VICTORIAN HOUSE TOUR Second Empire Southern Home Woodruff Fontaine House Memphis TN

Most people don't even realize that this beautiful Victorian house even exists in Memphis. An iconic southern home that makes you feel as if you've been transported back in time. This was a house built to win love back, to create a life so impressive, so comfortable, so worth returning to, that she'd come back home. But what happened inside these walls is what makes this house truly unforgettable. People were born here and later died here, making it the only home they ever knew. And you can feel that as you walk through it. The house contains this lived-in presence that makes you feel like the families who once called this place home never fully left. Today we're touring the Woodruff Fontaine House Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. A proud second empire Victorian that survived the city's biggest turning points, including the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 that changed Memphis forever. Hi I'm Allie and welcome back to Fab Little Dish where we celebrate vintage homes, historic interiors, and the stories that keep these places alive. If you love the stories these houses share, give this video a big thumbs up. It really does help support preservation and awareness efforts for these beautiful pieces of our history. Now let's head back to Memphis, Tennessee together. Built in 1871, this French Victorian mansion was home to two prominent Memphis families. Memphis was founded in 1819 and its location on the Mississippi River, which allowed for trade, transport, and access, quickly powered its growth. And it didn't take long for businessmen, who were already thriving in other parts of the country, to take notice. Drawn by the chance to expand into a mid-southern market that still felt wide open. And when those early entrepreneurs came to Memphis, they didn't just bring their businesses, they brought their already established, extravagant, wealthy lifestyles along with them. Although Memphis suffered tremendous loss due to the yellow fever epidemic of the 1870s, the city eventually rebounded and as the 20th century dawned, Memphis was firmly established as a major southern metropolis, often referred to as the New York City of the South. Amos Woodruff was from Rahway, New Jersey and he already had a successful carriage business. But Memphis was growing fast and he saw opportunity down there. So he moved south to expand and his business continued to thrive. But his wife Phoebe hated living in Memphis. She was homesick. She missed her family back in New Jersey and she missed the only social world she had always known. And Memphis just didn't ever feel like home to her. So after the war, she finally packed up and moved back north to New Jersey and Amos wasn't willing to accept that. This stretch of Adams Avenue, what locals referred to as Millionaire's Row, was where the movers and the shakers wanted to live. So Mr. Woodruff decided to build a house right here to bring his wife back. He wanted to build something so impressive that she'd agree to return back to him and create a life worth living. Phoebe agreed to come back once the house was complete and Amos wasted no time. He purchased the land in 1870 for $12,600 and by December of 1871, the house was built for $40,000. It took just a little over a year to build. And the only way that this was able to happen is because work was happening throughout the day and throughout the evening. Workers never stopped. Amos never wanted them to quit so his wife could return back home to him. But he also wanted to show off his newfound wealth in the city to prove that he and his family belonged here. So in December 1871, they moved in. But then in 1878, Yellow Fever tore through the country and set its sights on Memphis in the Mid-South. Around 6,000 people died, businesses collapsed, livelihoods were destroyed, and what had been once a vibrant New York City of the South was shaken to its core. People fled. Memphis became a ghost town. The Woodruffs got out of the city too and when they returned, business never bounced back. And by 1883, they knew they had to let the house go and accept that loss. They were only here for about 12 and a half years, but you can feel how much they poured into this place. And this is where the second chapter of the house begins, with the Fontaine family. Nolan Fontaine was from Louisville, Kentucky, and he came to Memphis at just 21 years old. Young, ambitious, and stepping into a city that was quickly becoming a powerhouse. He ended up partnering with Napoleon Hill, the wealthiest man in Memphis at the time. And together, they built something enormous. The High Cotton House of Hill Fontaine and Company. This wasn't some small business venture. It grew into the largest cotton and wholesale grocery business in the United States, and the third largest in the world. This was the kind of wealth that didn't just change a family, it reshaped their entire world. The Fontaines and the Woodruffs were part of the same social world. So by 1883, when word spread that the Woodruffs needed to sell, these families came together. And instead of a traditional sale, they came to a gentleman's agreement, where they actually switched homes. And the Fontaines paid the Woodruffs an additional $40,000. And I just can't help but think, after everything that the Woodruffs put into this house, this must have been a really hard handoff. But for the Fontaines, this was the beginning of a new era here. Nolan and Virginia Fontaine became the glamour couple on Adams Avenue, Millionaire's Row in Memphis. This house filled up with life. They had eight children, four girls and four boys, and they also experienced the heartbreak of losing one