Built in 1854, the Elam Homestead is the last surviving example of a 19th-century rural log-constructed homestead in Memphis and represents a rare physical link to the city’s early agricultural and social history. Elam Homestead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 18,1980. Now abandoned and suffering from significant deterioration due to years of neglect and exposure to the elements, the structure is increasingly vulnerable to irreversible damage. The loss of the Elam Homestead would erase an irreplaceable historic resource, underscoring the urgent need for recognition, advocacy, and preservation.
