Cordova

Cordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies east of Memphis, north of Germantown, south of Bartlett, and northwest of Collierville at an elevation of 361 feet (110 meters) The majority of Cordova has been annexed by the City of Memphis. The boundaries of the Cordova community are inexact, but are generally regarded as the Wolf River on the south, Whitten Road on the west, Interstate 40 on the north, and Pisgah road on the east. The Old Cordova Area is centered on Macon and Sanga Roads, 3 miles east of Germantsown Road. The Wolfchase Area is not actually a part of cordova, but is often referred to as part of the cordova area by association. An important ammunition plant was near Cordova and was served by the railroad during World War II. An extension of the Shelby Farms Greenline was completed to the old railroad station in 2016 with future plans to extend it to Houston Levee Road. In 2012, the South Cordova area was annexed by Memphis, and de-annexed in early 2021. The Rocky Point area is centered north of Walnut Grove Road between Forest Hill and Rocky Point Road and is the largest retail center in unincorporated Shelby County outside of the Memphis city limits. Today the majority of the growth along the Wolfchases Galleria shopping mall is along Houston Leavee Road, which at the time was the largest shopping center in Memphis.

Early history

Cordova was a farming village east of Memphis with fewer than a dozen farms when it was founded in 1835. Originally, it was known as Allentown, then Marysville, then Dexter. In 1900, the name was changed to Cordova. Cordova was renowned for the freshly cut flowers that were shipped to Memphis, Tennessee, thus the town's motto was "Farms, Flowers and Fellowship" The town most likely changed its name to "cordova" so not to be confused with another town named Dexter that was located on the same NC&St.L railroad line that ran through town. The town is now a suburb of Memphis and is home to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a Division of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Tennessee Tech University of Science and Technology. The city's motto is "Farming, Flowers, and Fellowship", which is a reference to its reputation as a destination for fresh cut flowers. It is also known as "The Flower Capital of the World" because of its reputation for producing fresh flowers and sending them to Memphis for shipment to the U.S. market. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town of Cordova, Tennessee. It was once known as the "Flower capital of the world" due to the large number of flowers that it produced and shipped to and from Memphis. It also had a post office, which was opened in 1888. The name of the post office was later changed to "Dexter".

Railroad heritage

Cordova was one of the many small railroad stops along the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway route to Memphis, Tennessee. The original station which was built in 1889 is still standing. A train named the City of Memphis from Nashville to Memphis stopped at the former Cordova Railroad station. An important ammunition plant was near Cordova and was served by the railroad during World War II. In 2008, this section of railroad was removed. An extension of the Shelby Farms Greenline was completed to the old railroad station in 2016 with future plans to extend it to Houston Levee Road. The station has been sold to an individual who is renovating it so it can be utilized as a retail business. It is located on the corner of Macon Rd. and B St. in downtown Cordova. It has been closed to the public since the early 1990s and is now being used as a private residence. It was once home to the Cordova-Memphis Railroad, which was chartered in Tennessee on December 11, 1845. In March 1957 NC&StL was taken over by the L & N Railroad (Louisville and Nashville). Because of this, the rail line was considered redundant and the mileage between Cordova, Tennessee and Jackson, Tennessee was abandoned and later scrapped in 1968. The remaining section was therefore made a spur line for the L&N, and later the CSX until 2002, when it was taken out of service. It was removed from service in 2008.

Annexation

After a seven-year court challenge to the right of Memphis to annex, portions of Cordova were annexed into the Memphis City Council Second District. In 2012, the South Cordova area was annexed by Memphis, and de-annexed in early 2021. The Rocky Point area, which is part of cordova, is centered north of Walnut Grove Road between the alignment of Forest Hill and Rocky Point Road. On January 1, 2021, the area was de-Annexed by Memphis and the area returned to unincorporated status. In 2001, Memphis had plans to annex the area in 2001, but decided to put it on hold for unknown reasons. Memphis completed its annexation of the Cordova region with the subdivision of Rockcreek, along U.S. 64 to the Fayette County line, in 2012. In 2013, Memphis annexed the subdivisions and land developments of Countrywood (1995), Berryhill (1997), and South Cordovas (2001). In 2014, the city annexed the developments of Berryhill, Countrywood, and Countrywood Village. In 2015, the annexation of South Cordovan was completed. In 2016, the annexed areas of Berry Hill, Countrywoods, and South cordova were de- annexed by the city of Memphis. In 2017, the de- annexation was completed with the annexation and re-incorporation of the townships of Berry Hills, Berryville, and Berryville. In 2018, the City of Memphis annexed a new subdivision, Berryhill.

