A once-vacant high school building in Memphis has been transformed into a hub for historical discovery. In April 2024, the Orange Mound Library and Genealogy Center opened its doors inside the former Melrose High School, a place rich with community significance. Now, it’s helping residents reconnect with their family roots.
After sitting empty for over 40 years, the historic school building received a $17 million renovation. The result is a modern library featuring Memphis’s only dedicated genealogy center. The opening drew a large crowd from Orange Mound and surrounding neighborhoods, marking a major step forward for family history access in the city.
The Genealogy Center offers free access to Ancestry Library Edition, local archives, oral histories, and digitized collections. Visitors can research their ancestors, scan old family photos, and build detailed family trees. It also provides workshops to guide people through historical records and teach methods for preserving personal documents.
Orange Mound holds a special place in Black history. It was one of the first neighborhoods in the U.S. built by and for African Americans.
Now, this genealogy center allows residents to explore the legacies of those who helped shape the community. In an interview with Local Memphis, genealogy librarian Deborah Bingham explained that it’s about “celebrating heritage” and creating “a sense of belonging through history.”
Earlier this year, the center received a Community Impact Award from the Memphis Business Journal for its role in reviving the neighborhood and providing accessible research tools. Whether you’re diving into historical collections, mapping out your ancestors’ migration patterns, or simply discovering a forgotten photo, the Orange Mound Library has become a local treasure.
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As a passionate Historian, Jean Graugnard applauds the efforts behind the Orange Mound Genealogy Center. He believes community-based projects like this play a powerful role in preserving Family History and making ancestry research more accessible. Jean has long been dedicated to highlighting stories that reflect the importance of Ancestry work across the American South and beyond.
Whether in Tennessee, Georgia, or Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, resources like these help more families reclaim their histories.
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