***PLEASE NOTE: We had special permission to be here. 100 N Main is private property, it’s locked up, patrolled, and has cameras and motion sensors. We will not share contact info or provide assistance getting in. Please don’t ask 🙂 ***
Looking out across the Memphis skyline, it’s hard to miss the tallest building in the city: 100 North Main. The history of this iconic skyscraper spans over half a century and often mirrors the changes and struggles faced by downtown Memphis, Tennessee.
100 North Main was built in 1965 by developer Harry Bloomfield, who wanted to create a modern office tower that would reflect Memphis’ economic growth and progress. He hired architect Robert Lee Hall, who had designed other notable buildings in Memphis, such as the Mid-South Coliseum and the Clark Tower. The building had 37 floors of office space and a 38th floor that housed a revolving restaurant called The Top of the 100, which offered panoramic views of the city and the Mississippi River. The building also featured a Japanese rock garden on the roof of the 37th floor, adding a touch of elegance and tranquility.
100 N Main was a symbol of Memphis’ prosperity and innovation in the 1960s and 1970s. It attracted many tenants from various fields, such as attorneys, title companies, accountants, engineers, and government agencies.
The building sported a gigantic illuminated UP BANK sign on top of the building for many years, advertising for the Union Planters Bank who had a branch in the lower floors, and headquarters down the street.
It also hosted many events and functions at its restaurant and banquet hall, such as weddings, parties, meetings, and concerts. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Scott Corbitt, one of the readers of this blog, reached out and shared his family’s personal connection to 100 N. Main; his mother, Miss Sarah Ann Waddell, was a former employee of 100 North Main. Specifically, she was known as “Miss 100” or “Miss Information” and her “8-hour smile” was the first thing that greeted visitors when they entered the building. When she was 21, she worked at the information desk and assisted visitors with navigating the building, directing package deliveries, as well as being the friendly smiling face of 100 North Main. The picture and newspaper article are from a Commercial Appeal article and were provided by and shared with Scott’s permission.
As downtown Memphis experienced economic decline and urban decay in the 1980s and 1990s, many tenants left the building for newer and cheaper locations in the suburbs or other cities. The building’s revolving restaurant closed in 2001 due to lack of customers and revenue. The building’s occupancy rate dropped to as low as 30% in 2012, making it difficult for the owners to pay for its expenses and debts.
In 2013, the building was sold for $5 million to a new owner who planned to convert it into apartments and a hotel. However, those plans never materialized, and the building remained vacant and deteriorating. In 2015, the building was condemned by the city for safety violations, such as falling concrete chunks, broken elevators, and faulty fire systems.
Today, 100 North Main is still standing empty and fenced off, awaiting a new future. Several developers have expressed interest in renovating the building. Billy Orgel and his partners, who recently saved and revitalized the Tennessee Brewery (and other historic buildings around town), have put in proposals to the Downtown Memphis Commission in hopes of getting a green light from the city to begin a similar revitalization of 100 N. Main. If the project moves forward, it would be a massive development including apartments, a hotel, office space, as well as retail and restaurants. The 100 N. Main Development Partners are Kevin Woods, Billy Orgel, Jay Lindy, Adam Slovis, and Michael McLaughlin.
My time shooting/exploring 100 N. Main:
I was able to get special permission to enter and photograph 100 N. Main in April of 2022. I spent two full days shooting there, but even so, I was not able to explore every nook and cranny. The ground floor was extremely dark as most of the entrances and windows were completely boarded up. I spent a long time doing long exposures of the elevator banks, escalators, and hallways.
There was no electricity and obviously the elevators were not running. Accessing the 37 floors above me consisted of a long, slow trudge up the unlit interior stairwell. After two years of working on my Covid-body and carrying all my camera gear on my back, I was in rough shape when I reached the top. I emerged from the stagnant gloom of the stairwell into a rush of cold spring air and was welcomed by what might very well be the best view in downtown Memphis.
The former restaurant, The Top of 100, sported a circular 360-degree view with floor-to-ceiling windows which now laid broken and shattered on the floor. The restaurant, which could seat 125 people, could be rotated a full 360-degrees every 90 minutes, giving diners an ever-changing view during their meal. Today, however, a cold breeze swept through the shattered windowpanes and swirled around the remaining debris and broken glass on the floor.
