Status: Preserved
Address: 4066 James Road, Memphis
Built: 1875-1900
Architectural Style: Italian Villas
Original Function/Purpose: Residential
History: Considered to be the oldest house in Raleigh, construction of the Goodwinslow Home (also known as Chapman House) started about 1875 and was finished around the turn of the century. The original owner, William Washington Goodwin, served in the Confederate cavalry under General N.B. Forrest during the Civil War. Inspired by architecture he saw in Europe, Goodwin had design elements incorporated into the composition of his home. The earliest section resembles a medieval Germanic castle and the outline of Goodwin’s English garden still remains. Added in 1880, a steeply pitched gable roof covers a single story middle section. The final sections, added in 1890 and 1900, were inspired by Italian villas. A two-and-a-half story crenellated tower with small turrets stands behind the center section. The interior of the home contains twenty rooms with a mixture of styles including Medieval-style fireplaces mixed with Corinthian capitals.
City Council District: 7
Super District: 9
County Commission District: 6