Dr. John R. Drish House, 2300 17th Street, Tuscaloosa

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,63-TUSLO,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Charles Turner now uses this building as a ware house for junlc automobile parts, etc. Has not been used as a residence for many years. Plantation House: This location, at the date of erection, was out of the city and a part of a large plantation. It had extensive grounds, surrounded h-y a fence and wall. There was a keepers lodge at the north entrance, standing in front of a double row of elms leading up to the mansion. Today: * Now it has become a part of the City and is sur- rounded by private homes. For many years it was used by the City as a part of the Public School System. Today it is a 3unk shop. Source of Material; James A* Anderson, 3Z Tusoaloosa, Ala. W. S Wyman, TOscaloosa* Ala,* Dr. A. B Moore, University of Alabama. Bean of HABS No. Page 3. HABS ALA .

fc3 - ;us,o DRISH HOME 23d Avenue and Street Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION; A two-storey high Ionic porch on the main facade of the Drish house is divided in the middle by a three-storey tower. At the rear of the building is a Doric portico, also two storeys in height, but without the tower. A separate kitchen building lies off to one side of the house so as not to interfere with views from the two porches. A wide hall extends through the center of the house and has rounded cor- ners at the rear. The original stair has been removed. The tower is stuccoed brick, like the remainder of the., house. The first stage or storey, on the front, has three' arches with egg and dart composition borders.

The stucco is heavily .grooved to give the appearance of rusti- cation. The second storey has two arches on the front set between pilasters with sunken egg and dart panels. The frieze is decorated with composition rosettes. The third stage of the tower also has two arches on the front, with three-quarter columns at the corners and a cornice of wooden brackets similar to the main cornice of the mansion. The bed-mould of the cornices is the egg and dart. (Revised and rewritten at HABS Headquarters, Feb. 19, - (Original sheet in field notebook). Addendum to HABS No. AL-201 Dr. John R. Drish House St.

Tuscaloosa Tascaloosa County Alabama TOSLO PHOTOGRAPH WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA Historic Aitierican Buildings Survey National Park Service Department of the Interior Washington, MABS Form UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR '2 (June NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ARCHITECTURAL DATA FORM STATE COUNTY TOWN OR VICINITY Alabama TUscaloosa Tuscaloosa HISTORIC NAME OF STRUCTURE {INCLUDE SOURCE FOR NAME) HABS NO. Drish, Dr. John R., House AL-201 SECONDARY OR COMMON NAMES OF STRUCTURE COMPLETE ADDRESS (DESCRIBE LOCATION FOR RURAL SITES) St. (in traffic circle at intersection of St. and Ave.) DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (INCLUDE SOURCE) ARCHITECT(S) (INCLUDESOURCE) mid c.

SIGNIFICANCE (ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL, INCLUDE ORIGINAL USE OF STRUCTURE) Once a remarkable example of eclectic combination of Greek Revival and Italianate elements. John R. Drish, builder-owner, was Tuscaloosa physician and erstwhile building contractor, _,, _ r owner , of skilled _ slave_ _. _ craftsmen who executed _ much of early ^ Tuscaloosa STYLE (IFAPPROPRIATE) ^ ^ at jemison school 19u6-25; southside tsapcisr /plasterwork. Church in MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION (INCLUDE STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS) Brick covered with stucco SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS OF STRUCTURE (SKETCHED FLOOR PLANS ON SEPARATE PAGES ARE ACCEPTABLE) (five-bay front) x overall, two stories INTERIOR

Features of Note

Hipped root extending over full-length porticoes front and rear, bracketed cornice with egg and dart ovolo molding, applied paterae on frieze, north (front) elevation dominated by three-story arcuated tower breaking from center of full- height Ionic portico (fewer embellished with Greek Revival-style detail and bracketed (cont'd in Other Info bo low) INTERIOR FEATURES OF NOTE (DESCRIBE FLOOR PLANS, IF NOT SKETCHED) Center hall plan, originally branched stairway to second floor, elaborate plasterwork throughout. MAJOR ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS WITH DATES Severely altered early to mid c. including gutting of interior (removal of original stairway, plasterwork, and most interior woodwork:), exterior modifications, demolition of service wing.

Present Condition and Use

New sandwiched between modern construction on east and west sides. OTHER INFORMATION AS APPROPRIATE {cont,d from E^^ Features above) ... cornice) , hexastyle Tuscan colonnade across rear; semidetached rectangular one-story service wing (approx. x on east side. ly&nsion originally stood at end of tree-lined, avenue extending to now-demolished gate and porter's ledge at present Ave.-15th St. inter- SOURCES OF INFORMATION (INCLUDING LISTING ON NATIONAL REGISTER, STATE REGISTERS, ETC.) section COMPILER,

Affiliation Date

Alison K. Hoagland, HABS, from information provided by Robert Gamble Nov. ADDENDUM TO DR. JOHN H. HOUSE HABS No. A!.. Dx r iTi i ng han\ I ndus t r ..i a 1 Dist r .i it 2 3 O 0 S e v & n t. -:? e n 111 St. Tusca1 cos a fuscdloasa Cou r 11 y A 1 aDdfna WRITTEN HIGTQRICAL. & DESCRIPTIVE DATA HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD NatiQcial Par k Ber vi ce De p a r t mer\ t of t he I n ter x n r W^shiriqton, 127 ADDENDUM TO DR. JOHN R. DRISH HOUSE HABS No. AL-201 (Page 4) HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY DR. JOHN R.

Drish House

This report is an addendum to a three page report previously transmitted to the Library of Congress.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,63-TUSLO,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Street, Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Date of Construction Early tower addition Description: The Drish House is a two-story, stucco-covered brick Greek Revival house with fanciful Italianate additions, including tower and cast-iron grillwork designed by English architect William Nichols. The residence later served as a school and is now used as a church annex. A double row of elms originally bordered the driveway to the house and on the east and west sides were flower gardens. In the rear were brick slave houses, and extending to the railroad was Drishfs farm. Across Greensboro Road was Drish's cotton gin and press. Project Information This report is based on written documentation donated by the Birmingham Historical Society, reformatted to HABS/HAER guidelines.

Historical Overview: The Drish House was built by Dr. John R. Drish (d. Builder-owner Drish successfully dabbled in building construction as well as medicine. His skilled slave craftsmen, reported to be first-rate mechanics, masons, carpenters, plasterers and blacksmiths, executed decorative plaster-work for this and other Tuscaloosa properties. Dr. Drish invested in slaves and in land. He also invested in the N.E.& Railroad and worked to build a cotton mill in Tuscaloosa. Sources Consulted Alabama Register, Gamble, Robert, The Alabama Catalog, p. 353 Smith, William R., Reminiscences of a Long Life, Site Visit,