Standing still, and taking in the amazing view, I could clearly hear the sounds of downtown Memphis, echoing off neighboring buildings creating an auditory illusion that made them sound extremely close to me. The sounds of people talking as if they were just across the street from me, the trolley dinging and clanging down the street, and the thrumming of a helicopter circling the city around me at eye level. It was a very strange feeling standing up there alone, listening to the everyday sounds of the city below, knowing that (except for that helicopter) I was higher than everyone else in the city. It was exhilarating and peaceful at the same time.
I took my time shooting photos and video at the top, knowing how hard I had worked to get up there, but also knowing that the rest of the two days ahead of me would be spent exploring the dark, claustrophobic, mold-filled hallways of the slumbering behemoth below me. When I had my fill of the epic view, I took one last deep breath of fresh air, slipped on a mask, and delved back into the vast unknown of the building below.
I hadn’t descended far when I came upon the remains of the Tennessee Club. This was once a health club, with massage rooms, and saunas. It also had a large dance floor and event space, with a cocktail lounge and billiard room. A smattering of chairs and a billiards table were about all that was left of the club.
I poked my head into a dark corner and found the top control room for the elevator motors and systems.
I slowly worked my way back down the stairs, stopping on most floors to venture out and see if there was anything of interest. Most floors were desolate empty shells of former office spaces, devoid of anything of interest. Some floors had been used by the Memphis Police Department and SWAT for training exercises as evidenced by the sometimes creepy (but mostly hilarious) posters hung in dark rooms and around corners, depicting stereotypical criminals and kidnappers with hairdos and fashion from the 1980s, and others depicting innocents and civilians. Presumably these were used for tactics training and room/floor clearing methods. Even after seeing these a few times, it was still jarring to walk around a corner and come face to face with an eye-level life-size cutout of a person holding a gun out at you!
The 34th floor had the remains of a former law firm.
One room still had hundreds of books and conference tables. It was abundantly clear that this room had a decent sized fire at one point. Much of the drop ceiling had been burnt out, windows were busted out, and the flooring had scorch marks all over it. After I returned home I found an article that said back in 2017, firefighters had to climb 34 stories to put out the blaze which was intentionally set. The fire department responded and had made it up there and extinguished the fire within about 40 minutes, which is impressive to say the least!
I continued to descend and explore the lower floors and found a former dentist’s office with some chairs and equipment left behind.
The first and second floors had been open to the public during operation. Two escalators flanked the marble lined lobby at the former Main St. entrance.
On the ground floor was the old Tennessee Bank, and the vestiges of a sandwich or fast-food shop. At the end of the ground floor was a bank of inoperative elevators. The marble walls, signage, and central kiosk left the impression that this was a nice place in its heyday. Maybe not fancy, but definitely a step-up from ordinary.
Up the escalators were a former hair salon, another law firm with conference rooms and books, a former cafeteria and deli, more office spaces, and several locked up exits that emptied out into the building’s multi-story ample parking garage.
All in all, I spent two full days shooting and exploring at 100. North Main. There was surely much more to discover in this monstrosity, but after 15 hours hauling my gear up and down almost 40 stories in the dark, two days was more than enough for me!
We moved to Memphis in 1986, and one big topic of conversation was that we were overdue for the next BIG Earthquake. My Mom came to visit from Texas and we took her to lunch at the revolving restaurant for the wonderous 360-degree view of Memphis. As the restaurant slowly revolved with a very gentle bit of motion, my Mom asked me if we felt it and was this was the earthquake starting to happen. HA! We enjoyed some wonderful meals and sights up there while it was still open. Loved your photos and commentary!
Great photos and content. Thanks.
I recently bought a silk clutch purse at a local antique store in Memphis. Tucked in the interior pocket was a 1965 membership card for the Top of the 100 Club for Mrs Courtney Lewis, Jr. I cannot find any info/obit online for her. This was a fascinating article and your pics were amazing!