child. They were known for hosting lavish parties and events. Nolan was such a prominent figure in Memphis society, that he was often the one chosen to greet visiting dignitaries. Even President Grover Cleveland visited this home, a sign of just how closely the Fontaines' name was tied to the public image of Memphis. On September 14th, 1912, Nolan Fontaine died in the ballroom here at the home, at 72 years old, after an unsuccessful kidney surgery. Dying in the very home that had held nearly his entire adult life in Memphis. Virginia outlived her husband for some time, and in 1928, she died peacefully upstairs in her bedroom, surrounded by her family and grandchildren. This house, also, was the place of all of her adult memories. After Virginia died, the family didn't want to keep the house. The city was changing. Everyone wanted to live east in Midtown, and many of the mansions along Millionaire's Row started sitting vacant. But for nearly 46 years, this was the Fontaine family's world. And then, the home experiences another phase. The house was sold to Miss Rosa Lee to expand her art school, which later moved to Overton Park in 1959, establishing itself as the Memphis College of Art. She opened her home for students to study fine arts for free next door. But she needed extra space, and the family sold this house to her. Both buildings were used for her free art school, and after the school closed, the house sat vacant, and the city was actually planning to bulldoze this building until it was saved. In 1961, the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities restored the mansion and opened its doors as a historic museum in 1964. Originally, they were just going to host architectural tours through the building, but over time, they received countless donations, bringing in period-appropriate furniture and decor, and even some of the original pieces that once were here with both families, which I'll be pointing out as we move throughout the house. The Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum is one of the best examples of Second Empire Victorian architecture in Memphis. Also referred to as a French Victorian, the home features a gorgeous mansard roof, which visually stretches the house upward, making it appear larger and taller than it actually is. It also features an iconic center tower, and apparently the houses surrounding the Woodruff-Fontaine House also added central towers after this house was built. It was a statement in itself to set the tone for the neighborhood. It influenced the look of this entire stretch. Every detail was built to impress. With its tall arched windows, layered trim, bracketed cornices, and even the way the roofline is finished, with all of the little ornate detailing, it's dramatic, but it's also incredibly elegant. The Woodruffs hired Edward J. Jones and Matthias Baldwin to design and build the house, and this design duo was highly sought after. Edward Jones was a well-known Victorian masterpiece architect. Baldwin was from New York City and brought all of the innovation and latest and greatest styles also to the table. Together, they created these Victorian masterpieces, and Amos Woodruff knew that they were the best team to hire. Construction kicked off in 1870, and by December 1871, this mansion was already complete, and the scale of this home is pretty massive. At over 11,000 square feet, it features six levels including the basement and the two tower levels above. And then on the property, there's also these two little adorable buildings, this gingerbread-style playhouse built in 1890, along with another small house right nearby. Today, they're used for weddings and events, but they're still pieces of history that complete the story of the Woodruff Fontaine House. As soon as you step into the house, it immediately feels alive. The colors, the details, the overall feeling, it's almost surreal, like the space is still holding onto the energy of everyone who once lived here. This was one of the first free-floating staircases in the city, and the detailing along the railing is just beautiful. Symmetry is central to the Second Empire French Victorian architectural style. Throughout the home, you'll notice this balance, the symmetry of doors, windows, mirrors, mantles, and transforms. Doors and windows were added to attain this symmetry, and one perfect example is the door that goes nowhere, which was placed flat against an exterior brick wall. And that false door existed for one reason, to keep the back foyer visually symmetrical. During restoration, they carefully unnailed the door and opened it, and inside were the signatures of the traveling craftsmen and workmen who built the home. Most of them wrote where they were from and what their jobs were. They were from all over, Denmark, Canada, Chicago, New Orleans. During this era, it was very common for craftsmen to travel by boat up and down the Mississippi River looking for work. The stained glass windows on the front doors here are striking. When the sun hits them, they throw color right into the space, making the whole entryway feel alive. And then on either side of the front doors, you have faces to the names. The Woodruffs on the left, and the Fontaines on the right. Two families, one house, and two completely different chapters of this home's history. Here we are in the dining room, and this room was absolutely designed to impress. For Woodruff, this was one of the biggest opportunities to show off his wealth in a space meant to be filled with guests. Back then, the city would tax homes based on the number of doors and closets within the residence. And this room has seven doors and two closets. Even upstairs, almost every bedroom has a closet. And having that kind of storage built in tells