While I was in Mobile touring the Southern Romance home, we got a chance to walk around the Oakleigh historic district and take it all in. Â There were 4 of us who decided to walk to the cafe for lunch, which was in the neighborhood. Â It was fun to stroll through these oak-lined streets and take in the history. Â I love old neighborhoods like these and can just imagine what it must be like to grow up in one.
This sweet lady on the left is a resident around this neighborhood and she told us lots of fun tidbits along the way. Â I’m not going to talk all the way through the tour, but just enjoy these gorgeous old homes for what they are. Â So happy that many neighborhoods like this have been saved all over our country.
Rapier Ave. is where the Southern Romance home is located, so if you are in the Mobile area, take a drive by and look at the house.
These old homes have a high distinguished designation with the city of Mobile and these plaques are coveted.
This white house with black shutters might have been my favorite. Â So charming and Southern!
You can definitely see why this neighborhood is called Oakleigh, can’t you?
One house in particular has a historic Oakleigh sign in the front yard.
A beautiful old Southern mansion.
We ended our tour with lunch at the Cream and Sugar Cafe and what a treat the whole entire day was for us. Â I thoroughly enjoyed my walking tour through historic Oakleigh in Mobile, AL.
Beautiful! Some of those details are amazing. The winding staircase on the one house looks very old. Makes me think I am going to walk Academy St. here in my hometown, it has many old homes lining the streets.
I enjoyed seeing these beautiful homes. We have many old beautiful homes here in Southeastern Virginia along the James River and Chesapeake Bay.
Oakleigh is such a pretty neighborhood! I just moved from Mobile to NC in 2014, years ago I rented one of the restored homes in the historic district on Eslava St. Love the old neighborhoods.
These are so pretty! Last time we were in Mobile, we toured Oakleigh. It’s a magnificent house with sterling silver doorknobs and I thought the designer was so clever to place the staircase out of the weather. After seeing your photos, I want to go back. It’s a lovely city.
Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing; I am eager to visit Mobile; gotta get it off my wish list and on to my Must Do This Year list!
LOVED the update on your Dad’s garden! And speaking of updates – we need one on Ruby’s home AND your yard plantings. Bet they are both beautiful these days!
THanks, Virginia! I’ll be doing updates soon on Ruby’s house and my yard, stay tuned. We are still tweaking her main living area, but it’s getting there.
These homes remind me of the historical district in Newnan, GA. I used to live close to Newnan and really enjoyed everything about that town – so much character and charm. My mom has a place between Foley and Lillian Alabama, so I would love to drive a little piece and visit Mobile’s historic district also. Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful! Love to do stuff like that.
We lived in Mobile in the 90’s when my husband brought Blue Bell ice cream from Texas to the deep South. I loved that city! We lived in a “new” house, built in 1957. Our church was near Oakleigh, Dauphin Way United Methodist. Thank you for sharing. It’s making me miss my Mobile friends!
Your husband is responsible for Blue Bell in the Deep South? Since Brown’s Velvet Creole Cream Cream ice cream went away, I had a broken heart. I love him, my whole family loves him! Thanks!!!
Should be Cream Cheese.
Thanks Nancy! I should have stated that he was part of the TEAM that brought Blue Bell to the Deep South. A distribution center opened in Mobile in 1993. A few years later, they began making it in Sylacauga, AL, in addition to Texas and Oklahoma.
For what it’s worth, if anyone has to pick up a young family and move them 3 states away, bringing something like Blue Bell with you is the very BEST way to make instant friends. LOL
Brandye, I love that story! Ice cream is the best, love Blue Bell.
Oh wow! Thank you to your husband! Blue Bell is the only ice cream as far as I am concerned. If it’s not Blue Bell, I’ll do without!
I absolutely love old Southern homes! Being from Louisiana – I love the Acadian Plantation style homes. The trees are amazing…if only they could talk!! Thanks for the tour!
Reminds me a bit of Savannah. We have a niece and nephew who live there but we tend to get to Gulf Shores and we are reluctant to leave the beach to visit them. I am going to have to rethink that!!
Loved the tour! we lived in Mobile for many years and I recognize so many of these beautiful Southern homes!
Thank you for the beautiful tour! I loved how each home was different. I love that about historic neighborhoods. So glad that many towns are saving these beautiful treasures thanks to the movement of historic preservation. Boy would I love to tour the inside of all of these homes.
Thanks for the inspiration Rhoda. I toured Academy St in my hometown and Mooresville and loved every minute of it. Just thought I would share with you
http://www.queenofmycastle3.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-walking-tour-of-historic-academy-st.html
Hope you enjoy!
Dana
I say a really pretty green house, when I visited.
You’ve given me a reason to visit this area. Thanks for a great tour!
I’d love to live on such a shady street and can imagine watching oak leaves fall in autumn from a big front porch.
Alway love your tours and this is no exception.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful homes! We are heading to Beaufort, SC later this summer. My husband and I love to walk around and look at all of the beautiful old homes in the areas we visit.
Loved this tour, historic neighbourhoods are wonderful.
I have a question: A few of the homes have cables stretched across the front, like your favourite white one with the black shutters. What are the cables for?
I’m sure those are power lines. Many of those old neighborhoods don’t have underground utilities.