1020 Rayner St. (Southern Ave.) Memphis, TN
Circa 1856. 2 story Greek Revival.
It is now part of the historic district of Rozelle-Annesdale.
Photo by Jim Roberts
The mansion was built for Eli Rayner (1815-1892) and Mary Ann Jones Rayner (1826-1884). They wed in 1841. Rayner was a North Carolina native and had settled south of Shelby Co. in Oakland and Fayette Co. He wanted Memphis schools for his children so the family moved north and had an estate with 26 acres on the outskirts of Memphis.
He was a successful scientific and cotton farmer who worked to fertilize his lands on his Oakland farm. Mary was the step-daughter of Col. Marcus B. Reagan, a prominent citizen. The Rayner family moved to a large tract of land along the route of the unfinished Memphis and Charleston Railroad (Southern Railway). To the south of their property, Pigeon Roost Rd. ran - now Lamar and straightened out. The west side went almost to the famed current Justine’s restaurant.
Uniquely, Rayner laid out extensive vegetable and flower gardens as well as a greenhouse to grow lemons and oranges; thus his family had fresh vegetables year round.
During the Civil War, his son Juan rose with Gen. N. B. Forrest and he was part of the Gayoso Hotel Raid where several raiders rode their horses into the hotel lobby. Another son Eli Rayner Jr. became a high-stakes riverboat gambler, and the owner for almost a decade of the St. James Hotel on Beale St.
In 1870, their daughter Irene, married Thomas Battle Turley. He later became a U.S. Senator. Another daughter Louisa Rayner Hodges (1846-1941) married Dr. W R Hodges (1840-1878) in 1868 and lived in Memphis. In 1878, the home was a campground for Memphis refugees of the Yellow Fever Epidemic. Louisa and her children went out to the mansion in the suburbs to escape, and Dr. Hodges stayed in Memphis to help his patients and the community and sadly perished.
About 1890, Rayner cut out Reagon St. (now Willett St.) and developed land to the west of the home. Rayner rented his home to tenants. He moved in with the Hodges household. Evidently, his children inherited a plantation in Haywood Co. through the estate of his mother, Caroline.
There were a series of owners after the Rayners including Mary Woods Richardson (1864-1937) who bought the home and resided there until her death in 1937. She was a teacher for nearly 30 years at Central High School and at South Side School. Mary helped to spearhead the establishment of the honor roll system in the county public schools.
The next owners about 1938 were Dr. John Henry Davis (1899-1975) and Louisa Harrison Davis (1905-1969). They wed in 1927. Dr. Davis was emeritus professor of history at Southwestern at Memphis (Rhodes College). In 1926, he joined the faculty and later became chairman of the history department. In 1950, Dr. Davis was ordained in the Episcopal Church and served as a deacon at St. Mary's Epis. Church. Dr. Davis lived there until his death.
In 1977, Nickii Elrod and Stoy Bailey were owners. Elrod was on the Commercial Appeal staff. They live on Vessey Ave. The neighborhood is declining, and residents including Bailey are trying to revive it. Bailey intends to sell the home to John Spence, a state legislator, who will use it as a residence and office. NR 1977
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