Chambers County Alabama Photos......Brock-Bowling-Farr House, Chambers Co. AL
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Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://theusgenweb.org/al/chambers/
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Contributed by Don L. Clark Jul 2004 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00014.html#0003384
Brock-Bowling-Farr House, Chambers Co. AL (see below photo for more information)
Brock-Bowling-Farr House
Built ca. 1902-03 Photographed 1997 117 LaFayette Street N. LaFayette, AL
Mr. Franklin P. Brock (1853 - 1908) and wife Sallie Frederick Brock (1861 - 1917)
purchased an earlier house that was situated on this lot, as the following article indicates:
The LaFayette Sun, November 26, 1884.
"Mr. F. P. Brock bought the residence of Mr. M. L. Smith last week paying $2,000
for the house and lot. Mr. Smith, we learn, contemplates moving to Opelika. Mr. Brock
will take possession about the first of January."
Frank P. Brock was the son of James T. and Sarah Baugh Brock, early residents of LaFayette.
The Frank P. Brock family lived in the old Smith house until it burned:
The LaFayette Sun, July 16, 1902.
"Residence Burned.
Sound sleepers had their slumbers disturbed Sunday morning at about 2:30 o’clock
by the cry of fire. It took some time to get some of the people aroused, but the Telephone
turned on and woke up many. The news spread that Mr. Frank P. Brock’s home in the beautiful
grove was burning and to that point the people centered.
The fire was discovered by Mr. Brock and his wife, who thought that some one
had broken into the kitchen. When they first saw it the flames had eaten through the rear
entry just behind the front hall. It is supposed to have caught in the kitchen.
By heroic work a large portion of the household effects in the two down stairs
front rooms was saved, but it was impossible to get out any of the goods in the upstairs
rooms or any of the dining room furniture. Many beautiful things were destroyed.
There was insurance to the amount of $1,800 on household goods and dwelling.
The loss to Mr. Brock is very great. The house was one of the oldest and
most substantial residences in the place and it was one of the beautiful sights of the town."
After the Brock house burned, part of the original lot was sold:
The LaFayette Sun, August 13, 1902.
"Mr. Frank P. Brock has sold a third of his large lot – the corner next to Judge Denson’s – to
Mr. J. C. Griffin."
Frank P. Brock soon had a new home erected in 1902-1903, pictured in the above photograph.
This house was later owned by the Judge William B. Bowling" family, and the Bernard Farr family. The
house remains virtually unchanged on the exterior with the exception of having three of the
four chimneys removed during the Farr occupancy. Unfortunately the house is now in a
deteriorated condition.
The lot Mr. Brock sold to Mr. J. C. Griffin in 1902, was then sold to E. M. Oliver.
Mr. Oliver erected a large 2-story residence with walls of poured concrete about 1904.
In 1912, the house was purchased by the Carl Schuessler family. The Schuessler heirs sold
the house in 1959 to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Pittman, the current owners.
Note: The LaFayette Sun newspaper transcripts were made available by Mrs. Glenda H. Brack,
Escondido, California.
