This house was built in the early 1840s as the home of Napoleon Lockett and his wife, Mary. Mrs. Lockett is credited for the creation of the first Confederate flag. She appealed to a friend, Nichola Marshall, a noted artist and instructor employed by the Marion Female Seminary, to design a flag for the Confederacy. Marshall submitted a “Stars and Bars” design that was formally adopted. Mrs. Lockett and a group of Marion ladies sewed the flag together in this house. On March 4, 1861, the flag was raised on the dome of the capital building in Montgomery which was then still the capital of the Confederacy. (This “Stars and Bars” flag was later replaced by a design known as the “Battle Flag”.)

The Lockett-Martin house is a contributing property to the “West Marion Historic District” that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is also one of the historic homes included on the “Discover Perry County Audio Tour”. This house is located at 211 West Lafayette in Marion (GPS coordinates 32.631222,-87.323361).

This is a private residence – drive by only.

Sources: 1) NRHP “West Marion Historic District” Registration Form; 2) Perry County Heritage, Volume II, prepared by The Book Committee and Friends of the Perry County Historical and Preservation Society; 3) “Discover Perry County Audio Tour” (www.perrycountyalabamachamber.com/discover-perry-county/).

6/13/14.