The Gates-Daves House, also known as The Daves Place, is a historic residence in Mobile

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The one-story structure was built in 1841 with a Creole

Louisiana Creole people

Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...

 architectural influence, the best remaining example of its type in Mobile. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 on June 20, 1974, due to its architectural significance.

History

The Gates-Daves House stands on a portion of a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 land grant deeded to Antonio Espejo during Mobile's colonial period. In 1841 the property was purchased by Hezekiah Gates from Charles Dellinger for $3500, local tradition maintains that the house was constructed that same year. Gates then sold the house to Camellia Bull in 1850 and she in turn sold to Thomas K. Daves in 1856.

Architectural characteristics

The house is a wood-frame structure on low brick piers. It originally comprised a main block measuring 57 feet (17.4 m) wide and 27 feet (8.2 m) deep, with projecting rear wings. The rear portion was remodeled in the 20th century. The unaltered front portion features a seven bay

Bay (architecture)

A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...

 facade with French doors set into each bay, the central door is surrounded by sidelight

Sidelight

A sidelight is a window, usually with a vertical emphasis, that flanks a door. Sidelights are narrow, usually stationary and found immediately adjacent doorways...

s and a transom

Transom (architectural)

In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...

window.