Huntsville: Leroy Pope Mansion

Alabama was not yet a state when the Leroy Pope Mansion in Huntsville was built in 1814. The oldest documented mansion in Alabama, it was built for Pope, who was part of Huntsville’s early development. Architect George Steele is credited with the design, which includes a Classical-Revival portico with Federal-style ornamentation. Construction materials were brought from Tennessee on flatboats and transported to the site by wagons. Pope hosted a public dinner on the lawn for General Andrew Jackson, who was passing through on return from the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The house is owned by descendants and leased to the University of Alabama in Huntsville as its president’s house.

Photo Credit: Lewis Kennedy