From Rome to Home: My life in Mobile, Alabama: August 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Visitation Monastery

The Convent of the Visitation on Spring Hill Avenue was first established in 1833 by Bishop Portier and constructed with the help of his Master Builder Claude Beroujon. It provides one of the most beautiful settings in Mobile. It served as a school from its beginnings until 1953 when it was converted to a retreat house. Students came not just from Mobile but throughout the area and even Latin America. The surviving buildings were constructed between 1854 and 1895. The chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart was realized through the financial assistance of Madame Camille Marguerite De Poorter and the McGill brothers, Felix and Arthur in 1895. Harrod and Andry of New Orleans served as architects. In 1953 a Candy Shop was established and the Nuns continue to make and sell their delicious "Heavenly Hash" along with linens and other souvenirs at the gift shop.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Washington Square, Oakleigh Garden District

I recommend to anyone visiting Mobile that they take a tour of the Oakleigh Garden District. In the heart of the district is Washington Square which was deeded to the city as a public promenade in 1850. The homes facing the square were built just after the Civil War and represent some of the best examples of italianate and victorian architecture in the city.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Early Furnishings of Mobile

I have often wondered what happened to the early furnishings of Mobile. I'm not talking about the large plantation style furnishings of the antebellum era but the stuff before that. I am talking about the furnishings of the colonial period and territorial years. Sure, there were large fires in 1827 and 1839 that destroyed much of what was then Mobile but I'm sure that plenty of people had the opportunity to save their belongings before losing their homes. Not to mention the many plantation homes all around the bay and congregated along the rivers just north of Mobile, some of which survived into the 20th century. What is certain is that they are exceedingly rare and one of my favorite hobbies is searching the many antique stores around town for them and any other local items that may pre-date statehood. I have added photos of a few of the early items from my collection that I believe to have a local provenance and are, at least, regional pieces.

18th to early 19th century Creole Style chair (found in Mobile)

primitive ladder back chair (found in South Mobile County)

Croom (Gaillard) Armoire, c. 1835, with center belt drawer

Gaillard House, 1836 (HABS Photo)

Zeno Chastang House, representative of early plantation house on Mobile River (HABS Photo)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Dauphin Island

Dauphin Island is a barrier Island south of Mobile that is rich in history and natural beauty. It was named Isle Dauphine in 1707 in honor of the wife of the heir apparent to the throne of France. It has beautiful white sand beaches and, at times, the waters around the island can be the same brilliant emerald colors that have made other parts of the gulf coast famous.

Detail from "Vue de l'Isle Dauphine dans la province de La Louisiane", ca. 1718

West End, Dauphin Island, Alabama

Bayou Heron, Dauphin Island, Alabama

Enjoying the Island

Dauphin Island Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, 2006

Dauphin Island Dunes, George Bryant, 1956

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Honeymoon, 1967

I couldn't resist uploading a few of the photos that I ran across recently from my parent's honeymoon in Mobile.

Simona's Top 10 things to do while in Mobile, Alabama

#1 Take a walk Downtown on Dauphin Street. There's a lot of great architecture and places to eat. Don't miss the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Bishop Portier House. Bienville Books is one of my favorite haunts and dinner at Wintzell's Oyster House is a must before leaving Mobile.

#2 Tour Mobile's Greek Revival Public Buildings. Buildings of note include Barton Academy and the Presbyterian Church on Government Street and Christ Episcopal Church at the corner of St Emanuel and Church Street (near the Fort Conde Visitor Center). The Mobile City Hospital and Marine Hospital on St Anthony Street and the Washington Fire Station on Lawrence Street are also worth a visit for the architectural enthusiast or history buff.

#3 Walk through the De Tonti Square Historic District. This is one of Mobile's oldest neighborhoods and includes architecture ranging from raised Creole Cottages to brick Federal and Italianate Townhouses. Just outside De Tonti Square, monthly jazz jambalaya's are held by the Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed at the Old Gulf City Lodge.

#4 Tour the Oakleigh Garden District. Stops should include a tour of the Oakleigh House Museum, a stroll through the camelias and under the oak shaded canopy of Washington Square, and dining at Callaghan's Irish Bar. When you need a break, stop by the newly renovated Cream and Sugar Coffee House.

#5 Visit Spring Hill College. The architecture and landscape of the southeast's oldest catholic university provide for a pleasant stroll through the grounds. Stewartfield is an excellent example of an antebellum home that is on campus but don't miss other notable homes in the area including the Marshall-Eslava house on Tuthill Lane, the Gaillard House on Myrtlewood Lane, and Carolina Hall on Yester Place.

#6 Travel along the Old Dauphinway. On your return from Spring Hill, along Spring Hill Avenue, the Old Shell Road, and Dauphin Street you'll find many exceptional old homes. The Gates-Davy House on Dauphin, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion on Spring Hill Avenue, and the Calef House on Old Shell Road are a few of my favorites. For a special treat, stop by the Visitation Monastery on Spring Hill Avenue where the nuns have been selling their delicious "Heavenly Hash" since the 1950's.

#7 Go back in time in Church Street East and Fort Conde Village. Back downtown, make sure to check out the on-going renovations in Fort Conde Village and visit the Conde-Charlotte House Museum. Church Street East has a range of architectural styles including many turn of the 20th century shotgun homes. The replica Fort Conde includes great colonial-era artifacts collected at the site and the nearby Museum of Mobile provides additional insite into Mobile's History. No visit to Mobile would be complete without visiting the Mardi Gras Museum on Government Street which celebrates Mobile's oldest tradition.

#8 Take a Cemetery Tour. Mobile has many old cemeteries and three of them should definately be on any travel itenerary. The Church Street Grave Yard dates to 1820 and includes separate sections for the interment of catholics, protestants, and strangers. Yellow fever quickly helped to fill up the Church Street Cemetery so Magnolia Cemetery, 1838, and the Catholic Cemetery, 1848, were created.

#9 Go for a Bike Ride. Mobile has a couple of very active bike groups with group rides available for the novice to the pro. The relatively mild weather through much of the year, flat terrain, street layout, and the many less travelled roads provide excellent biking opportunities. "Mobilians on Bikes" can be found on facebook and provides information on all the rides.

#10 Tour the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is the second largest delta in the United States and provides many opportunities for boating, fishing, kayaking, and nature watching. Eagles, Osprey, and Alligators are some of my favorite sites. The Bottle Creek Indian Mound is a treasure hidden deep within the delta.