Who would have thought that Mobile,
Alabama once boasted a Millionaire’s Row. A street of lavish mansions that could once rival
the world’s most exclusive addresses. Hi everyone, Ken here, join us as we take a quick glimpse into
this fascinating enclave of wealth and excess. Make sure to hit that subscribe button so you
never miss a fascinating episode of "ThisHouse"!! In 1699, when colonists arrived in what would
become Alabama, their top priority was to build a means of defense. They quickly set out
to construct a wooden fort, and while it protected the residents from invasions,
it could not guard them against nature. After severe flooding occurred, the fort was
relocated, and in 1723 a more permanent star fort was constructed from stone and brick in present
day Mobile. By 1820, the settlement had flourished into a small city and there was no longer a need
for the fort’s protection, so it was completely dismantled and used to layout a cobblestone street
which would be named “Government Street.” This sudden improvement in infrastructure attracted
new businesses, causing the population to boom. Government street quickly became the
center of city life with churches, schools, libraries, restaurants, and office buildings. As the city’s population density increased,
so did the value of the land along Government Street. The city’s wealthy elite noticed this
trend and rushed to secure the city’s most valuable real estate to build their dream homes
on what would be called “Millionaire’s Row.” The first house we will see is the
childhood home of Alva Vanderbilt, whose father, Murray Forbes Smith,
ran a lucrative cotton plantation. After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln,
the family fled the South, choosing to live between Europe and New York City. Alva went on
to marry into the Vanderbilt family where she lived with her husband William K Vanderbilt
in their 5th avenue mansion, later going on to own two of Newport, Rhode Island’s greatest
summer cottages, the Marble House and Belcourt. Next we will visit the Jonathan Emanuel Mansion,
rising 3 stories behind a limestone façade. The entire property was contained by a
wrought iron fence boasting intricate details. The interior of the home was no-less
stunning with artisan plaster work suspending floating arcades above
antique European furnishings. This theme of arches was carried throughout with
rounded pocket doors and further integrated into the designs of the hearths with marble
mantles boasting figurative relief work. The neighborhood quickly became homogenous
with wrought iron fences lining the sidewalks, each yard on the tree lined street
containing perfectly manicured gardens. While some homes such as the J.W
Goldsby House were more modest, others sought to out-do their neighbors. David Burgess, who had also made
his fortune in the cotton industry, hired architect George Bigelow to design for
him a mansion in the Renaissance Revival Style. The blonde brick home featured intricate
terracotta and stone work below dramatically overhanging eaves. No architectural element was
left unadorned with laurel accents, cartouches, and lions heads worked into the design.
The interior of the home was just as grand with a floating staircase concealing and
inglenook between extensive wall murals. Of it’s many rooms, the parlor was finished
out with gilded wall panels, cast plaster, and hand stenciling to impress guests. Of all
the houses we have seen so far, this is the only one that has survived the wrecking ball,
continuing to serve as a private residence. Of all the grand Gilded Age and Victorian
era estates which once populated the street, the Tacon-Barfield Mansion proved to
be the most impressive of the Queen Annes with extensive gingerbreading decorating the verandah and a domed tower commanding
its presence on the street’s corner. While most of the largest mansions have been
demolished without photographical records, many of the upper middle class homes have survived such as the William Ketchum House which
retains much of its original character. As well as the Paterson-Dean House, designed in the Mediterranean Revival Style with
a brownstone balustrade and quoined port cochere. As time went on, Mobile did not
grow as quickly as other cities. After Abolition, many of the wealthiest residents
stopped making money. Their children lived with generational wealth until the Great Depression
hit and whipped out their dwindling fortunes. When they moved out, developers were able to purchase
many of their mansions for pennies on the dollar. As the economy started to recover, the land
became more valuable and those same developers demolished the mansions to replace them with
larger commercial and government buildings. Though you will still find a handful of the truly
beautiful homes of Mobile’s golden age, the city leaves much to the imagination without having been
properly documented before the Great Depression. If you enjoyed this video, hit that subscribe
button and let me know which house was your favorite down below in the comments
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