An old postcard shows the pool and courtyard of the old motel. Even though it was located just off busy E.H. Crump Blvd, the card certainly makes the place seem like a quiet, private resort.
ear Vance: My family recalls a very fancy motel complex that stood close to the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge, but looking at maps, I can’t find the location. What happened to this place? — K.L., Memphis.
Dear K.L.: The place you remember was the Town Park Motor Hotel, located at 871 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Now, the second part of your question — “What happened to it?” — requires an explanation, because if you drive to 871 Pennsylvania today, you won’t find that address. Heck, you won’t even find the street.
Here’s what happened. Before the construction of I-55, E.H. Crump Blvd. was the only way to funnel traffic to and from the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge. And up until the 1960s, the southern end of Riverside Drive merged into Pennsylvania Avenue, not the present-day expressway. In 1953, this is where developers from Texas called Park Plaza Motels decided to build a rather upscale two-story motel and restaurant complex — at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Crump Blvd., where thousands of cars passed, day and night. A better location for the new Town Park Motor Hotel would be hard to find.
Old postcards called it “The Pride of Memphis,” with 150 air-conditioned rooms, views of the bridges, a large swimming pool, in-room “Muzak and T-V,” 24-hour room service, and other amenities. Following the example set by Holiday Inn, which had opened in 1952, the Town Park had other locations in Texas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Look carefully. The green "X" marks the location of the Town Park Motor Hotel on this 1955 map. The streets in this area have changed drastically since then; an expressway interchange now stands on that spot today.
When it opened in 1955, newspaper advertisements didn’t brag about the motel itself. After all, readers were already here and had probably found a place to stay. Instead, ads went after diners. The Town Park Restaurant tried to reel in “those who appreciate fine food served in an atmosphere of charm.” Every week, newspapers here would feature a “Treat of the Week” — whole broiled flounder for $1.25, filet mignon (“the steak supreme”) for $1.10, four flavors of “our famous ice box pie served in Memphis’ most fabulous setting,” and more. The selection, it seemed, was unlimited at the Town Park Restaurant, and the future was bright for the new business.
So Memphians were no doubt stunned when they picked up the June 20, 1957, edition of The Commercial Appeal. The front-page story announced routes for the new interstate highway system. “It will be an upheaval,” said city engineer William B. Fowler, who didn’t sugarcoat the news, “and will disturb our whole mode of life. Many will be pleased, but many will be displeased.” Among the businesses that stood in the way of progress, he specifically mentioned the Town Park, “which will have to relocate.”
The motel had been open barely two years. The owners ignored Fowler’s suggestion to relocate. Instead, they remained in business until construction on I-55 reached them around 1960, and then demolished the entire complex. The “cloverleaf” interchange for the expressway and Crump Blvd. now covers the site of what newspapers once called “Memphis’ Million-Dollar Motel.”
Got a question for Vance?
Email: askvance@memphismagazine.com
Mail: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis Magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101
Online: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance
Or visit him on Facebook.
