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South Main Street Historic District

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Introduction to the South Main Street Historic District
South Main Street Historic District

South Main Street Historic District

Photo by Teresa R. Simpson
Tucked away on the southern end of downtown Memphis is a quiet yet colorful community with a flavor all its own. Welcome to the South Main Historic District. In the early 1900's this area was bustling with activity. Every day fifty trains could be heard rumbling through Central Station. Passengers on those trains could eat at any one of the neighborhood's eight restaurants or stay in one of its eleven hotels. Merchants ran their shops while their families lived upstairs and even manufactures and warehouses had their place in the district.

The Depression took its toll on the businesses in the area and then later, in the 1950's, the declining railroad industry caused many of the neighborhood's businesses to fail. Through the 1960's and 70's, the southern end of downtown Memphis sat idle and virtually abandoned. It wasn't until the 1980's that the South Main District began to see life again. Now, more than twenty years since the first present-day business opened up on South Main Street, there are dozens of shops, restaurants, galleries, and nightspots which keep the district vibrant. On the pages ahead we will take a look at these places which make the South Main District unique.

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