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Second only to Graceland, Lauderdale Courts is the Memphis home Elvis lived in the longest. From September 1949 to January 1953 Elvis Presley and his parents, Gladys and Vernon, lived at 185 Winchester, Apartment 328 in Lauderdale Courts. "The Courts" proved to be a pivotal place for Elvis as he developed his unique style, for it was here where a shy Elvis would practice the guitar in the basement laundry room. He would also meet and play with the other musicians who lived in The Courts. Elvis would stroll to nearby Beale Street and gain inspiration from famous blues artists. You could find him listening to records at Poplar Tunes record store around the corner and Sun Studio was just over a mile away. It was here, in this close knit community, that Elvis met girlfriends, attended Humes High and developed as a performer.
More importantly, it was where Elvis would garner the affirmation of friends and neighbors as he performed in the wonderfully designed communal courtyards and mall of Lauderdale Courts.
Scheduled for the wrecking ball in the mid-nineties, Elvis' teenage home was saved by the efforts of Elvis fans, Memphis Heritage preservation organization, the City of Memphis and Memphis developers Jack Belz and Henry Turley. On the National Register of Historic Places, Lauderdale Courts, now renamed Uptown Square, has been renovated to become Downtown Memphis' hippest new address. It is part of the innovative Uptown Memphis development.
The apartment, # 328, has been lovingly revived to reflect the life and times of Vernon, Gladys and young Elvis in the early 1950s.
Go back to the days of innocence, bobby socks and DA hairstyles. Visit a simpler time when Memphis invented America's Blues, Soul and Rock 'n' Roll. Walk the courtyards where Elvis would first perform for family and friends. Gaze out his bedroom window where he would sit and play for passersby. Sit in the kitchen where he and his family would share the events of the day. Sleep where he would dream of the greatness to come.
Step back in time with young Elvis. Reserve your stay today in The Elvis Suite at Lauderdale Courts.
Elvis & Elvis Presley are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.