Noble Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Noble Hall
|
|
Noble Hall in December 2008
|
|
 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Auburn, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Built | 1854 |
| Architect | Henry Foster |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000163 |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1972 |
Noble Hall, also known as the Frazer-Brown-Pearson Home, is a very old and important house in Auburn, Alabama. It was built in the Greek Revival style, which means it looks like ancient Greek temples. This grand house was once the main building of a large plantation. Because of its history and unique style, Noble Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1972. This list helps protect important historical places in the United States.
Contents
The Story of Noble Hall
Noble Hall was built in 1854. It was the main house on a huge 2,000-acre (about 8 square kilometers) cotton farm. The house was made from strong rock and had eight large rooms. Each room had very tall 12-foot (3.7 meter) ceilings. The outside walls were also very thick, about 18 inches (46 centimeters) wide.
Building the Grand House
The front and back of Noble Hall both have wide balconies that stick out without support from below. These are called "cantilevered" balconies. There are also four huge Doric columns at the front and four at the back, making eight columns in total. These columns give the house its classic Greek temple look.
Behind the main house, there were other important buildings. These included an outdoor kitchen, a place for carriages and a smokehouse. There was also a house for the overseer, who managed the plantation. Like many large homes in the Southern United States before the American Civil War, Noble Hall was built using the labor of enslaved people. However, the owner hired a builder from Kentucky to manage the construction work.
Noble Hall During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Noble Hall became a place for Confederate soldiers who were sick or hurt. They found shelter and care there.
Later in the war, Union soldiers came to the mansion. They planned to take things from the house. But one of the people living there showed a special sign related to Freemasonry. This was a secret society that many people, including soldiers, belonged to. Because of this sign, the Union troops agreed to only take the horses and mules, leaving the house mostly untouched.
New Owners and a New Name
The Frazer family, who first owned Noble Hall, kept it until 1922. That year, the price of cotton dropped a lot, making it hard to keep the plantation. In 1932, a man named J.V. Brown bought Noble Hall. He worked hard to fix up the house and its grounds, making them look like new again.
In 1941, Mr. Brown sold the house and land to Luther Noble Duncan. He was the president of Alabama Polytechnic Institute at the time. When his daughter inherited the home in 1951, she decided to name it Noble Hall. She did this to honor her father. In 1972, Noble Hall became the first building in Lee County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
