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May 22, 2023
Central Gardens Association was thrilled to host our Annual Meeting at Idlewild Elementary where we were able to learn more about the school’s initiatives. One initiative in particular is a project that involves converting the basketball blacktop into turf space. “We are most excited about our next phase, a turf field, which will benefit not only our Idlewild students, but the entire community. We have partnered with Play Where You Stay and individual donors to fundraise for this project, “ says Kiersten Schnacke, principal at the elementary school.
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May 22, 2023
Organizers of the 47th Annual CGA Home & Garden Tour are excited to announce home sites for this year’s tour.The Home Tour takes place Sunday, September 10 from 1-5:00p.m.
The tour will be centered in the southwest portion of the historic neighborhood with homes in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of Carr and Vinton. Tour homes include: 1475 Carr, 1478 Carr, 1461 Vinton, 1545 Vinton, 1583 Carr and 1584 Carr.
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May 18, 2023
After last year’s success and enthusiastic neighborhood feedback and involvement, Central Gardens returns this year’s parade to York Avenue, with the staging area, vendors, and parade start in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral parking lot just off the corner of Rozelle and York. Parade registration takes place in the parking lot of IC beginning at 10:00 A.M. The Parade starts promptly at 10:30 A.M.York Avenue closed to thru traffic from 8:00 A.M. -1:00 P.M.
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May 18, 2023
The Central Gardens Association is proud to help sponsor the Memphis Police Department's 2023 kids summer camp. MPD is once again hosting a free two week summer camp for 60 young Memphians with a focus on exercise, interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, and enriching outdoor activities. The organizers of this year's camp expressed an interest in taking the kids fishing, so CGA donated a Bass Pro Shops gift card that will be used to purchase fishing poles and tackle, as well as drinks and snacks to cover the duration of the two week program.
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May 18, 2023
Neighbors and CGA supporters gathered on a warm Monday evening to hear about last year's goals and future plans for the Central Gardens Association at the Annual Meeting held May 15. Our guests gathered in the gym at Idlewild Elementary where they enjoyed a beautiful Charcuterie spread provided by Feast and Graze.
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April 20, 2023
When the Overbey house was finished in 1906, the Annesdale Park Subdivision was just beginning to fill out along Carr Avenue, having begun its development only three years before. Even though the lot on which this house was built was originally a part of Annesdale Park, the boundary between the two neighborhoods has, overtime, shifted and encompassed the eastern side of Cleveland Street as a part of the Central Gardens historic district. Previous owners restored the residence to a single-family home from a six unit apartment.
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April 18, 2023
The Central Gardens Association’s Home Tour Committee is excited to announce the dates, time and location of the 47th Annual Central Gardens Home & Garden Tour. The event will be held Sunday, September 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. so please mark your calendars! This year’s tour location is in the heart of the south western end of the historic neighborhood with homes along Vinton, Willet and Carr.
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April 18, 2023
MLGW aims for all 77,000 lights to be replaced by December 2023. Memphis and MLGW embarked on a months-long project to literally brighten up the city.
Phase one of a $42 million project is set to begin, replacing light bulbs in the city's 77,000 street lights with LED lights.
These lights not only last longer, but it's hoped will also make streets safer in Memphis as the lights are also brighter.
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April 18, 2023
As most know, Central Gardens is a National Historic District. As such we have a set of Architectural Guidelines which are administered and enforced by the Memphis Landmarks Commission with assistance from our own CG Landmarks Committee.
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March 15, 2023
Whether you are new to the neighborhood or a long-time resident, you will be interested in taking all three wings of the Central Gardens Association Walking Tour. The Walking Tour brochure on our website provides routes and features excellent examples of the diverse architectural styles found in Central Gardens and some interesting history for many of the homes you will walk past.
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March 15, 2023
Neighbors surrounding the alley bordered by Carr, Melrose, Vinton and Cleveland worked together to allow CGA to install LED motion lights.This is the second alley CGA has worked with neighbors to illuminate for safety.
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February 15, 2023
The Central Gardens safety committee works diligently to explain to our neighbors the benefits of subscribing to our security patrol provided by Phelps. Sometimes it is better for our residents to hear directly from a neighbor about their experiences using the service:
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February 15, 2023
Landmarks staff has been working to issue a postcard mailer to all residents and owners of property within our many historic districts to remind them of the need to check local guidelines before starting a project and make sure to get the proper permits and COA approvals when necessary.
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February 15, 2023
The CGA Fundraising Committee has been working diligently to streamline our sponsorship packages, making it easier than ever for you to partner with one of the best historic neighborhoods in the South. Our new menu provides a variety of pricing options for events and activities that are tailored to fit your type of business, your budget and your advertising exposure.