All your photographs are wonderful. They brought tears to my eyes! I worked for an insurance company on the 21st floor from 1969 to 1974. We brought small TV’s to work & watched the moon landing on July 20, 1969. It was elegant – just fabulous! We would take breaks & go to the Top of the 100 for coffee, & went back after work for drinks & Happy Hour for the spread of good food. My 20th Anniversary Celebration with the company in 1990 was at Diane’s at the top. The 360 view at the top was unsurpassed! I’m so glad I worked there & it’s so sad to see it abandoned & decaying. Your photography brought back lots of good memories! Thank you.
Thank you Carolyn! I’m so glad you enjoyed the images and that it brought back memories. Thanks for sharing your connections to 100 N Main!
I worked for Apperson, Crump, Duzane & MAXWELL on the 26th floor for 12 years back in the 70s and 80s. I have so many happy memories of those days, and when they moved to One Commerce Square, it was just never the same. No more watching bands out the windows, no more revolving restaurant on the roof for lunch, no more services in the building like we had at 100 North Main. Those were the days.
A once beautiful building that is slowly decaying. There is so much of the interior that could be taken out and used elsewhere, architecture as well as furnishings. Surely someone will rescue items before it decays.
Thank you for documenting this. Beautiful pictures, but sad to see icons of our city’s history fall into ruin. I have wonderful memories of eating at the restaurant. You remind me of our family friend the late Don Newman who had a wonderful collection of photos of Memphis, now housed at Memphis Heritage. I remember my Dad accompanying him on some of his photos shoots and mentioned lugging the heavy equipment…that was in the old days when cameras were huge! Thank you again for going to the effort to document this…what dedication to climb all those stairs with your equipment! God bless you in your efforts.
Thank you for the kind words! It’s a tremendous honor to even be in the same sentence as Don Newman. I’ve seen his work frequently at Memphis Heritage’s Howard Hall. I have worked with them over the last 10 years, documenting endangered historic places around the area. Very glad you enjoyed my work, and thanks again 🙂
As a structural draftsman for Ellers & Reaves Consulting Engineers I made many trips riding the construction rickety elevator up the outside of the structure. The purpose was to inspect the reinforcing steel prior to the placing the concrete. It was a scary experience.
I wandered into 100 N. Main when it was under construction. Probably 1963 or ‘64. Literally just walked in off the street. I entered one of the elevators and punched the highest floor. It took me to the floor where you had to change elevators to get to the top. As I stepped off, I was confronted by a man who asked what I was doing there. “Just curious “ I answered. He said OK and asked if I would like to go to the roof. As it turned out, he was the elevator mechanic. We continued up to the roof, looked around, then he asked if I would like to see how the elevators worked. So, I followed him into the elevator equipment room. Your photos are exactly as I remembered it, now 60 years ago. He patiently explained how the elevators worked, then escorted me back down to the street level and suggested that it probably wasn’t a good idea for me to be in a construction site. I don’t think a teenager would get the same treatment in today’s world.
Ha! What a great story, and awesome experience! Thanks for sharing 🙂
So many memories of this building and some delicious dinners in the revolving restaurant! Certainly hope it will gets its restoration. Great pictures and wonderful commentary! Thanks for the tour!
Went to Dr. Walington a dentist there. Harry Bloomfield was the Uncle of Joy Katzen, my children went to school with. She told the funniest story if going up there as a teenager for lunch & swimming and a visit with her uncle. She & a friend on the roof saw a horrible twister & storm headed across the river they dropped down behind the wall. Have always loved this building, so thankful to have those who know how important it to retain our Memphis History. Thank you Sir for all the photos!
The 80’s and 90’s equaled growth for downtown. The 1970’s where we’re downtown started shrinking.
Other than that point, these are INCREDIBLE images. They combine art with history with photos of record. By far the best pictures of Memphis’ tallest building.
I spent 2 summers in the 90’s working in 1 of the pictured cubicles with a view of the Fire Museum (the pic above the brown recliner in the parking garage. The cafeteria was the Epicurian and was terrible. I used to climb the 37 stories in that stairwell for 3 times a day exercise.
It’s surreal seeing it like this now.
