HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
1906 South Front Street bordello-turned-family-residence whose paranormal lore centers on 'Sidney,' a caretaker whose 1947 death by fire is documented on a Memphis death certificate — appreciate the three-story brick exterior from the public sidewalk only.
311 S. Front St., Memphis, TN 38103
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Private residence — no public access. The building is featured on the VoiceMap 'Brews, Blues and BBQ' walking tour and on US Ghost Adventures' Memphis ghost-tour route.
Access
Limited Access
View from public sidewalk on South Front Street; no entry permitted.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1906 · South Main historic commercial district · Upscale bordello with Turkish baths (1906-1920s) · Touliatos family hotel (1929) · Single-family residence since c. 1980
The Hotel Pontotoc was built in 1906 on a quiet side street off South Main Street in downtown Memphis. In its first roughly twenty years the building was publicly advertised as a rooming house for single gentlemen, but in practice operated as an upscale bordello with Turkish baths, catering primarily to railroad and riverboat travelers. The brothel period extended into at least the late 1920s.
In 1929, Greek immigrant Dionysos (Dan) Touliatos purchased the building, ending the bordello operation and converting the property into a more conventional family hotel. The Pontotoc became a popular short-term lodging for vaudeville performers playing at the Orpheum Theatre two blocks away. In the early 1930s the building briefly housed Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez while he created the Crystal Shrine Grotto at Memorial Park Cemetery.
The building has been a private single-family residence since approximately 1980, when Leigh Davis and her then-husband Terry moved in. Their son Jamie was born in the building in 1983 and continues to live there as a working musician. Davis has owned and lived in the property for more than three decades and has spoken publicly about both its history and its paranormal reputation. She has discussed converting the basement into a live-music venue and the upper rooms into short-term rentals.
The building is featured on the South Main historical-tour circuit, including the VoiceMap 'Brews, Blues and BBQ' audio walking tour.
Sources
The signature ghost story of the Hotel Pontotoc centers on Sidney, who is described in ghost-tour accounts as the building's coal-tending caretaker. According to tour narration, Sidney lived next door, was often intoxicated, and on one occasion fell or was burned inside the building's coal-fired boiler — leaving the hotel's morning staff to discover his remains. The tour version is dramatized; the documentary record is more modest. According to a 2008 Memphis Downtowner article cited by US Ghost Adventures, a 1947 Memphis death certificate records a man named Sidney living at 305 South Front Street (immediately adjacent to the Pontotoc at 311) who died 'about home' as the result of an accident in which his 'clothes caught fire.' The death certificate does not place the fire inside the Pontotoc boiler.
Leigh Davis, the current resident of more than thirty years, has publicly described seeing shadow figures along the walls — most actively on the second floor — but characterizes the presences as friendly. Tour-tradition stories also describe a girl crying in upper-floor windows and orbs photographed near the building.
Memphis Magazine's profile of Davis treats the paranormal claims with skepticism while documenting the building's preservation and Davis's intention to open the basement as a live-music venue. The Pontotoc appears on US Ghost Adventures' top-ten Memphis haunted list and the VoiceMap walking tour.
The Hotel Pontotoc is a private single-family residence — appreciate the three-story brick building from the public sidewalk on South Front Street only. Do not approach the residence or disturb the current owner.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
View the three-story brick building from the public sidewalk; tour-operator stops on US Ghost Adventures and VoiceMap walking-tour audio guides include narration. Do not approach the residence.
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