Woodruff-Fontaine House stands among ancient magnolia trees along "Millionaires Row" in Memphis, Tennessee. This three-story French Victorian mansion was built in 1870.  The Gingerbread Playhouse, behind the Fontaine House, was built in the 1890s by John W. Handwerker, a pharmacist, for his children. The outdoor playhouse was modeled after the stables which also stood on the property. The Victorian playhouse was enlarged with additions in 1904 and 1929.  Today the renovated outdoor playhouse is available to host children's birthday parties.

Architectural Plans of Playhouse

In 1972 the Historic American Buildings survey in co-operation with the Tennessee Historical Commission and the West Tennessee Historical Society measured and drew architectural plans of the Gingerbread Playhouse. Photographs of the outdoor playhouse and the architectural drawings can be found at the Built in America collection of the Library of Congress.

[Images: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey or Historic American Engineering Record, Reproduction Number: HABS,TN-169-3]