This home was built circa 1891 for timber magnate James Uriah Blacksher. At one point, Blacksher owned more than one hundred thousand acres of land and a large lumber industry. He also owned a bank, a store, and railroads. Blacksher had a big impact on the settling of southwest Alabama and the development of Monroe County. Uriah, Alabama was named for him.
The Blacksher home is a two-story, Victorian house with a wrap-around porch on both the upper and lower floor. Extending from the back of this home is a room that was used as a school in the early 1900s. Both black and white students attended this school. Located behind the house is also an old smoke house that was used in earlier years. The Blacksher home is featured in “Silent in the Land” by Chip Cooper, Harry J. Knopke, and Robert S. Gamble.
This home is located on Hwy 21 in Uriah near the junction of Hwy 21 and Hwy 59 (GPS coordinates 31.306356, -87.500352).
This is a private residence – drive by only.
Sources: 1) James Uriah Blacksher Il (grandson of James Uriah Blacksher); 2) “Silent in the Land” by Chip Cooper, Harry J. Knopke, and Robert S. Gamble.