Georgia Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Georgia Cottage
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HABS photo of Georgia Cottage in 1963
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2564 Springhill Avenue Mobile, Alabama |
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| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000170 |
| Added to NRHP | September 14, 1972 |
Georgia Cottage, also known as the Augusta Evans Wilson House, is a historic home in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This house is special because of its connection to Augusta Jane Evans. She was a very popular American writer in the 1800s. She was also one of the first female authors in the U.S. to earn a lot of money from her books.
Contents
History of Georgia Cottage
Early Owners and Augusta Evans
Georgia Cottage was built in 1840. Colonel John Murrell had it built for his daughter. Later, in 1857, Augusta Jane Evans bought the house. She used money from her first book, Inez: A Tale of the Alamo, to buy it for her father. Her family had moved to Mobile from San Antonio, Texas in 1849.
Augusta Evans wrote two of her most famous books, Macaria and St. Elmo, while living at Georgia Cottage. She got married in the house's parlor in 1868. After her marriage, she moved to her husband's home, Ashland. Georgia Cottage stayed in the Evans family until 1879.
Later Owners and Eugene Sledge
The house was sold a few times after the Evans family owned it. In 1935, Dr. Edward Simmons Sledge bought it. His son, Eugene Bondurant Sledge, grew up at Georgia Cottage.
Eugene Sledge served in the U.S. Marines during World War II. He later became a well-known university professor and author. His memoir, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, is very famous. Parts of his book were used for the PBS documentary The War. It also helped inspire the HBO miniseries The Pacific.
About the House
Architecture and Design
When Georgia Cottage was built, it was a country house. Now, it is deep inside the city of Mobile. The house is a one-story building made of wood. It sits on a brick foundation. Its style mixes Gulf Coast cottage and Greek Revival designs. It has matching sections on each side of the main part. The roof is sloped on all sides.
The Grounds
The house is at the end of a long path lined with live oak trees. These trees were planted before 1840. This tree-lined path is part of Alabama's Famous and Historic Trees Program.
