Village Volunteers clean |
V.
V. Volunteers clean |
For Sale
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The
outstanding interior photos below were taken by William Bearden and
are part of his Memphis Legacy project donation to the Memphis and
Shelby County Room of the Memphis Public Library. |
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The James Lee House has been
identified by the Library of Congress as one of this nation's
historic treasures. |
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The Velazquez
Family |
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Enter
Jose Velazquez - just in time. Velazquez, a local developer
and former executive director of Latino Memphis, plans to invest
$2.1 million to restore the 165-year-old mansion. He and
his wife plan to turn it into a "top notch, luxury"
bed-and-breakfast inn with five suites. The Velasquez family
will have private living quarters on the 3rd floor.
On August 21, 2012, the City Council unanimously approved the
transfer of the James Lee House to Jose Velazquez for the sum of
$1.00. |
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Jose
Velazquez |
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Jennifer -
Elena - Jose |
Logo |
Proposed
Suite |
Proposed
Bath |
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Proposed
Sitting Rm |
Commercial Appeal article |
Editorial
- Com. App. |
Transfer - 8-21-2012 |
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On
June 4, 2013, the papers were signed and the sale finally closed.
It's been a very long process, but Jose and Jennifer Velazquez are
now the official owners of the Lee House. |
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Jose and
Jennifer sign papers |
Jose and Jennifer sign papers |
A proud moment
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Memphis Daily News article |
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The
Groundbreaking celebration is scheduled for July 1, 2013.
The restoration-renovation Process will officially begin.
The photos below are by Maureen Thoni White. |
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The Restoration -
Renovation Progress ...
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Information and photos
of the Restoration, as it progresses, will be added.
The photos are in no particular order |
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Jose
Velazquez
unbolts door... |
J.V.
checks
"fallen parts" |
Lee Suite Demo
Begins |
2nd floor hallway
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Progress |
Old Electrical . Out |
Temporarily Electrical |
Light Fixtures |
Light Fixtures |
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Crosley Suite |
Crosley Suirte |
Harsson Suite |
Harsson Suite |
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| Crosley
Suite Bath |
Lee Suite Bath |
Kitchen |
Before-After: The Great Parlor |
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new beginning - The James Lee House Bed and Breakfast |
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Opening day dedication
... April 17, 2014 |
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There are five suites inside the bed
and breakfast, one on the first floor and four on the second floor.
José and Jennifer Velázquez reside on the third floor. |
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Dining
Room |
Isabel Suite |
Lee Suite Bath |
Crosley
Suite |
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Harsson-Goyer-Lee House Memorabilia
...a lot should come to light during
the restoration |
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Lee Line Memorabilia |
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Goyer-Lee Wedding China |
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Miniature Model of Lee House |
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Credits |
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The
Historic-Memphis website does not intentionally post copyrighted
photos and material without permission or credit.
On
occasion a "non-credited" photo might possibly be posted because we
were unable to find a name to give credit. Because of the nature of
our non-commercial, non-profit, educational website, we strongly
believe that these photos would be considered "Fair Use. We have
certainly made no monetary gain, although those using this website
for historic or Genealogy research have certainly profited. If by
chance,
we have posted your copyrighted photo, please contact us, and we'll
remove it immediately, or we'll add your credit if that's your
choice. In the past, we have found that many photographers
volunteer to have their works included on these pages and we'll
also do that if you contact us with a photo that fits a particular
page. |
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The "Historic-Memphis" website would like to acknowledge and thank the
following for their contributions which helped make this website
possible: The
Lee Line Steamers-Riverboat History website, The Library of
Congress, Jack E. Boucher, Jose Velazquez, John J. Tackett, William
Bearden and the Memphis Legacy Project, Jim Weber, Scott Blake,
Monty Shane-Design 500, Memphis
Public Library, Memphis University Library, Memphis Law Library,
Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis Press Scimitar, Shelby County
Register of Deeds, Memphis City Schools, Memphis Business Men's
Club, Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Memphis City Park Commission,
Memphis Film Commision, Carnival Memphis, Memphis Historical
Railroad Page, Memphis Heritage Inc, Beale Street Historic District,
Cobblestone Historic District, Memphis Historic Districts, Vance
Lauderdale Family Archives, Tennessee State Archives, Library of
Congress, Kemmons Wilson Family, Richard S. Brashier, Lee Askew,
George Whitworth, Woody Savage and many individuals whose assistance is
acknowledged on the pages of their contributions. Special
thanks to Memphis Realtor, Joe Spake, for giving us carte blanche
access to his outstanding collection of contemporary Memphis photos.
We do not have high definition copies of the photos on these
pages. If anyone wishes to secure high definition photos,
you'll have to contact the photographer or the collector.
(To avoid any possibility of contributing to SPAM, we do not
maintain a file of email addresses for anyone who contacts us). |
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