Structure: Walk C. Jones III Residence
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Architect: Walk C. Jones III
Date: 1969
Tidbit: Can architectural ability be passed down from father to son? In the case of the Jones family, it appears that it can. Walk Claridge Jones Sr (born 1875) was a noted architect in Memphis who started his own firm in 1904.
His son, Walk C. Jones Jr joined the firm in 1934. Junior studied at Yale, had travelled in Europe, and embraced modernism in architecture. Senior retired in 1940, and at some point, Senior’s grandson Walk C. Jones III joined the firm.
In 1968, shortly before he became a principal in the firm, Jones III designed his own house in a very traditional Memphis neighborhood. Inspired heavily by the architecture of Louis Kahn (think of his design for the Indian Institute Of Management In Ahmedabad), Jones III designed himself a brutalist two-story house out of Memphis red brick. The house was featured in the mid-May issue of Architectural Record (1971).
The house still stands, and although it supposedly sold in 2019, I cannot find any pictures of it anywhere. Maybe one day!
Ben Lewis
Hi! Nice to see some Memphis Modern houses on the site. The Walk Jones house is still here, but the contemporary photo you have is of another house in the same general area. The Jones house is difficult to get to because it is on a gated lane. There are some newer photos of the house in “A Survey of Modern Houses in Memphis, Tennessee From 1940 to 1980”.
TennMod
Appreciate the info Mr. Lewis, I’ve updated the blog accordingly. Also, if Santa is kind to me this year, I will have that book in hand by the end of the month and will update this blog with new photos 🙂
Ben Lewis
My pleasure. Our house, the house my wife grew up in, and her aunt’s house are also in the survey.
Suzannah Fisher Ragen
My family lived in this house from 1973 to 1984 then Roger and Ann Knox bought the house. Ann Knox recently sold the house to her son’s friend who had always loved the house. Ann Knox invited the Jones children, my family, the new owners, and the Tara Lane neighbors over to celebrate a 50th birthday party for the house. It was a special occasion.