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Oakleigh Historic Complex (Mobile, Alabama)
Encyclopedia
Oakleigh is a historic house museum in Mobile
, Alabama
, United States
. It is the centerpiece of the Oakleigh Historic Complex, a grouping of buildings that contain a working-class raised cottage, a former slave quarters, and a modern archive
s building. The name for the estate comes from a combination of the word oak and the Anglo-Saxon
word lea, that means meadow. The complex is within the Oakleigh Garden Historic District
, the surrounding district and neighborhood being named after the estate.
. Also a dry goods merchant and cotton factor
, Roper chose this site for his house because of its valuable clay pit. He operated a Water Street brickyard
in downtown Mobile on the present-day site of the RSA Battle House Tower
. While building Oakleigh, Roper lost his first wife, Sarah Ann Davenport, and a child. He remarried in 1838 upon completion of Oakleigh, and went on to have 6 children with his second wife, Eliza Ann Simison.
The Panic of 1837
hit Roper and his business interests hard. After borrowing $20,000 to build the home, he was unable to pay back his loans, and the bank repossessed the home. Roper's brother-in-law, Boyd Simison, bought Oakleigh, half of the estate's acreage, and all but one of Roper's 18 slaves. He then allowed Roper and his family to live in the home rent-free until 1850. With his business interests failing, Roper followed his brother-in-law's example, becoming a lumber merchant and moving to New Orleans, Louisiana
in 1850.
Alfred Irwin, treasurer of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, purchased the house in 1851. During the American Civil War
his wife, Margaret Kilshaw Irwin, defended the home against Union soldiers by proclaiming the property neutral territory on account of her British citizenship and hanging the Union Jack
from the balcony. T.K. and Lee Fearn Irwin, their sons, were both veterans of the Civil War and gained local prominence in the late 1800s. Lee served as Mobile's assistant postmaster, president of the Cherokee Cotton Mills, and manager of the Mobile Oil Mills. His older brother T.K., once aide to Confederate president Jefferson Davis, went on to establish the Mobile Cotton Exchange and later became its president. T.K. married Mary Anna Ketchum. Much of their correspondence from the Civil War years and after remains on file at Oakleigh today. Oakleigh remained in the Irwin family until sold by Daisy Irwin Clisby, granddaughter of Alfred, in 1916.
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 is the centerpiece of the Oakleigh Historic Complex, a grouping of buildings that contain a working-class raised cottage, a former slave quarters, and a modern archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s building. The name for the estate comes from a combination of the word oak and the Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
word lea, that means meadow. The complex is within the Oakleigh Garden Historic District
Oakleigh Garden Historic District
The Oakleigh Garden Historic District is a historic district in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on 13 April 1972. It is centered on Washington Square and was originally bounded by Government, Marine, Texas, and Ann Streets...
, the surrounding district and neighborhood being named after the estate.
History
Oakleigh was built on 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) of woodland west of Mobile in 1833 by James W. Roper, a brick mason from James City County, VirginiaJames City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
. Also a dry goods merchant and cotton factor
Cotton factor
In the antebellum South, most cotton planters relied on cotton factors to sell their crops for them....
, Roper chose this site for his house because of its valuable clay pit. He operated a Water Street brickyard
Brickyard
A brickyard is a place or yard where the earthen building material called bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from.-See also:...
in downtown Mobile on the present-day site of the RSA Battle House Tower
RSA Battle House Tower
The RSA Battle House Tower is located in Mobile, Alabama and is Alabama's tallest building. The building is owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama . It is the tallest on the Gulf Coast of the United States outside of Houston. It replaces the Wells Fargo Tower in Birmingham as the tallest...
. While building Oakleigh, Roper lost his first wife, Sarah Ann Davenport, and a child. He remarried in 1838 upon completion of Oakleigh, and went on to have 6 children with his second wife, Eliza Ann Simison.
The Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
hit Roper and his business interests hard. After borrowing $20,000 to build the home, he was unable to pay back his loans, and the bank repossessed the home. Roper's brother-in-law, Boyd Simison, bought Oakleigh, half of the estate's acreage, and all but one of Roper's 18 slaves. He then allowed Roper and his family to live in the home rent-free until 1850. With his business interests failing, Roper followed his brother-in-law's example, becoming a lumber merchant and moving to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
in 1850.
Alfred Irwin, treasurer of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, purchased the house in 1851. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
his wife, Margaret Kilshaw Irwin, defended the home against Union soldiers by proclaiming the property neutral territory on account of her British citizenship and hanging the Union Jack
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
from the balcony. T.K. and Lee Fearn Irwin, their sons, were both veterans of the Civil War and gained local prominence in the late 1800s. Lee served as Mobile's assistant postmaster, president of the Cherokee Cotton Mills, and manager of the Mobile Oil Mills. His older brother T.K., once aide to Confederate president Jefferson Davis, went on to establish the Mobile Cotton Exchange and later became its president. T.K. married Mary Anna Ketchum. Much of their correspondence from the Civil War years and after remains on file at Oakleigh today. Oakleigh remained in the Irwin family until sold by Daisy Irwin Clisby, granddaughter of Alfred, in 1916.
Architecture
Built as a raised, galleried villa in the Greek Revival style, Oakleigh is one of the largest T-shaped homes in the state of Alabama. The unique shape of the home allows for cross-ventilation in Mobile's humid subtropical climate. The lower floor, built of handmade brick from the site, once functioned as service rooms and wine cellars. The home's second floor contains the main living quarters. The quarter-turn, cantilever staircase rising to the front door was designed by James Roper.The complex
The Oakleigh Historic Complex also consists of the Cook's House, the Cox-Deasy Cottage, and the Minnie Mitchell Archives. The Historic Mobile Preservation Society has restored the Cox-Deasy Cottage and Cook's House museums to interpret upper, middle, and servant class life during the antebellum era.- The Cook's House, built in 1850 as living quarters for slaves at Oakleigh, is a museum depicting servant life.
- The Cox-Deasy Cottage, also built in 1850 in a simple raised cottage style, is a museum depicting furnishings of the working-class.
- Minnie Mitchell Archives, houses the archives of the Historic Mobile Preservation Society. The archives house historic maps, surnameSurnameA surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
files, Mardi GrasMardi GrasThe terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
related files, newspapers and newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and numerous special collections.
External links
- Historic Mobile Preservation Society - operates Oakleigh Historic Complex