Drive-By
Exterior view of Annesdale
View the Italian Villa-style mansion from Lamar Avenue. Memphis ghost-tour operators include the property as a narrated stop; interior tours are tied to private events.
- Duration:
- 20 min
Haunted House / Historic Home
Annesdale Mansion
1855 Italian Villa-style mansion in Memphis that served as a Civil War hospital and yielded a possibly-human bone fragment from a sealed fireplace in 2016. Private event venue — exterior viewing from the public sidewalk only.
1325 Lamar Ave., Memphis, TN 38104
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Private events venue; access typically by booked event or special tour. The mansion has been operated as an events venue since the early 2010s and was sold in recent years to a preservationist owner.
Access
Limited Access
17,000+ sq ft Italianate mansion with original stairs and ornate plasterwork; grounds accessible.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1855 · National Register of Historic Places (1980) · Civil War-era hospital · Brinkley/Snowden family residence (1869-c. 2010) · 2016 bone-fragment discovery in sealed fireplace
Construction of Annesdale was completed in 1855 for Dr. Samuel Mansfield, a Memphis physician, on what was then Pigeon Roost Road (now Lamar Avenue). The two-story Italianate villa contains more than 17,000 square feet of living space, thirteen rooms, eleven fireplaces, and elaborate stained glass and plasterwork.
During the Civil War, the mansion served as a hospital. In 1869, Robert Brinkley — the Memphis businessman who founded the original Peabody Hotel — purchased the property as a wedding gift for his daughter, Annie Overton Brinkley, who had married Colonel Robert Bogardus Snowden. The estate was named 'Annesdale' in her honor. The Snowden family retained ownership for approximately 160 years.
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1980. After roughly a century and a half in Snowden hands, the home passed to Ken Robison, who purchased the property in 2010 and converted it into an events venue with an emphasis on preservation rather than renovation. The home was subsequently sold to a preservation-oriented owner.
In June 2016 during work on the home, a bone fragment — possibly human and possibly dating to the home's Civil War hospital period — was discovered in the grate of a boarded-up fireplace. The fragment was sent to a morgue for analysis. This documented discovery, widely reported in local press, anchors much of the home's current paranormal reputation.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annesdale
- https://memphismagazine.com/habitats/annesdale-mansion/
- https://www.memphisheritage.org/annesdale/
Unexplained knocks and bumpsApparitions in the neighborhoodCold spots in the mansionDocumented bone fragment in sealed fireplace (2016)
The defining paranormal anchor at Annesdale is the June 2016 discovery, during work on the home, of a bone fragment in the grate of a boarded-up fireplace. The fragment was 'possibly human' and may have dated to the home's Civil War hospital era; it was sent to a morgue for further investigation. The discovery received local press coverage and reinforced the home's existing reputation as one of Memphis's most atmospheric historic properties.
The Annesdale-Snowden neighborhood surrounding the mansion has long appeared in Memphis ghost-tour literature; residents and visitors describe knocks and bumps, unexplained apparitions, and other phenomena. Specific accounts inside the mansion are thinner in public sources — most coverage emphasizes the mansion's grandeur, the Snowden family's long tenure, and the bone-fragment discovery rather than individual sightings.
The Battle of Franklin and Battle of Memphis-era field-hospital history of the home provides ample contextual basis for the residual-haunting interpretations applied by tour operators; specific named entities have not emerged in the published lore.
This venue is privately owned and not open to the public — appreciate from the public sidewalk on Lamar Avenue only.
Media Appearances
- Memphis Flyer 'Secret Mansion in Annesdale-Snowden' (2009)
- Local-press coverage of the 2016 bone-fragment discovery
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Annesdale Mansion family-friendly?
The Civil War hospital history and the 2016 bone fragment discovery are mature historical themes; appropriate for older children with context. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Annesdale Mansion?
Private events venue; access typically by booked event or special tour. The mansion has been operated as an events venue since the early 2010s and was sold in recent years to a preservationist owner.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, reservations are required. Contact the venue directly to reserve.
Is Annesdale Mansion wheelchair accessible?
Annesdale Mansion has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: 17,000+ sq ft Italianate mansion with original stairs and ornate plasterwork; grounds accessible..