The Building's History
1 Memphis Street has a story all its own.
Built in the 1930s as a cotton seed warehouse for the Banks Family Farms, 1 Memphis Street once moved to an agricultural hustle and bustle. Cotton seed was transported in and out, stored until a journey down river or overseas. With a system of conveyors and a catwalk, workers could oversee seed delivery throughout the warehouse. Before the massive renovation, the building existed as nothing more than a concrete floor and tin building.
Memphis Street itself began life as a plank road, carrying traffic to Memphis and back to Hernando. Remnants of the past still echo throughout the space–in the reclaimed bricks, the salvaged fixtures, windows and doors.
And the road? Where Memphis Street ends in downtown Memphis near the FedEx Forum, the street name changes to Hernando.
In 2014, partner-owners Piet Zee and Dale Wilson embarked upon an ambitious renovation focused on preserving this piece of Hernando’s history. Holding tight to their design, the pair salvaged parts and pieces from across the country and locally: century old bricks from a former building in downtown Memphis, windows from a retired industrial building in Alabama, vintage fixtures and signs. Even the last details in the bathrooms reflect the bygone era of the 1930s.
Opened officially in summer 2015, the former cottonseed warehouse shines with new life, weaving new stories into its history with each passing event.