Court Square, the park you have reached, is the oldest public park in Memphis and one of the oldest in Tennessee, established when the city was founded in 1819. The founders of Memphis — John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson — laid out the city on a grid that reserved this square as a public common, a gesture toward civic idealism that echoed the traditions of the New England town green and the Spanish colonial plaza. For two centuries, Court Square has been the literal and symbolic center of the city.
It has hosted political rallies, executions, markets, concerts, and ordinary lunch breaks. The Hebe Fountain at the center, featuring a bronze goddess of youth, was installed in 1876 and has become one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Surrounding the square are some of Downtown Memphis's most important buildings — banks, law offices, and the old Cotton Exchange.
In 1862, Union soldiers marched into Memphis without a fight and raised the American flag at this square, ending Confederate control of the city. Court Square has watched Memphis become everything it has been.