Historic Memphis Properties

Wilks Brooks House

Status: Preserved

Address: 2000 Old Oak Drive, Memphis

Built: 1835

Architectural Style: Greek Revival

Original Function/Purpose: Residential

Date Listed on the National Register: May 16, 1980

National Register Reference Number Link: 80003859

Vintage Victorian-style house with ornate trim and lush front lawn, representing Memphis Heritage Inc.'s dedication to preserving historic architecture in Memphis.

History: The Wilks Brooks House is the earliest example of the Greek Revival style in Memphis or Shelby County. Mr. Brooks built the house in 1835 after moving from North Carolina, having been a delegate in the 1823 North Carolina Constitutional Convention and the North Carolina General Assembly. The house served briefly as headquarters and hospital for the Union Army during the Civil War; one bedroom has bloodstains said to be from a Confederate soldier who hid in the house before the Yankees took over the area. The structure was moved in 1973 to a corner of the original property in order to give room for residential development. In 1980 Mrs. Walter D. Wills, Jr., a descendant of Mr. Brooks, began restoration on the house.

City Council District: 2

Super District: 9

County Commission District: 13