Magnolia Grove (Greensboro, Alabama) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Magnolia Grove
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Front elevation of Magnolia Grove in 2010, by Carol M. Highsmith
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | W end of Main St., Greensboro, Alabama, United States |
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| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000345 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973 |
Magnolia Grove is a beautiful old mansion located in Greensboro, Alabama. It's named for the large grove of Southern magnolia trees that surround it, covering about 15 acres. This grand house was built in the Greek Revival style, which means it looks a bit like ancient Greek temples. Because of its special design and rich past, Magnolia Grove was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973. Today, it's a historic house museum where visitors can learn about its history, and it's cared for by the Alabama Historical Commission.
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History of Magnolia Grove
Magnolia Grove was built in 1840 for Isaac Croom and his wife, Sarah Pearson Croom. Isaac Croom was a lawyer and a person who managed large farms in North Carolina. He also helped start The University of the South at Sewanee. Sarah Croom's brother was Richmond Mumford Pearson, an important judge in North Carolina who supported keeping the United States together during a time of division.
Isaac Croom passed away in 1863, and Sarah followed in 1878. They didn't have any children who lived, so the house went to Sarah C. Pearson, who was Richmond Mumford Pearson's daughter. She married James M. Hobson, also from North Carolina. James Hobson later became a judge in Hale County for more than twenty years. The Hobson family moved into Magnolia Grove in Greensboro and raised four sons and three daughters there.
The most famous person to grow up at Magnolia Grove was Richmond Pearson Hobson, a brave naval officer during the Spanish–American War. He was recognized for his heroic actions aboard the USS Merrimac and was given the Medal of Honor in 1933. A year later, the United States Congress promoted him to the rank of Rear Admiral.
Hobson left the Navy in 1903 to become a politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for Alabama from 1907 to 1915. During his time in Congress, he suggested many changes to the Constitution to help control alcohol and substance misuse. Some people called him the "Father of American Prohibition" because of his strong efforts.
To honor his memory, a destroyer ship, the USS Hobson, was named after him and put into service in 1942. Magnolia Grove itself was officially made a state shrine in his honor on May 1, 1947.
Architecture of Magnolia Grove
Magnolia Grove is a special example of Greek Revival architecture in Alabama. It looks like a full-sized Greek temple. The house is a two-story building made of handmade bricks. The front of the house is covered in a smooth finish called stucco, including the triangular part at the top called a pediment. The sides and back of the house show the natural brick.
Front and Rear Design
The front of the house has a grand entrance with six large Doric columns. These columns hold up a plain entablature, which is a decorative band above the columns. Above this, the simple triangular pediment is framed by straight and sloped edges. Behind these columns, the building has five sections, or "bays." The middle section on both floors has doorways. The other sections have windows. Both doorways have double doors with narrow windows on the sides and a small window above them. The upper doorway opens onto a balcony that sticks out from the house. The lower windows reach from the floor to the ceiling and open onto the front porch. The upper windows have six panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom.
The back of the house also has a two-story porch, but it's supported by six thin cast-iron columns.
Inside the Mansion
Inside Magnolia Grove, you'll find decorative plaster designs on the ceilings and around the doors and windows, all in the Greek Revival style. Both floors have a long hallway running from the front to the back of the house. On the first floor, there's a parlor (a formal living room), a living room, a dining room, and a study.
Behind the main house, there's a separate two-story brick building. This building used to be the kitchen and where the servants lived. A beautiful staircase with mahogany wood steps and railing goes from the back of the main hall up to the second floor. On the second floor, there's another central hall and four bedrooms.
Images for kids
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Entrance hall
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Plasterwork ceiling medallion in entrance hall
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Parlor
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Library with name placard from the USS Merrimac, the ship scuttled as a harbor blockship by Hobson
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Dining room
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Detached kitchen and cook's house
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Detached office
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Slave house