Thank you for sharing.. what a grand mid century building..I remember the restaurant as teenager..parents took me for a treat and also visited the offices in past.. such a sad story
took a lot of service calls in this building while working for Pitney Bowes
Hey I remember your name! I guess my dad did too then. (John Shockley) .. also I hear we live in the same neighborhood now ☺️
My Dad, Charles R. Boydstun, was president of the Tennessee Club when they designed and moved to this building. I spent many a Friday lunch sipping on a fine Bloody Mary and eating a Rubin at that long bar. Every section of the club was walled with different hardwoods. Dad had his wholesale lumber business, Boydstun Lumber Company in the Fall Building. I worked for him for a while after I got back from the Navy and Vietnam. Many of the members of the Tennessee Club were also members of The Lumberman’s Club, hence all the hardwood decor. I remember one area was paneled in blue Cottonwood, lumber cut from 100 year old submerged Cottonwood logs yielding blue streaks through the grain. The Tennessee Club’s dining room was full of the who’s who of the mid-south back then. I met many, everyone from Charlie Black the DA, to lawyers, judges, and corporate presidents but mostly I sat at the bar and talked to the bartender. After a while I chose to wander up and down Main and get lunch there then check out what’s happening at court square or on the river front.
Thanks for sharing! Very cool connection there. Lots of memories!
Thanks for taking on this cool project! I lived across the street and had a view of the building in 2015; such a shame it has continued in disrepair.
Awesome story and pictures. I have great memories there. If going to the top you had to change elevators at some point to get to the higher floors. That little restaurant (not the top floor), had the best breakfast.
Thank you for this!!! I’ve always wondered after hearing about it for years!!! Magnificent work!!!
This is amazing! I could feel everything in these photos! Oh, if I were rich I’d buy it and renovate it in a heartbeat. Thanks for sharing!
Some memories here. Worked at 23rd floor law firm in 1974. I loved working downtown then. Thanks for the glimpse
Was the restaurant later a bar in the early 80’s?
Yes I believe so, It went through different names. “Top of 100” is the one I was able to find. But locals may know it by other names over the years.
When I worked in the building (1979 to 1984) the revolving restaurant was called Diane’s and was where I had one of my earliest dates with my husband.
I remember one of the restaurants at the top was called Diane’s. I’m thinking it was only open at lunch. The views while eating there were something I had never experienced before. I think it’s where I discovered my love if heights. My mom took me there several times as a teenager for a special lunch. Good memories.
Thank you for this! I’m interested in exploring abandoned buildings, knowing the history, etc. It’s nice to have people that have the time, funds, equipment, etc for it.
Thank you for capturing this moment in time! I’m sure all of my fellow realtors and realtist enjoy the physical and emotional deep dive.
– Your YRD President
My cousins and I had swimming lessons at the Top of the Hundred in the late 60s. My best guess is that the small pool with retractable glass roof was converted into the Japanese rock garden at some point? The parking garage spiral ramp was more fun than a ride at 6 flags in Granddaddy’s Firebird convertible! The Tennessee Club was not always in that building. When I got married and had my wedding reception there it was in the nearby First Tennessee building where my dad had his law offices. I’m so glad they’re finally reviving some of these old buildings.
I have admired your work for many years since introduced by my daughter, Kyra Rice (now Duffley), at a gallery in Charleston, SC. Thanks for recording these old places for posterity.
This is so cool! Thank you especially for giving us the view from the top, although none of it failed to fascinate. Hard to conceive … I’m sure “bargain” does not do justice to $5m purchase price, but truly can’t conceive what it would take to fix it up. Hope someone w vision and plenty of money will save it.
This is impressive work, and obviously your passion. It’s important to catalogue these buildings for future reference- thank you.
I thought it was the Union Planters Bank building at one point…
yep! You are correct. Used to have the big UP BANK sign at the top. I’ll try to get a historic pic of the sign and add that to the blog since I did not mention it. Thanks! 🙂
It was in the mid sixties. I worked at UP Bank after I graduated in 1966. It was called the Union Planters Bank Building at that time.
A very interesting peek inside and enjoyable commentary- thank you for sharing!
My pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to check it out 🙂
I really enjoyed the “tour”. I’m always surprised at the items left behind. Thanks for another interesting blog post.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Great write-up. Gorgeous photos. You are an amazing photog + and urban anthropologist.
Thanks for the kind words Jen!! Glad you enjoyed 🙂