The Hawthorne House

The Hawthorne House was built and completed between 1852 and 1854 for Colonel Joseph Richard Hawthorne, who at one time was among the largest landowners in Alabama. Master builder Ezra Plumb designed and constructed the house, which incorporates elements of both the Greek Revival and Federal styles.

The substantial frame residence rests on sills made from hand-hewn heart pine logs, some measuring more than fifty-five feet in length. Four square columns frame its impressive front entrance, with a lower portico and upper balcony of equal proportions. A graceful fanlight above the entrance was imported from England, while unusual triple-leaf doors are found at each end of the central hall.

As with other substantial homes constructed in this region during the antebellum period, enslaved people provided much of the labor involved in its construction and operation. Unfortunately, the names and stories of many of those individuals have been lost to history. One preserved connection is Sam Hawthorne, a descendant of people enslaved by Colonel Hawthorne. Sam's grandfather was a close friend of a later owner, and a photograph of him is displayed in the house today.

The Hawthorne House is also significant as the childhood home of John Herbert Kelly, who became a Confederate general during the Civil War. In 1952, the property was dedicated as a state shrine in recognition of that association and the home’s historic importance.

After passing out of the Hawthorne family for a time, the property was purchased in the mid-1930s by Colonel Hawthorne’s great-grandchildren, Dr. Julian Hawthorne and his sister, Gladys Hawthorne Whitaker. Dr. Hawthorne, who practiced medicine in Rye, New York, used the property as a hunting retreat, while Mrs. Whitaker lived at Hawthorne and managed the estate.

The Hawthorne House was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1992. In 1999, it was also included as a contributing property in the Pine Apple Historic District when the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Several publications have recognized Hawthorne's architectural and historical significance, including Jennifer Hale’s Historic Plantations of Alabama’s Black Belt and Robert Gamble’s Historic Architecture in Alabama. More than 170 years after its construction, the Hawthorne House remains one of Pine Apple’s most significant antebellum residences and an exceptional example of the craftsmanship of master builder Ezra Plumb.