3764 Elvis Presley BL Memphis, TN (Whitehaven area)
Circa 1925. Huge Colonial Revival style
Ruth Frazer Brown Moore (1893-1974) inherited Graceland Farms in 1894 from her aunt, Grace Toof, who never married. Grace was a daughter of S.C. and Mary Bates Toof of Memphis. He owned S.C. Toof & Co., the oldest commercial printing company in Memphis. Her uncle was John Toof who was a founder of the Memphis Cotton Exchange. Ruth was a Memphis socialite and married to Dr. Thomas P. Moore (1894-1958). They married in 1925. She had the 10, 200 sq ft mansion built. Dr. Moore was the chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Tennessee-Memphis. He started the resident Urology department. The Moore family continued the cattle farm.
After Dr. Moore’s death, Ruth wished to sell the property. Several parties were interested: Sears, Christian Baptist Church nearby and Vernon Presley, father of Elvis Presley. Sears executives thought that Highway 51 would become a major highway in Memphis and drive growth in the area - so they wanted to be there. Evidently, S.C. Toof and Mary Bates Toof had deep ties with the Christian church. Vernon presented a deal to Ruth for the whole property and then would sell the church a portion of it and include an easement for a “back entrance” to Graceland. The Moore family agreed. The Christ Baptist Church is on the southeast corner of the land now. Elvis Presley was a superstar entertainer. Later, Graceland Farms Apartments were developed on another portion of the land.
In 1957, Elvis Presley’s father arranged to purchase the home for his son, Elvis A. Presley (1935-1977). It was in a rural area outside Memphis so Elvis could have some privacy at that time. Ten years later, in 1967, Presley married Priscilla Wagner Beaulieu Presley. Relatives remained at the home until 1993. Vernon had a home on a portion of the property as well. In 1993, their daughter Lisa Marie Presley inherited the Graceland estate. Graceland was transformed from a private residence into a house museum in 1982.
In 1991, the property had almost 14 acres. The property is now managed by E. P. Enterprises and Graceland Holdings LLC and held in a trust for relatives. The property is extensively commercialized: Graceland Mansion, Graceland Dr. among others. NR 1991 See ??? Toof home
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