Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID |
34_72_151 |
Object Name |
Photograph, Digital |
Description |
Photograph and Historic Sites Survey Update Form dated 2014 of 40 South Section Street (40 Section Street South) in Fairhope, Alabama. This building is located in the Downtown Fairhope Historic District. See 34_71_001-127 for all buildings in this District or search "Downtown Fairhope Historic District." The building is sometimes referred to as The Crain House; please see information below for explanation. The house was built in 1908 as the residence for Dewey Wheeler.(Note: the October 30, 1908 Courier verifies the build date of 1908; the Historic Sites Form build date of 1905 is incorrect. (Mr. Wheeler was the proprietor of a General Merchandise store at the southeast corner of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street.) In April 1913 (April 25, 1913 Courier), the house was sold and the lease transferred to Mrs. Paulina L. Miller. Mrs. Miller died in 1930, and left the house to her two nieces, Dr. Coral Crain and Dr. Festal Crain. They lived there until 1947 when they moved to Beasley Rest Home, selling to Mrs. V. J. Allegri, Jr. She remodeled the property in conjunction with the building on the adjacent corner which she had acquired in 1945. See 34_72_149-150 for information on this property. The house is significantly altered from the original structure with build-outs towards the street and to the back (west) and is a commercial building now. The Fairhope French Quarter, a group of shops, is in this area today. See the picture from the FSTC Archives of the original building in this record (also shown cropped), and go to BSS.645-646 to identify other buildings in that photo. Further Information: The Crain Sisters, nieces of Mrs. Miller, moved to Fairhope in 1926 and bought the house next to their aunt (north side) from Ralph Young. When Mrs. Miller died in 1930, the Crain sisters moved to her house, and rented their house until 1943 when they transferred their leasehold to C. N. Atkins (the supervisor of the Bell Telephone Company in Fairhope which was located around the corner on De La Mare.) An interesting note: Mr. Frank Stewart (The Picture Man) and wife rented this house in 1912-1913 before Mrs. Miller bought it. Mr. Stewart's newsstand was located just a few doors to the south in the Post Office in the Masonic Lodge Building. For information about the corner lot where the Crain sisters' first Fairhope residence was located, see 34_72_149-150. From the Fairhope Public Library Collection and the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation Archives. |
Search Terms |
Historic Buildings Buildings Houses Businesses Downtown Downtown Fairhope Historic District Fairhope Public Library Collection 40 South Section Street 40 Section Street South |
People |
Crain, Coral, Dr. Crain, Festal, Dr. Miller, Paulina L. Young, Ralph Atkins, C. N. Stewart, Frank |
Date |
1908 |
Collection |
Fairhope Single Tax Corporation |