EVERGREEN NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY

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The first update in the Neighborhood History series is the Evergreen Neighborhood History, including the more recent story of the redevelopment of the Midtown Corridor West. Memphis Heritage and the Evergreen Historic District Association (EHDA) are working together on this effort.  The cost per copy is $25; price includes applicable taxes, shipping and handling. Quantities are limited. They will make treasured additions to your Memphis collection and wonderful gifts, especially for anyone who lives in or has memories of Evergreen.  

The Evergreen neighborhood is one of the most historically and architecturally significant areas in Memphis. This soft cover book tells the story of the neighborhood and how it survived the attempted extension of I-40 through midtown Memphis in the 1960’s. The author, Bette Tilly, provides a detailed history of the development of the Evergreen area and how it fits into midtown today.

This history, chock full of illustrations, maps, and photographs, chronicles the Evergreen historic district from birth to maturity.  Evergreen developed around the Overton Park area of Memphis at the same time as the park.  The architecture, landscaping, and layout of the streets reflect an earlier era and is fascinating not only because of its association with the historic Lea Woods, later called Overton Park after one of the city’s original founders, but also because of the coloful characters involved in its development.  The recent history is even more interesting.  An “only in America” story, the politics of the Interstate 40 controversy involving the city of Memphis, Shelby County, the state of TN, and the federal government kept the fate of Evergreen in limbo for over 20 years as the citizens fought  the I-40 route through the Park and the Evergreen community.

In these pages, you will discover the comprehensive story of Evergreen from it’s birth as an early suberb, through destruction of homes, displacement of residents, and preservation and reconstruction.  Indeed it is a story which paralells life in Memphis both yesterday and today.  This is a story of creative solutions that moves forward each day in the activities of this warm, caring community in the heart of the city.  It serves as a model for many similar efforts not only in Memphis but across the nation.