Born: 1798

Died: 1873

The name of Magevney is remembered in Memphis today for only one reason, the Magevney House.  This popular tourist attraction in Downtown Memphis' “Victorian Villiage“ was given to the city by Eugene Magevney's grand daughter in 1940 and totally restored by the city.  That fact alone does not mean the man was unsubstantial.

Eugene Magevney was born in County Fermanagh with the surname of McGivney.  Like many young Irish boys he wished to become a priest, but later decided he was more constitutionally dispositioned towards teaching.

He arrived in Memphis in 1833 when the city was but 14 years old.  The city had no public education program, but Magevney was allowed to use a small log house in Court Square that had been used as a school house once before.  There was little interest in teaching girls or poor children, but many of the city's more well-heeled residents were glad to have local education for their children.  One problem from the start was that some parents wished to pay “in kind“.  This is the practice of paying with something other than money.  In this case it was land, lots and lots of cheap land.