Elvis Presley's fame hasn't lasted for 50 years, but the head of the National Register of Historic Places decided the singer and his home had "exceptional significance."
Graceland, the home the king of rock 'n' roll bought in 1957, was named to the National Register of Historic Places on Thursday."It's very rare that a site is placed on the register when it's the home of famous person whose achievements are less than 50 years old," said George Berklacey, chief spokesman for the National Park Service.
The listing makes Graceland the first site on the register to honor anyone in rock 'n' roll.
Presley bought the two-story, neoclassical house on what is now Elvis Presley Boulevard in 1957 for $100,000. He died in the house on Aug. 16, 1977.
"I think that's kind of a validation of everything we've tried to do with Graceland," said Jack Soden, executive director of Elvis Presley Enterprises.
"We've said from the beginning we wanted the presentation of Graceland to be one of historical significance, that a guy who changed the world lived here."
But Soden said he had been gun shy about chasing the historic designation after the U.S. Postal Service rejected the idea of a Presley commemorative stamp. Instead, 22-year-old Jennifer Tucker of Memphis, who needed a project for her bachelor's degree in historic preservation, asked for the listing.