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January 14, 2023
Imagine coming home from visiting with family on Christmas Day to a flooded, damaged home. Thanks to being a subscriber to Phelps, the Wilson's on Belvedere were spared from such a calamity. According to Jaime Wilson, she and her family were visiting other family members on Christmas Day in east Memphis. Their plan was to be away for much of the day and evening.
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January 10, 2023
We would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! For the Central Gardens Association, the new year begins with our annual Membership Drive.
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February 18, 2021
There is a darling brick cottage on the southeast side of Belvedere that was once home to a renowned Memphis stylemaker and philanthropist. This home at 698 S. Belvedere was likely built around 1922, as that is when it first appeared in the Polk City Directory.
The home was originally owned by Charles Kelley Lewis, an insurance man, along with his wife Maude. The Lewis family had previously lived at 1155 Peabody. Their former home stood where the I-240 overpass crosses Peabody. It was a large residence with boarders and servants. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had two sons. Their younger son, Frank, died at 10 years of age after falling off of a horse at the Peabody property. The family moved to the home at 698 S. Belvedere in 1922 . Charles Kelley Lewis died in 1924, just over one year after buying on Belvedere. Maude Lewis died in 1951, and the home was left to their son, Charles Jr.
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April 22, 2018
“We're completely outraged…”
It was the summer of 1992. For Midtowners who had quietly filed out of council chambers after a July 28 meeting at City Hall, it would turn out to be a long summer and fall that would carry over into a still longer - and controversial - winter and spring of discontent that made headlines for the better part of a year.
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April 14, 2018
The Spring Architectural Design Guidelines Clinic held on April 9th was a true “how to” clinic. Neighbors came prepared to discuss their upcoming renovation projects. To answer their questions, we had two architects, Chooch Pickard and Central Garden’s Keith Kays. We also had a preservationist, Margot Payne, who is the assistant Director of Memphis Heritage and a Central Gardens neighbor. These experts cleared up questions and offered recommendations on design, materials and the approval process. One area of interest was windows. Painted shut windows seems to be a widespread issue in the neighborhood. There is a way to hold onto your historic windows therefore adding value to your home. There are also new products on the market that may provide better insulation at a better price and, look more like wood than ever before. We plan on having a workshop on this topic soon.
Remember, Living in an historic neighborhood such as Central Gardens brings special responsibilities as well as rewards.
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April 14, 2018
The committee consists of designers, architects and city planners, all volunteers who can help you get started with your renovation or restoration. The committee will help you establish an appropriate direction for the design and avoid planning efforts that later may prove inappropriate and costly when submitting your application to the Memphis Landmarks Commission.
Included in the article is an easy 4-step process to help you navigate through the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) process for your renovation or restoration.
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February 25, 2018
Mandy Chatellier, her two children, Hannah (12) and Sam (9), and a two-year-old rescue from Streetdog, Savannah, have been residents of Central Gardens for 11 years. Mandy loves so many things about living in Central Gardens. She enjoys the history – musing that every house, every porch, every crack in the wall, tells a story, as do our trees. She beams, “It’s a beautiful neighborhood rich with history, diversity, and a strong sense of community.”
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February 20, 2018
Register for our second Design Guidelines Quarterly Clinic on Monday, April 9 at 6:15 pm at the University Club Board Room.
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February 20, 2018
On a Tuesday evening, February 6, in the cafeteria of Idlewild Elementary School, Nicholas Oyler of the city’s Bike/Ped Memphis program unveiled a city-funded plan to resurface Peabody Avenue and to re-stripe the avenue to accommodate bike lanes.
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February 20, 2018
Great things are happening at our neighborhood public high school, Central (THE) High School. CHS has recently received a wonderful commitment to improve the academic programs and aesthetics of the 106 year old building.
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February 19, 2018
As a follow-up to both the Neighborhood Improvement Plan and the establishment of the Memphis Landmarks Commission in 1975, the city embarked on a survey of Memphis neighborhoods. This survey included the 500-plus acres of Central Gardens, and the survey was an important reference in the eligibility determination in the neighborhood's application for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
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January 24, 2018
Karen and her husband Ron have two children – Julia (25) and Alex (20). For the past 20 years, the family has called Central Gardens home; they are pictured in the living room of their 105-year old residence below. Karen and Ron, both educators, chose Central Gardens for its location - close to their workplaces, as well being convenient to their church parish, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. As an added bonus, Karen notes that Central Gardens has been a wonderful, safe community to raise their two children, with its historic ambiance and active lifestyle perks, such as the bike lanes.
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