The historic home at 1433 Union Avenue that’s better known as the Nineteenth Century Club will be auctioned off to a member of the public in a sealed bid auction on Thursday, January 24th at noon.
Built in 1909 for Rowland J. Darnell, the Colonial Revival-style home is one of the last remaining historic structures along the commercial-heavy Union Avenue. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. At the time it was built, similar mansions lined the street, but most all of them have been demolished to make way for shopping centers, fast food restaurants, and gas stations.
Memphis Heritage is circulating a petition asking potential new owners to respect the home’s history and save it from the wrecking ball. As it stands, there is little in the auction guidelines to prevent a new owner from demolishing the property. Memphis Heritage has also started a Facebook group called “Save the 19th Century Club.”
