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Haint Blue
I am painting the porch ceilings of 815 17th Avenue a color know in the south as ‘haint’ blue. ‘Haint’ blue originated in the antebellum south. The color first adorned not the mansions of masters, but...
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The Home Place
“More than any other part of America, the South stands apart. Thousands of Northerners and foreigners have migrated to it…but Southerners they will not become. For this is still a place where you...
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“Render Unto Caesar”
Caesar: 5. Any temporal ruler; the civil authority (Matt. 22:21) Render: 16. Building Trades. A material made of aggregate, a binder, and water, used as a coating for walls and ceilings and as a...
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Trying to Connect the Dots
Today has been spent ‘trying to connect the dots’ between my old house and Alabama’s history. It is the 50th anniversary of a watershed moment in the Civil Rights movement, Governor George Wallace’s...
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Southern Ladies
Jennie Baker Caples (Feb 13, 1895 – Oct 17, 1994) Married to Fred Caples (Oct 7, 1861 – Oct 20, 1934) Burial – Tuscaloosa Memorial Park I have recently been privileged to hear from several friends who...
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When Playboy Came to Town…Looking for a Southern Belle
The Southern Belle is a peculiar stereotype, based on daughters of the affluent plantation owners in the Antebellum South. Chaste, yet flirtatious, the belle was “laced-up” tightly both literally and...
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Thank You Notes
Here in the South, we still write thank you notes. It is a habit drilled into every young southern girl by generations of mothers and grandmothers. Writing thank you notes is as southern as wearing...
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“Just the Facts, Ma’am”
There is a lot of speculation involving my new project, the Drish House. It is an old and complicated house, and has certainly had an unusual history. Over the years rumors have spread concerning...
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“Glory Days”
Monroe Place, the Drish plantation that included the Drish House, was sold at public auction in 1869, as Dr. Drish had died an impoverished man. The plantation and house were purchased by a...
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“Tuscaloosa Wrecking Company”
After twenty years as the Jemison School, the Drish House was leased to local mechanic Charles Turner. Mr. Turner used the once proud mansion to house his auto parts and wrecking business. The once...
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