Historic Melrose School earns national preservation honor after 4 decades vacant, officials say

Written By Katie Simmons

FOX 13

September 30, 2025

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After sitting vacant for 40 years, the Historic Melrose School in Orange Mound is now a national model of preservation, officials said.

Thanks to relentless advocacy from alumni and neighbors, and a 16 million dollar city led transformation, the landmark now houses a public library, senior apartments and a genealogy center

This project honors Orange Mound's history as the first subdivision built by African Americans for African Americans, officials said.

The National Trust/Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Award recognizes projects where a federal agency and one or more non-federal partners, including tribes, work together to achieve exemplary preservation outcomes.


Katie Simmons
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