Today

Cordova grew from a quiet country farm hamlet with a population of 150 people in 1912 to one of the fastest growing neighborhoods of Memphis. Retail growth exploded in the late 1990s thanks to the Wolfchase Galleria shopping mall, which at the time was the largest retail center in unincorporated Shelby County outside of the Memphis city limits. The community is home of the Hope Presbyterian Church, a megachurch with average weekly attendance of over 7,500. The Cordova Branch Library started in one room at the old train depot on Macon Road before moving to the 1913 community center on Sanga Road. In 2004, the branch moved to its own building on Trinity Road. The area's Heartsong Church gained national attention for opening its doors and welcoming the local Muslim population. In 2010, the worshipers used this space during the month of Ramadan while the Memphis Islamic Center was being built. There were no protests, contrasting with other areas including the proposed Islamic center in New York, and mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. As of 2020, Cordova has aPopulation of 68,779. There are now over 1,226 businesses with over 19,400 employees working in Cordova. Cordova continues to preserve its past with a historic downtown which each year celebrates with an annual crafts fair and having its own Fourth of July parade. It is also home to the Bert Ferguson Community Center, which is the current site of community athletic fields and rooms, walking trail, banquet hall, and educational development.

Historic places

Cordova Community Center is a former school, Shelby county library with meeting rooms, and church. Walter Granville Allen House is an early 20th-century Colonial Revival private residence listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Sangie Cemetery is a very old cemetery dating back to the early 19th century. The Cordova Festival is held on grounds having last celebrated its 24th anniversary in September 2011. Cordova Station was a one room train station for the Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis railroad in downtown Cordova on Macon Road. It served as the Cordova Branch Library of the Memphis-Shelby County Library for more than 50 years until the library was moved to its current modern facilities. Cordova Museum is located in a replicate of an old school room in the center of the building. The annual Cordova festival is held in the grounds of the Community Center and is one of the oldest festivals in the state. It has been held for 24 years and is held every year in September. It is held at the same location as the original Cordova School, which was built in 1913. It was built during World War I and opened during the First World War. The cemetery is owned by a private family and is located near the corner of Walnut Grove Road (formerly Raleigh-LaGrange Road) and Sanga Road, the cemetery is very old, dating to the late 19th Century and early 1920s. The church is located on the same spot as the first Cordova Elementary School.

Education

Cordova is zoned to Shelby County Schools. Until the 2013 merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County schools, Cordova was divided between the two districts. Portions of Cordova are not part of the municipal school system of Germantown. Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (MABTS), in Cordova, is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for associates, bachelors, masters and doctors degrees in Divinity, Christian Education, Missiology, Christian Studies, Pastoral Ministries and Philosophy. Private schools include Briarcrest Christian School and First Assembly Christian School, K-12. Public schools include Dexter Elementary, Chimneyrock Elementary, Macon-Hall Elementary, St. Francis Catholic School, elementary and Huthchison School of Memphis, Pre-K to 12th grade.

Demographics

As of the 2010 Census, there were 78,138 people, 31,403 households, and 20,760 families living in the 38018 and 38016 zip codes which comprise Cordova. The area includes 33,515 housing units. The racial makeup of the area was 61.5% White, 29.2% African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.99% Asian,0.065% Pacific Islander, and 2.48% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.47% of the population. The median household income in zip code 38018 was $67,437 and the median income for a family was $82,319. The per capita income was $34,806 in 38018, and $32,590 in 38016. About 5% of families and about 6.9%. of the total population were below the poverty line, including about 10% of those under age 18 and about. 6% ofThose age 65 and over. The median age was 34.5 years, and the average household Income was $64,190. The average household Wealthy was $80,736, while the average Household Wealthiness was $50,000. The mean household Income in Cordova was $65,000 and the mean Household Wealthy is $60,000, and it is the highest in the state. The population of Cordova in 2010 was 78.138, with a median household Income of $67.437 and an average Household wealth of $80.736.

Recreation

Colonial Country Club in Cordova is a private golf club which formerly hosted the Memphis Open golf tournament. It received national attention for two occurrences during the 1977 event. First, President Gerald Ford hit a hole in one during the event's Pro-Am. Later, professional golfer Al Geiberger shot a record 59 at the event. It is now known as the Stanford St. Jude Championship. The club is located on the outskirts of Cordova, a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. It has a population of 2,000, with most of its members living in Knoxville. The golf course was built in the early 1900s. It was the site of the first golf tournament to be held in the U.S. in the late 1800s. The course was later used to host the PGA Championship in the 1950s and 1960s.