Malbis, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Malbis is an unincorporated settlement
in Baldwin County
, Alabama
, United States
. The community lies at the crossroads of U.S. 90
and Alabama State Route 181
just south of I-10
. Portions of the settlement are today within the city limits of Daphne
. The incorporated city of Loxley
lies to the east, and Spanish Fort
to the north.
Malbis is considered a community or populated place but is not identified in the United States Census
. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope
–Foley
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The Malbis Plantation was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places
in May 2011.
Known originally as the Malbis Plantation, the settlement was begun in 1906 by founder Jason Malbis. Malbis was a Greek
philanthropist
who was born in Doumena, Greece as Antonius Markopoulos. Malbis had been an Orthodox monk
before coming to the United States to investigate the condition of fellow Greeks who had immigrated to the US. He changed his name to Jason Malbis and came south.
While traveling through Alabama, Malbis became enamored with Baldwin County and purchased the land that would become the Greek colony. The community was populated for many years mostly by those either secular or religious Greek heritage. The Malbis Memorial Church
, a Greek Orthodox church was built by the settlers and still stands today.
The community once included a bakery, an ice plant, a plant nursery and many acres of farmland. During the peak of the colony's success its economy was largely based upon providing table food to nearby Mobile, Alabama
. Today much of the land has been sold for commercial development including a 500 acres (2 km²) soybean field which is today covered by a large retail shopping mall.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Baldwin County
Baldwin County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.7% White*9.4% Black*0.7% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*4.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, 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 community lies at the crossroads of U.S. 90
U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...
and Alabama State Route 181
Alabama State Route 181
State Route 181 is a long route in Baldwin County in the southwestern part of the state. The southern terminus of the route is at its junction with US-98 near Magnolia Springs...
just south of I-10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
. Portions of the settlement are today within the city limits of Daphne
Daphne, Alabama
Daphne is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. The city is located along I-10, 11 miles east of Mobile and 150 miles southwest of the state capital of Montgomery. The United States Census 2000 lists the population of the city as 16,581 making...
. The incorporated city of Loxley
Loxley, Alabama
Loxley is a town in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,348. It is part of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area...
lies to the east, and Spanish Fort
Spanish Fort, Alabama
Spanish Fort is a suburb of Mobile, Alabama in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The 2000 census lists the population of the city as 5,423. It is part of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area....
to the north.
Malbis is considered a community or populated place but is not identified in the United States Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope
Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, on a sloping plateau, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 16,176....
–Foley
Foley, Alabama
Foley is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States.The 2000 census lists the population of the city as 7,590.Foley is a principal city of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Baldwin County....
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The Malbis Plantation was inducted into 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...
in May 2011.
History
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
who was born in Doumena, Greece as Antonius Markopoulos. Malbis had been an Orthodox monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
before coming to the United States to investigate the condition of fellow Greeks who had immigrated to the US. He changed his name to Jason Malbis and came south.
While traveling through Alabama, Malbis became enamored with Baldwin County and purchased the land that would become the Greek colony. The community was populated for many years mostly by those either secular or religious Greek heritage. The Malbis Memorial Church
Malbis Memorial Church
Malbis Memorial Church, formally the Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of the Presentation of Theotokos, is a Greek Orthodox Church located in Malbis, Baldwin County, Alabama. Although not a part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, it is one of only roughly six Greek Orthodox...
, a Greek Orthodox church was built by the settlers and still stands today.
The community once included a bakery, an ice plant, a plant nursery and many acres of farmland. During the peak of the colony's success its economy was largely based upon providing table food to nearby Mobile, Alabama
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...
. Today much of the land has been sold for commercial development including a 500 acres (2 km²) soybean field which is today covered by a large retail shopping mall.