Groups looking toward an unforgettable Memphis holiday will definitely want to plant a visit to Davies Manor Plantation – Century Farm, National Wildlife Federation-certified Backyard Habitat, and site of the oldest family home in Shelby County, Tennessee. The extensively-restored 1807 two story white oak chink and log plantation home rests on a lovely wooded piece of what was once a thriving 2000 acre operation, along with an assortment of wonderful outbuildings including a small cabin at one time occupied by Moses Frazier, a slave who toiled at Davies Manor for 50 years; prior to the Civil War, the Tennessee plantation supported approximately 23 enslaved African Americans. Tours begin with a short familiarization video and take guests through the log home and around the grounds and a series of carefully planned demonstration gardens and interpretive exhibits, providing an informative and realistic cross section of Colonial plantation/farm life while highlighting the inevitable changes to the estate that resulted from multi-generational occupancy. Careful excavation of a small “mound” in the front yard of Davies Manor revealed a few very small potsherds from the Woodland Indian Period; this is not surprising due to the presence of an Indian trail that wanders from Stage Road through the property and over Anderton Springs. The well-preserved structures and their rough-hewn contents are a testament to the true rigors of life on a typical southern plantation, and visits afford guests a priceless opportunity to trace the Davies family history through most of the 19th century and on to the present day with its challenges of maintaining and preserving the historic property for future generations.
