Historic

Mobile

Preservation

Society

HMPS Leadership

President

Douglas B. Kearley
First Vice President

Sam Gadd
Second Vice President

Rob Gulledge
Third Vice President

Virginia Edington
Treasurer
Bob Peck
Recording Secretary
Sally Trufant

Board of Directors
Clara Armbrecht
Paige Drew
Dora Finley
Jeff Garrett
Allen Gustin
Stella Hester
Thomas C. McGehee
Harold Parkman
Julee Sackett
Paul Shestak
Michon Trent
Beth Walmsley

Advisors
Tommy Ankerson
Amy Hamilton
Tenne Johnson
Joy Klotz
Robin Roberts
 

Staff
Executive Director

Rhonda P. Davis
 




 

 

 

 

 

   
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

HMPS appreciates the

generous support of our

Corporate Partners:

 

 BankTrust

Farnell Heating & AC

Regions Bank

TAG/The Architects Group

WKRG/TV5

 

.

Home

Oakleigh House

Historic Homes

Tour

Cox-Deasy House

 Wilson Photos

Oakleigh Belles Program

Mitchell Archives Join HMPS Mobile Timeline Fourth Grade Teacher Resources

Preserving tangible links to the past

for the benefit of present and future generations.

For Information:

(251) 432-6161

hmps@bellsouth.net

Oakleigh Historic House

300 Oakleigh Place

Mobile, AL 36604

The Official Period House of the City of Mobile, AL

Oakleigh Museum phone:

(251) 432-1281

Site Last Updated: 8/29/2010 12:30 AM


COMING SOON! HAUNTED OAKLEIGH
OCTOBER 21 - 23, 2010

Call 251-432-6161 for more information.

HMPS Kudos: HMPS archives assists British author Christopher Jones in his research on the Florence Maybrick connection to Mobile. Click Here for full story.

Click Here to view our newsletter, Landmark Letter.

About Historic Mobile Preservation Society

Historic Mobile Preservation Society was founded in 1935 as a grassroots membership group dedicated to preserving the tangible links to the past for the benefit of present and future generations.  HMPS's mission includes curating the Oakleigh Historic Complex, a 19th-century museum and archives campus in the heart of one of Mobile's most beautiful historic districts.

HMPS is a Forum member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation . HMPS works closely with the the Mobile Historic Development Commission and several of its board members also serve as commissioners of that city department's advisory board. HMPS utilizes the resources of the Alabama Historical Commission, the state agency charged with oversight of state-owned historic properties and administration of various state and federal grants and offers valuable professional assistance. HMPS also relies on the excellent resources available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History for research.

Year-round activities include field trips to historic locations, guest speakers, workshops, parties, concerts and social gatherings. Ongoing research and document and material preservation are part of the organization's ongoing work.

HMPS members receive free admission to general tours of Oakleigh Historic Complex as well as free and reduced admission to selected activities throughout the year.  Members also receive a subscription to Landmark Letter and qualify for discounted registration to the annual National Trust for Historic Preservation conference.

HMPS holdings of historic materials include an impressive collection of 19th century art, including the magnificent Thomas K. Sully portrait of "Miss Walton of Florida," the formal debut portrait of Octavia Walton LeVert, once known as "the belle of the South."  The Mitchell Archives serves as a research facility for historians, scholars, students, researchers, history buffs and the lovers of Southern literature and historic photography.  The centerpiece of this collection is a 2,000-plus print of circa 1900 dry-plate glass negatives in the William E. Wilson Collection.  At the top of this column is one of Wilson's Mardi Gras parade photographs circa 1902.

 

Current Civic Actions: 

HMPS's current civic action priorities include the following projects.  Members are encouraged to actively participate in civic action through HMPS.

 

1.  Barton Academy: HMPS is committed to assisting 

the Mobile County School System Board of Commissioners in exploring and promoting means of restoring Barton Academy, the state's oldest public school building and an architectural treasure at risk of demolition by maintenance neglect.  HMPS has been working closely with school leadership and other local, state and national partners to accomplish this restoration.  For information, call 251-432-6161 or email hmps2@bellsouth.net

 

 

2.  Historic Documents:  HMPS conducts ongoing work to preserve and manage its archival collection of documents, maps, photographs and other materials useful to researchers.  Click the link above to access our archives list or email the archivist at hmps2@bellsouth.net

 

3.  Membership Opportunities:  HMPS is a member-driven organization. Members are invited to participate in a variety of activities: educational, social and civic. Year-round complimentary admission to Oakleigh Historic Complex, free and discounted admission to a HMPS-sponsored activities, and discounts in Oakleigh Gift Shop are among the benefits of membership. HMPS members receive a complimentary subscription to Landmark Letter and are eligible for discounted registration to the National Trust for Historic Preservation annual conference. For information, call 251-432-6161 or email hmps@bellsouth.net

