Bordello, bathhouse, Elvis lore. Memphis hotel has stories to tell
There is something fitting about a bar called The Dame opening its doors inside a building that has spent more than a century collecting stories. At 69 E. Pontotoc Ave., just off South Main Street in Downtown Memphis, the Hotel Pontotoc has never been an ordinary address. Built in 1906, the historic building has passed through a colorful succession of identities, including a bordello, a Turkish bathhouse and a nightclub. It also carries a particularly intriguing piece of Memphis lore: the rumor that Elvis Presley lost his virginity there in 1953. Naturally, this is the first question we asked the hotel and bar owner Joey Lewis. “That’s what I hear,” he said, with a laugh. “Dan Rather even reported on it once. You can find it on YouTube." DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS: State of Downtown talk highlights growth, upcoming projects in Memphis A building with a colorful past For the 42 years leading up to Lewis' plans for the property, the building had served as a private residence, with a family living there for decades. It was during this period, a few years back, that Lewis began imagining what the old building could become: his own boutique hotel and bar. First, there
