Status: Preserved

Location: Roughly bounded by Riverside Drive and North Second Street, and Madison and Jefferson Avenues, in Memphis

Built: 1819; 1860-1928

Architectural Style: Eclectic use of Romanesque, Byzantine and Renaissance elements with Commercial vernacular

Original Function/Purpose: Commercial

The Court Square Historic District was placed on the National Register on Apr. 15, 1982.

History: Laid out in 1819 as part of the original city plan, Court Square occupies the approximate center of the district and is its visual focus; it is the oldest surviving planned urban space in Memphis. Court Square is heavily used by downtown shoppers, as is nearby Memphis Park (formerly Confederate Park and currently sometimes referred to as Fourth Bluff Park). The majority of the buildings in the district are governmental or commercial, and are from four to six stories high with the remainder being ten to twenty. The principal building materials are brick, terra cotta and cast stone.

Maps:

Outline of the Court Square Historic District downtown.
Map of the district used in its National Register nomination.

City Council District: 6

Super District: 8

County Commission District: 8