you how intentionally this house was built right from the start and how it was meant to show off new wealth. I also love how formal this room feels without feeling cold. It has a warmth to it. And this marble fireplace, the huge mirror, the chandelier, all of this layered together gives the room that warmth. These sliding pocket doors immediately stood out to me. The entire first floor has 16-foot ceilings, making these sliding pocket doors that much more incredible. My favorite part of this entire space is this built-in china cabinet. It's such a statement because it wasn't just used for storage, clearly. This was meant to display pieces. Every detail in here was designed to make an impression. And that it does. And now we're in the reception parlor. I love this space because it feels like it's welcoming you right away. And it's full of objects that give you an idea of what people did in these rooms. First, the polyphon music box over here is such a great detail. This was a large disc-playing music device. And these were more commonly seen in public spaces like a tavern because to play a song, you'd need to insert a penny and then manually crank the handle. This settee and matching desk chair are actually original to the Woodruff family, which is a very special detail. There's also a Wooten desk here. This desk has 110 compartments. It's on wheels so it can move. And the company slogan was literally, a place for everything and everything in its place. It literally was a desk meant to move with you. And this is the music room. The first thing I love right away about this room is how it does two jobs at once. These sliding windows that go from the floor to the ceiling keep the layout perfectly balanced, but they also let the sound of the music travel. So when music was playing in here, it wouldn't stay trapped in this little room. It would carry throughout. But this harp really is the centerpiece. It's a gilded harp that was crafted for Queen Victoria and her family in 1845. And the inscription at the top literally reads, for her majesty and the royal family. What an incredibly special piece located right here in Memphis. And this is the formal parlor, also referred to as the ballroom. And it truly was the heart of the entertaining scene of this home. You can feel the symmetry right away. The matching fireplaces, the tall windows, everything is arranged to look balanced and intentional. And this room wasn't just for sitting and having tea. When they hosted a big night here, the servants would literally clear the furniture out so the guests could dance, mingle, and have fun. This was the party room and the proper parlor of the Victorian home, where he showed off, hosted, performed, everything. This was the point of it all. The wall mirrors are original to the mansion. They're still here because when the house became an art school, they were boarded over, which protected them for years. The parquet wood floor is made of cypress with decorative mahogany banding. The floor continues right into the music room, really tying both rooms together. The windows are original as well. During a large gala, they would be raised so people could move in and out on the front porch or the music room porch, and the shutters would open and fold right into the molding so everything would stay clean and seamless. The marble mantles are not original, but they were donated from a nearby property that was demolished. So even the restoration carries its own piece of Memphis history throughout the house. This chandelier has four shades of amber Venetian hand-blown glass from Murano, Italy. The square grand piano is rosewood, Memphis-made, with brass inlay, bronze mounts, and mother-of-pearl keys. It's absolutely gorgeous. And even though this room is all about entertaining, it also held real personal moments. Molly, who was Nolan Fontaine's daughter, was married here. And even Mr. Fontaine himself died in this room. Reminders that this was a very lived-in home, where happy and sad memories were all shared. And now we're heading upstairs into the more private spaces, where the family spent most of their time when they weren't entertaining or hosting guests. This is Molly's bedroom, also referred to as Miss Molly. The soft florals, the carved bed, the little sitting area. There's a romantic Victorian sweetness in here, but there's also something fragile about this room. Molly is known to be one of the main spirits to reside in this home. I'm not going to focus on that for this tour, but it is worth mentioning, because there is an energy and a vibe in this space. And hearing her story might piece this together a little more. Molly Woodruff married Egbert Woolridge on December 21st, 1871, basically right as this house was built. They honeymooned in New Orleans, and then moved into a three-room suite right here on the second floor. Molly was very active in the social scene here in Memphis. She grew up with this kind of entertaining around her throughout her life. So I know parts of this house were full of happiness for her that she enjoyed deeply. But there were also memories in here that made this the kind of place where some of her deepest grief was experienced. On March 17th, 1875, Molly delivered a baby who died shortly after birth. And then tragedy followed tragedy. Just a couple months later, her husband Egbert died after a boating accident. He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery close by their infant son on May 26th, 1875. And Molly stayed here in the house. And I cannot imagine the kind of silence that must have settled into these rooms, especially this section of the house, when she was experiencing that grief. But time passed, and Molly was eventually introduced to Mr. James G. Henning, and they