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”The Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of The Peabody Hotel and ends on Catfish Row in
Vicksburg. The Peabody is the Paris Ritz, the Cairo Shepherd's, the London Savoy of this
section. If you stand near its fountain in the middle of the lobby... ultimately you will see
everybody who is anybody in the Delta...“
-- Author/Historian David Cohn, 1935.
The Peabody Hotel is a Mid-South institution, its name considered synonymous with Southern
hospitality and Delta style. The 13-story hotel is an excellent example of Italian Renaissance
Revival architecture and is Memphis' only historic hotel.
The original Peabody was built by Colonel Robert C. Brinkley in 1869. Just prior to its opening,
Brinkley received news of the death of his good friend, philanthropist George Peabody. As a sign
of respect for Peabody, who endowed George Peabody College in Nashville and contributed much to
the disadvantaged South, the new hotel was named The Peabody.
The original hotel was built at the corner of Main and Monroe in downtown Memphis and was
considered one of the finest in the South. It had 75 rooms with private baths, a ballroom,
saloon and lobby. It cost $3 to $4 a day for a room and meals, extra for a fire or gas light.
Colonel Brinkley gave The Peabody to his daughter, Anne Overton Brinkley, as a wedding gift when
she married Robert Bogardus Snowden near the end of 1869. For 96 years, the Snowden heirs would
be connected directly or indirectly with the affairs of the hotel.
Lavish balls were held at The Peabody. It was the place to see and be seen. The original Peabody
was host to such notables as Presidents Andrew Johnson and William McKinley and Confederate
Generals Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jubal Early. Plantation owners, professional
gamblers and movie stars frequented The Peabody.
The Peabody continued to enjoy success until it closed in 1923. In 1925, a $5 million Peabody,
designed by architect Walter Ahlschlager, opened at its present downtown Memphis location on
Union Avenue. At this point, ownership had passed into the hands of the Memphis Hotel Company,
controlled by R. Brinkley Snowden, great-grandson of the original builder.
In the 1930s, General Manager Frank Schutt began a Peabody tradition that continues today.
Returning from a weekend hunting trip in Arkansas, Schutt and his friends thought it would be
humorous to leave some of their live duck decoys, which were legal at the time, in the beautiful
Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were placed in the fountain, to the delight of
hotel guests. Since then, ducks have been in the fountain every day. In 1940, Bellman Edward
Pembroke, formerly a circus animal trainer, volunteered to care for the ducks and taught them to
march into the Lobby – initiating the famous Peabody Duck March. The late Mr. Pembroke was named
Duckmaster and served in that position until 1991. The Peabody Duck March has become a tradition
that has made the hotel famous.
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The Peabody played a role in the musical history of Memphis as well. Blues musicians like Furry
Lewis, Frank Stokes and Tommy Johnson all made their first recordings in rooms at the Peabody in
the late '20s and early '30s, playing for talent scouts from big record labels like Vocalion and
Paramount. One of just three national live radio broadcast sites during the 1930s and 40s, the
Skyway and adjoining Plantation Roof of The Peabody were the undisputed attractions for big band
dancers. Entertainers such as Tommy Dorsey, Paul Whiteman, Harry James and Smith Ballew appeared
regularly in the Skyway.
The Peabody became the hub of Mid-South social and business activities. In addition to guest
rooms and apartments, the hotel offered space for 40 shops and offices, including the headquarters
of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary, Kiwanis, and Civilian Clubs. Cotton was "King," and
Memphians were in high spirits.
In the 1970s, downtown Memphis, like many urban areas, experienced a social and economic decline.
Businesses, shoppers and retailers soon left the area, causing all of downtown to suffer. After
several fires and changes in ownership, The Peabody closed
On August 1, 1975, The Peabody was purchased by Belz Enterprises, spearheading downtown
redevelopment. After a six-year, $25 million renovation, The Peabody reopened on September 1,
1981. Its restoration and reopening were greeted with enthusiasm, quickly restoring The Peabody
to its rightful place in Memphis society.
The Peabody remains the hub for downtown activity, both business and social. It retains its
status as the most popular place in Memphis for weddings, debutante balls, proms, bar mitzvahs,
charitable events and annual celebrations including the Cotton Carnival and Memphis in May. Many
important business deals have been sealed over lunch or breakfast in the hotel’s restaurants. And
all summer long, Memphians enjoy amazing views of the Mississippi River at the Peabody Rooftop
Parties and socialize in the Grand Lobby Bar, which Esquire magazine named “One of the Ten Best
Watering Holes in America.” Even celebrities continue to seek The Peabody as their place to stay
during a Memphis visit.
Today guest rooms at The Peabody number 464 and are still held at a premium. Fifteen suites have
recently been renovated and a complete renovation of all guestrooms was completed on December 1,
2005. In addition, corridor refurbishments, digital elevators, a new custom Lobby Bar and the
complete redecoration of the Peabody Grand Lobby have all taken place in the last few years.
Timeline
1869 The original Peabody Hotel is built by Colonel Robert C. Brinkley at the corner of Main and
Monroe in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, at a cost of $60,000. It is named for the late
philanthropist George Peabody.
1923 The original hotel closes.
1925 On September 1, a new $5 million Peabody Hotel opens at its present location on Union Avenue,
offering 625 guest rooms and space for 40 shops and offices.
1930s General Manager Frank Schutt initiates the first phase of the famous Peabody Duck March by
placing live hunting decoys in the Lobby fountain.
1930s-40s The Peabody Hotel becomes the site of one of three national live radio broadcasts,
which made the Skyway and adjoining Plantation Roof undisputed attractions for big band dancers.
1940 Edward Pembroke, originally hired as a bellman, volunteers to care for the Peabody Ducks
and is eventually appointed as the official Duckmaster. Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer,
teaches the ducks the famous Peabody Duck March.
1968 Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, marking the
beginning of downtown social and economic decline.
1975 The Peabody is purchased by Belz Enterprises.
1981 The Peabody Hotel reopens on September 1, marking the beginning of a downtown renaissance for
Memphis.
1984 The Peabody is awarded the Mobil Four-Star rating. The Peabody is also inducted into the
prestigious Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Association.
1993 Paramount Pictures releases “The Firm” starring Tom Cruise and based on the best-selling
novel by John Grisham. The Peabody served as the setting for several scenes in both the book and
the movie.
1994 Edward Pembroke dies. Pembroke served as hotel Duckmaster for more than 50 years. A hotel
suite is named in his honor and his portrait is hung in the Grand Lobby.
1995 The newly refurbished Skyway Ballroom, on the roof of The Peabody, reopens.
1997 The Peabody receives Restaurants & Institutions’ Ivy Award for food service excellence. In
addition, Chez Philippe, the hotel’s signature gourmet restaurant, is refurbished.
1999 Chez Philippe receives AAA Four Diamond Award for the tenth year in a row.
2001 The Peabody Memphis is named among the “Top 100 Hotels in North America” in Travel +
Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.
2002 Capriccio Grill, The Corner Bar and Peabody Deli & Desserts open at The Peabody Memphis,
replacing the former Dux, Mallard’s and Café Expresso restaurants.
2002 Chez Philippe is recognized as one of the “Top 50 Hotel Restaurants” by Food & Wine
magazine.
2005 The Peabody Memphis completes a multi-million dollar, three-year restoration project that
includes renovation and redecoration of all 464 guestrooms and suites and the restoration of
historic meeting rooms and public spaces like the famous Grand Lobby and rooftop Skyway.
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