This home was built circa 1835 by Osmond T. Jones. It is believed that the house was designed by the same architect that designed Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home in Biloxi, MS. Captain John B. Cooke, who served as an infantry officer in General Edmond Petters brigade during the Civil War, lived here until his death in 1893. The house was restored in the early 1980s by Reverend C. Otis Brooks, Pastor of the Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.
This home was a center of social activity during earlier times in Marion. It was one of only two homes in Marion where dancing was permitted. The house was designed to accommodate large crowds. The main entry hall is 10 feet x 40 feet. Select windows are equipped with latch doors at the bottom to permit access to the large porches.
This home is located on the south side of Marion – first house on the right on Magnolia Street after turning off Highway 45 (GPS coordinates 32.606569,-87.31703).
This is a private residence – drive by only.
Source: Perry County Heritage, Volume II, prepared by The Book Committee and Friends of the Perry County Historical and Preservation Society.
3/7/14