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The Manor House at Davies Manor pic & fix

Jay Brothers

Photo by Thomas R. Machnitzki


9336 Davies Plantation Rd. Barlett, TN

Circa original 1807/ enlarged 1831-37. 1-room log cabin/ 2-story log and chink home of white oak home


The Davies Manor is considered the oldest home in Shelby Co. in the Barlett community and one of the oldest homes in West Tennessee. It started as a 1 room log cabin in 1807. Zachariah Davies owned this property from Virginia as a Revolutionary War grant. The property is now just off I-40 near Lakeland between I-269 and Hwy 64 exits.


In 1846, Joel W. Royster purchased the home and 320 acres. He doubled the size to a 2 story home. From 1831-1837, it was enlarged into a long and chink house with squared white oak logs on a sandstone foundation. 



Image from TN Dept of Tourism
Image from TN Dept of Tourism

Six years later, in 1851, Logan Early Davies (1824-1894), a relative of Zachariah, bought the home from Royster with his brother James Baxter Davies (1826-1904). They amassed 2,000 acres. James married Penelope Almeda Little (?-1859) in 1854, and moved to the property. They enlarged the home. Unfortunately, Penelope died five years later.


Logan married Anna Frances Vaughn (1842-1865) in 1860. After the Civil War, in 1865, James married his wife’s sister Pauline Leake Little. Anna died; then Pauline divorced James two years later in 1867. 


James’ son Gilliev Mertis Davies (1860-1933) married Frances Ina Stewart Davies(1863-1958), and they resided for four years at the Manor. From 1833-1958, Gillie and Frances lived at the place and renamed it Hill Crest. 


When James died, he left 596 acres to his two bachelor sons - Dr. Julius Augustus Davies (?-1924) of Wall, MS and Dr. William Little Davies (?-1931) of Indiana. 


In 1932, Frances Ellen Davies-Rodgers (1903-1994) inherited the home with its 2,500 acres and was married to Hillman Phillip Rodgers (1899-1976) in 1932. She was the daughter of Gillie and Frances and had grown up in The Oaks, a home on the Davies Manor plantation. Ellen is a writer with many books and articles on the history of Shelby Co. (Along the Old State-Coach Road and Turns Again Home) and the area. She served as the Shelby Co. historian. Ellen had several education degrees and donated land and money to the Episcopal Church in West Tennessee as well to Memphis State University and George Peabody College in Nashville. Hillman was in the paper industry and raised Black Angus cattle. She slowly sold land until her death in 1994. Davies Manor still had the original 32 acres.  


In 1944, the first art exhibition held in a home in Shelby Co. outside Memphis was held here. It was also the meeting place of the Zachariah Davis Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Old State Rd. Society of the Children of the American Revolution. 





A portion of the land was developed into Davies Manor Association subdivision. There is a Davies Plantation Homeowners Association, Davies Plantation & Park, Davies Plantation Rd., Daviesshire Dr. Davies Manor Ct., Ellen Davies Dr. Patrician Ellen Dr. and Hillman Way Dr. NR 1975


Sources:

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