Status: Preserved
Location: 157-205 South Fenwick Road and 160-201 Picardy Street (formerly Picardy Place), Memphis
Built: 1939-53
Architectural Style: Minimal Traditional
Original Function/Purpose: Residential
History: The district is important to the architectural history of the city as an excellent example of post-World War II residential development. The houses are designed in a Minimal Traditional form with Colonial Revival details. This style is considered a precursor to the popular Ranch house that would be built in many suburbs. As servicemen returned from war and the economy boomed, houses needed to be constructed rapidly, so decorative details were few and housing forms were simple rectangles. In Picardy Place, owners chose from a limited number of designs but could then add extra features such as bay windows. Most homes were built between 1945 and 1952. The limited access to the main street and two cul-de-sacs give the houses a strong sense of neighborhood and isolate them from surrounding development. The district looks much as it did when it was first developed.
Maps:
City Council District: 5
Super District: 9
County Commission District: 10