Tom Bailey

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

A historic but long-vacant house with distinctive, circular shapes gracing an upstairs porch is now charred rubble.

Fire destroyed what historians call "the Newton C. Richards House'' early Saturday afternoon at 975 Peabody. No one was hurt, and the Memphis Fire Department on Monday was still investigating what started the blaze, fire officials said this week.

It wasn't so much its age — 127 years — that distinguished the 2.5-story structure as its style of architecture and interior mill work.

According to a meticulous, 3.5-page nomination letter written in 1984 for the home's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, the house was one of the city's best examples of the Queen Anne and Eastlake styles. That means in part that the structure featured lots of ornamentation that had to be carefully crafted.

So instead of an average-looking upstairs porch with simple railings, the porch had "large oval openings and other decorative features,'' states the 1984 application to the national register.

The report is nearly as ornamental as the house. Excerpts include:

"An apron screen of fine turnings and sawn brackets decorate the eaves.''

"The upper porch is built into the corner of the structure and features an elaborate screen of scrollwork and turnings arranged around a circular reveal on both the northern and western exposures.''

"An unusual feature of the front facade is the small roof turret above the second-story porch.''

"The sides of the conical-roof turret contain stained glass panels ...''

"According to local tradition, the turret is lit by a hanging lantern when the Richards family received guests. The glasswork remains intact ...''

"... A short hall that terminates in a grand, open-well, four-run stair. The staircase is finely crafted in cherry, chestnut, mahogany, and red gum.''

"The hall is dominated by a massive turned cherry post which doubles as a newel post and as a support for the upper hall floor.''

Even the home's early residents had historical significance to Memphis. Built in 1889-90 as one of the first houses in the George Peabody Subdivision (later known as Estival Park), owner Newton C. Richards (1854-1934) would become influential within the Memphis cotton industry, the application states. He served as president of the Memphis Cotton Exchange in 1902-04.

His son, Mather T. Richards (1892-1975), was born in the house and continued living there after his father's death. He, too, became president of the cotton exchange in 1948-49.

A more well-known name is linked to the house.

"The qualities of planning and craftsmanship evident in the Richards House indicate employment of a skilled architect to design and construct the building,'' the application states. "Though the architect for the structure has not been conclusively identified, the design is attributed to Robert Brinkley Snowden (1869-1942). Snowden is well known for his contributions to the design and development of residential and commercial architecture in the city of Memphis, most notably that of his own residence, Ashlar Hall, built in 1896,'' the application states.

Newton Richards paid $6,500 for the house and land in 1890.

Local government does not have adequate systems in place to prevent the loss of historic buildings that are blighted, said June West, executive director of the historic preservation organization Memphis Heritage.

A few years ago the nonprofit tried to partner with others to restore the house on Peabody, but the effort suffered several setbacks and ended after the Shelby County Land Bank claimed ownership, West said.

Meanwhile, Memphis Heritage has raised $1 million toward a $3 million New Century Fund, which will be used for grants to help restore important buildings, West said.