married on June 14th, 1883. She moved out of the house to be with her husband, and not long after that, her parents sold this Adams Avenue home to the Fontaines. Then, in January of 1885, Molly had another child, but once again, it died shortly after birth. Two babies, ten years apart, that kind of loss changes a person deeply. Molly outlived her second husband until September 20th, 1917, when she died of heart disease. She was also laid to rest at Elmwood Cemetery alongside her first husband and her two babies. And right here, connected to Molly's bedroom, it looks like a children's room, but this actually was a connected parlor, which was really common in Victorian bedroom suites, because families didn't just sleep in their rooms, they lived in them. These were like little mini apartments. This is what the museum refers to as the Canton Room, named for its Cantonese-style wall coverings that completely set the tone as soon as you walk in. The original wallpaper design was imported from China by Colonel Jeremiah Lee for his famous home in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and what you're seeing here is a documented copy of that exact historic pattern. This bedroom was later used by one of the Fontaine daughters before she moved to Chicago, and it was also Molly Woodruff's personal parlor when she had her three-room suite. This is the Sewing Parlor, also referred to as the Ladies' Parlor. It served both families as a sewing room, which was perfect for the space because of this natural sunlight that pours in through the windows. It also functioned as a ladies' day room, where they could host intimate teas and light refreshments with family and close acquaintances. And during the years when the art school occupied the mansion, it became a sketching parlor, once again benefiting from all of the sun pouring into this room. And now we're in the Master Suite, the main bedroom used by both the Woodruffs and the Fontaines, along with an attached parlor, making this space feel more like a private little apartment rather than just a single room. Right away you notice this chandelier. It's original to the Fontaine family, and it actually has a matching twin chandelier that hangs in the adjoining family parlor right next door. And over on the dressing table is a silver vanity grooming set belonging to Virginia Fontaine, engraved with her initials. These are the kind of details that make this room and the entire home feel personal and lived in. And then just next door is the family parlor, the more relaxed gathering space the families used with close friends, away from the formal rooms downstairs. And the mirror is also original, which I love because it means that this room is still holding on to many of the same surfaces and energy that the family lived and surrounded themselves with. I love the idea of having an attached parlor in my own bedroom. You really wouldn't even have to leave. And the very last part of the house to be finished was the third floor ceiling. It's a single hammered sheet of tin, and it is just gorgeous. It immediately grabs your attention. This is a guest bedroom, but an interesting detail in here is that this red chair actually belonged to Charles Dickens himself. It was acquired by auction when the house was being restored. And now we're up in the tower office. This room was used by Mr. Woodruff, Mr. Fontaine, and later Elliot Fontaine as a way for them to work from home, but still keep an eye on business moving through the city. And now we're stepping into the bedroom of Elliot Fontaine, Noland and Virginia Fontaine's youngest son. Elliot Hill Fontaine was born on July 8th, 1884, right here in this very house. Like his father, he was known for his very strong work ethic, working long hours at Union and Planters Bank. But his life was cut short. In 1918, Elliot died at just 34 years old after contracting bacterial pneumonia during the Spanish flu. He was born in this mansion, and he died in this mansion, making this the only home he ever knew. And he is officially the second spirit that apparently still roams this floor, since his soul was taken too soon. And let's head up to the tower now. This is the tower. The Mississippi River was the main source of wealth for most of the families living along Adams Avenue. And back then, before the trees filled in and the city built up, this tower held a clear, flatland view straight to the riverfront. From up here, you could literally watch the movement of river traffic, boats heading into port, and it made it easy to know when it was time to head downtown for business. Talk about a perfect work-from-home environment. And this is the kitchen, which is actually located in the gift shop. It's set up here to give you a quick snapshot of what daily life looked like. But behind all of the parties and formal spaces we just saw, the brick fireplace, the old stove setup, the jars lined underneath the table, and the everyday dishware, it's all simple, but it makes the rest of the house feel that much more real. And that's what makes the Woodruff Fontaine house so special. It's stunning, yes, but it's also a house that held real life and all of the real memories that are tied to life, like ambition, loss, love, resilience, all layered right into each of the rooms. I hope you enjoyed walking through and touring the beautiful Woodruff Fontaine house. Let me know what your favorite part of the tour was in the comments below. And if you have any other historic homes that you want me to visit next, also let me know that in the comments. I'm always looking for my next adventure to share with you all. Thank you for watching. Make sure to subscribe. Until our next house tour, my friends, keep enjoying the beauty of vintage home. Au revoir.