The word repurpose and renovate have become buzz words in our community. After years of operating under the philosophy of new and modern is the only way to go, builders and developers are finally starting to see that repurposing and re-imagining a space has its place in growth as well. We have seen this play out several times in recent years around our city. Sears Crosstown being one of the best examples, a crowing jewel in Memphis architecture and real estate. We have another chance to save a beautiful building with a rich history.
The William C. Ellis & Sons Ironworks and Machine Shop located at 241-245 S. Front opened in 1862. When it closed in December of 2016, it had earned a place in Memphis history as the longest running family owned business in a single location. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Before closing it’s doors in 2016, a deal was brokered with the Carlisle Group who purchased the 137 year old property with plans to move forward on it’s “One Beale” development. It was rumored the building was to be demolished to make room for new luxury high-rises and a parking garage. But Chase Carlisle listened to the pleas from Memphis Heritage, a non-profit that works to maintain architecturally and historically significant buildings in the Mid-South area.
Last Thursday night, Memphis Heritage hosted a tour and informative meeting inside the beautiful William C. Ellis & Sons Ironwork and Machine Shop. After touring the three buildings, those in attendance heard Chance Carlisle share his vision for this historic property. 
The building above with its gorgeous view of the Mississippi River and the iconic Hernando Desoto Bridge is slated to become a ballroom and event venue. With its high ceilings and beautiful brick archway, this will be an excellent addition to the Memphis downtown.
ThIs building is the original foundry storage building and is being discussed as being used for an upscale tavern/ whiskey tasking. The largest of the buildings, the machine shop, and garage that face Front Street(the first picture in this post) is being discussed for an open and airy conference room. By re-imagining this property and listening to suggestions from Memphians who loved this building and desired to see its rich history preserved, Carlisle LLC has joined the Memphis renovation revolution.
As women, we are taught at an early age that we are the caretakers and nurturers of others. And that is a beautiful job, one that I take seriously and feel honored to do. But to keep pouring out into and for others, we have to remember to refill our own cup. If you have ever traveled on an airplane, the following sentence should be a familiar one; “In case of emergency, air masks will drop from the ceiling. If you are traveling with a minor, please put on your own mask before helping the minor”; but how many times do we really follow these directions in our daily lives? When life gets hectic, your to-do list is never ending, your calendar is jam-packed, and you feel like you are pleasing no one, who is the first person to get pushed to the back burner? If you are anything like me, that person is the one that actually needs the most self-love and grace, that person is yourself. While self-care may seem indulgent and a luxury we can not afford, it is actually crucial to your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. And honestly it doesn’t have to cost anything. However, one very important thing to remember about self care is that it is a practice, it isn’t something you just do once. By making it a part of your routine you are sending a message to yourself and others; that message is “I am worth it. I believe in myself enough to make myself a priority.” The benefits of self care are amazing:
Sometimes things come out of what seems to be nowhere…and kinda sucker punches you right in the gut…and it takes your breath away…and maybe you even feel disoriented, defeated,lost and alone. But then you realize your in the palm of His hand…and nothing takes Him by surprise and everything that touches your life is Father filtered. And you aren’t called to understand, or make sense of it..,you are simply called to stand tall and and keep your eyes forward not backwards at what has happened, or sideways at how others are standing or down in defeat or inward in bitterness but forward at the Son….because at the end of the day The greatest of these is love…and love ALWAYS works…maybe not in our time…or the way we think it should…or in a way we understand…but it works…Every. Single. Time. Amen.
A very personal post today with a lot of words, so you have been warned. The picture on the left was taken May 11st, 2012, the day I entered Lakeside. The picture on the right was taken on July 
“I guess they got tired of waiting,” I said. It was quiet and then all of the sudden Colton said “Momma stop the car!! Look!!! They didn’t get tired of waiting…they just crossed the street to a new home to wait for you to come back!!!” And sure enough there they were…across the street…not as many…but the ones that were there were bigger and their stems were stronger and their color was brighter. Then I realized why I love buttercups so much..they are resilient. They can be trampled down…choked out by weeds…and even have their home destroyed..and they will find a way to cross the street to a new home where they will bloom again…bigger, stronger and with more color than ever before. They tell my story….and God knew that story all those years ago…and gave a little girl in a red brick house exactly what she needed to one day cross the street and bloom again…..
Beauty in the Ordinary 