Greene-Marston House
Encyclopedia
The Greene-Marston House, commonly known as Termite Hall, is a historic house in Mobile
, Alabama
, United States
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 11, 1983, due to its architectural significance.
structure in 1903, incorporating the earlier house into the main block as a wing. The house was remodeled again in 1910 by William Syson.
The house was sold to Regina DeMouy Rapier in 1919, after the DeMouy house was destroyed in a fire. Many of her DeMouy, Rapier, and Marston relatives lived in the house during this period. The house gained its name in the early twentieth century from an incident involving the Marston sisters, Adelaide and Eleanor. Family tradition maintains that one evening the children were sitting on a porch rail, and when they got up the rail disintegrated before their eyes. It was discovered that the porch had been infested with termite
s.
The Greene-Marston House became locally renowned as a literary gathering place during the tenancy of Adelaide Caroline Marston Trigg. In 1941 she co-founded Mobile's The Haunted Book Shop. The bookstore became a literary fixture that attracted the likes of Harper Lee
, Thomas Mann
, Eugene Walter
and William March
. Several years after selling her interest in The Haunted Book Shop, she operated Far Corners Book Search out of the house.
Adelaide and sister Eleanor were close friends with Eugene Walter. He was renowned as an author, poet, gourmet chef, translator, and friend of Federico Fellini
. Walter lived with them on several occasions and featured the house in his 1982 cookbook, Delectable Dishes From Termite Hall.
Adelaide Trigg died in 2008 a the age of 89. The novel, In the Hope of Rising Again, was written by Trigg's granddaughter, Helen Scully, and is set in the house. The house has remained in the Marston-Trigg family.
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...
. It was added to 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 January 11, 1983, due to its architectural significance.
History
The Greene-Marston House began circa 1851 with a one-and-a-half-story cottage, built by the Greene family. Martin Van Heuval built a much larger two-and-a-half-story Late VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
structure in 1903, incorporating the earlier house into the main block as a wing. The house was remodeled again in 1910 by William Syson.
The house was sold to Regina DeMouy Rapier in 1919, after the DeMouy house was destroyed in a fire. Many of her DeMouy, Rapier, and Marston relatives lived in the house during this period. The house gained its name in the early twentieth century from an incident involving the Marston sisters, Adelaide and Eleanor. Family tradition maintains that one evening the children were sitting on a porch rail, and when they got up the rail disintegrated before their eyes. It was discovered that the porch had been infested with termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s.
The Greene-Marston House became locally renowned as a literary gathering place during the tenancy of Adelaide Caroline Marston Trigg. In 1941 she co-founded Mobile's The Haunted Book Shop. The bookstore became a literary fixture that attracted the likes of Harper Lee
Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
, Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
, Eugene Walter
Eugene Walter
Eugene Ferdinand Walter, Jr. was an American screenwriter, poet, short-story author, actor, puppeteer, gourmet chef, cryptographer, translator, editor, costume designer and well-known raconteur. During his years in Paris, he was nicknamed Tum-te-tum...
and William March
William March
William March was an American author and a highly decorated US Marine. The author of six novels and four short-story collections, March was praised by critics and heralded as "the unrecognized genius of our time", without attaining popular appeal until after his death.March grew up in rural...
. Several years after selling her interest in The Haunted Book Shop, she operated Far Corners Book Search out of the house.
Adelaide and sister Eleanor were close friends with Eugene Walter. He was renowned as an author, poet, gourmet chef, translator, and friend of Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
. Walter lived with them on several occasions and featured the house in his 1982 cookbook, Delectable Dishes From Termite Hall.
Adelaide Trigg died in 2008 a the age of 89. The novel, In the Hope of Rising Again, was written by Trigg's granddaughter, Helen Scully, and is set in the house. The house has remained in the Marston-Trigg family.