 

4.  Networking and Collaboration:  HMPS frequently works in collaboration with other organizations on mutually beneficial and enjoyable projects. Mobile has a rich cultural community that encompasses visual and performing arts. Among those groups with which HMPS actively interacts are the City of Mobile Office of Special Events, Museum of Mobile, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile Arts Council, Center for the Living Arts, Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, and Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.   For information about these and other worthwhile organizations, please contact HMPS by calling 251-432-6161 or email hmps2@bellsouth.net. Mobile is a city on the move. Many historic properties are available for commercial and residential use. Development is more than a word in Mobile, it is a vibrant, ongoing activity. For information about exciting activities in Mobile's historic downtown, please visit the Downtown Mobile Alliance website. You may find your place in history with a historic property in downtown Mobile!

 

5.  Conservation and Exhibition of the HMPS Art Collection: HMPS is the owner of an extensive collection of exquisite 19th-century decorative arts including portraits and other period paintings, furniture, silver, porcelain and textiles. This remarkable portrait of Octavia Walton, titled "Miss Walton of Florida," by Thomas K. Sully, was painted upon her debut in 1833. She would later be best known in Mobile -- and the world -- as Madame Octavia Celestine Valentine Walton LeVert. This most accomplished lady spoke seven languages, was received by Queen Victoria and Napoleon III and had an audience with Pope Piux IX. She traveled extensively and wrote of her international journeys in a two-volume set, Souvenirs of Travel, which went through five printings in her lifetime. This portrait is found in the second parlor of Oakleigh mansion and is one of the many historic treasures in the HMPS collection. Hear her story and that of many other Mobilians as part of the Oakleigh tour.

6.  Looking at the Past in a New Way:  HMPS is fortunate to have an abundance of historic letters, official documents, public records, photographs, maps and books that are significant to Gulf Coast History. The Minnie Mitchell Archives, an impressive research repository, exists due in large part to the generosity of the A.S. Mitchell Foundation, patrons and other supporters. Among the articles exhibited in the archives is a 19th century U.S. flag with 34 stars. This flag, restored through a grant from the A.S. Mitchell Foundation, once flew on the Sarah E. Meaher, a commercial ship that was the first of U.S. ship of its kind to navigate the entirety of the Danube River. This ship transported the first shipment of rails to be installed in the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The ship was seized when it entered the Port of New Orleans shortly after Louisiana had seceded from the Union. When Captain Ward Smith, a Union sympathizer, refused to lower the U.S. flag, the ship was seized and the captain and his flag -- the style of which was only flown during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln --  were expelled from Confederate territory. See a model of the Sarah E. Meaher and a miniature portrait of Captain Smith at the Minnie Mitchell Archives at Oakleigh Historic Complex. These, along with a collection of maritime paintings and original letters by Confederate war hero Admiral Raphael Semmes, are part of the collection. For information, call 251-432-6161 or email hmps2@bellsouth.net

 

  7.  Extending the Archives to the Community: MINNIE MITCHELL ARCHIVES are open by appointment, by calling 251-432-6161 or email: hmps2@bellsouth.net

 

 

 

The Oakleigh Historic Museum


Hours of Operation


Wednesday - Saturday: 10:00AM-4:00PM

Other Times - By Appointment

 

Tours on the hour.
Last tour starts one hour before closing.

 

  General Admission:

$7 for adults

$3 for children and students

$5 per person for groups

of 10 or more

Discounts for Seniors, AAA, Veterans & Active Military


*Closed most holidays including:

New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

 

Directions: Use MapQuest
Oakleigh is located five minutes east of the intersection of Government and Catherine Street. Traveling east on Government go eight blocks, turn right onto Ann Street, take the first left onto Selma Street. Buses and large passenger vehicles should go four blocks on Selma Street and turn left onto Roper Street. Others should go five blocks on Selma Street and turn left onto Oakleigh Place.


HMPS Activities

For information call (251) 432-6161 or (251) 432-1281 or Email hmps@bellsouth.net


October 21-23, 2010
Haunted Oakleigh
Call 251-432-6161 for more information.

December 4-5, 2010
Christmas at Oakleigh
Call 251-432-6161 for more information.

 

Historic Mobile Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.  It receives principal funding through memberships and fundraising.  HMPS has received funding for operations and/or special programs from the following entities:

The City of Mobile

The Community Foundation of South Alabama: "Friends of Oakleigh" Fund

The Community Foundation of South Alabama: Eichold Family Trust

The Community Foundation of South Alabama: Delchamps Family Trust

The Daniel Foundation

Yvonne Kennedy Legislative Grant