Elm Bluff Plantation
Encyclopedia
Elm Bluff is a historic former plantation
and plantation house in the rural community of Elm Bluff
, Dallas County
, Alabama
, United States. Situated on a bluff high above the Alabama River
, the now near-ruinous house is considered by architectural historians to be one of the most refined and unusual Greek Revival
-style houses in the state.
, New York
. He was the son of John Crocheron and Johanna Houseman. The Crocherons were a French Huguenot
family. Following the death of his father, Crocheron relocated to Alabama. He was elected as one of twelve directors for the Bank of Alabama during the 1820s, when the bank was located in Cahaba
. While in Cahaba he established a successful mercantile business and engaged in various commercial enterprises in Mobile
, including ownership of steamships
.
By 1840 John Jay Crocheron had transferred the running of the mercantile business in Cahaba to his half-brother, Richard Conner Crocheron. Richard Crocheron was one among many Crocheron relatives who had relocated to Alabama from New York. His brick mansion at Cahaba burned in the early 20th century, although some of the monumental brick columns remain, known now as the "Crocheron Columns."
Following the transfer of the business to Richard, John Jay Crocheron then relocated to Elm Bluff, near his Crocheron and Stoutenborough relatives in Richmond
, named in honor of their former home in New York. He began acquiring additional property until the plantation comprised several thousand acres. In 1845 he completed the main house.
His great-niece and longtime Dean
of Barnard College
, Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve
, described life at Elm Bluff in her memoirs, Many a good crusade:
During the American Civil War
, when many of his family members had returned to New York, John Jay Crocheron stayed in Alabama and financed a Confederate
cavalry
unit, named in his honor as the "Crocheron Light Dragoons". Crocheron died before the end of the war, on October 17, 1864.
setting," Crocheron's house at Elm Bluff serves as evidence of his Staten Island origins. Stylistically the house features details usually associated more with the expression of the Greek Revival style in the Northeast and Midwest
than with that of the South
.
The -story house is built of plantation-produced brick, with granite
window sills and lintels. The granite was shipped from the Northeast by Crocheron. The exterior featured a one-story fluted Doric
portico, now partially destroyed, centered on the front facade. The front and side facades feature full-height Doric pilaster
s, six on the front and four on each side. The rear of the house originally incorporated a two-story brick ell
to one side, used as a domestic wing. It has been completely destroyed. A one-story rear porch wrapped around the remaining length of the main rear facade and one side of the ell.
The most unusual feature of the house is its "eyebrow" windows set into the frieze
above the pilasters, each originally masked with wooden screens utilizing a Greek Key motif. More commonly seen in Northeastern houses, these windows admitted light and air to the low-ceilinged rooms on the largely hidden third floor. The soffit
s feature mutules studded with gutta
e. A hipped roof
tops the cornice
.
The interior of Elm Bluff is divided by a spacious center hall on all levels, usually with two rooms to each side. The brick interior walls are plastered
. A series of wide staircases in the central halls of each level wind up to the third floor. Like the exterior, the interior originally demonstrated a high level of finish. Many of the architectural elements were taken from pattern books, such as those by Minard Lafever
and Asher Benjamin
. Most of the wooden details, such as base boards, stair banisters, and door facings, have now been removed or vandalized. Details that have survived intact are the Greek Revival casings
that survive on some of the window and door openings on the upper floors and finely contoured plasterwork crown molding
s.
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
and plantation house in the rural community of Elm Bluff
Elm Bluff, Alabama
Elm Bluff is an unincorporated community in Dallas County, Alabama. It was named for the nearby bluff on the Alabama River and the closely associated Elm Bluff Plantation.-Geography:Elm Bluff is located at and has an elevation of ....
, Dallas County
Dallas County, Alabama
Dallas County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander J. Dallas. The county seat is Selma.- History :...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States. Situated on a bluff high above the Alabama River
Alabama River
The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery.The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into...
, the now near-ruinous house is considered by architectural historians to be one of the most refined and unusual Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
-style houses in the state.
History
Elm Bluff was established by John Jay Crocheron around 1840. A lifelong bachelor, Crocheron was born on August 21, 1795 in Richmondtown, Staten IslandRichmondtown, Staten Island
Richmondtown, is a neighborhood on Staten Island in New York City, New York, in the United States.Originally known as Coccles Town because of the abundance of oyster and clam shells found in the waters of the nearby Fresh Kills, Richmondtown gained its present name in 1728 when the village now...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was the son of John Crocheron and Johanna Houseman. The Crocherons were a French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
family. Following the death of his father, Crocheron relocated to Alabama. He was elected as one of twelve directors for the Bank of Alabama during the 1820s, when the bank was located in Cahaba
Cahaba, Alabama
Cahaba, also spelled Cahawba, was the first permanent state capital of Alabama from 1820 to 1825. It is now a ghost town and state historic site. The site is located in Dallas County, southwest of Selma.-Capital:...
. While in Cahaba he established a successful mercantile business and engaged in various commercial enterprises in Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, including ownership of steamships
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
.
By 1840 John Jay Crocheron had transferred the running of the mercantile business in Cahaba to his half-brother, Richard Conner Crocheron. Richard Crocheron was one among many Crocheron relatives who had relocated to Alabama from New York. His brick mansion at Cahaba burned in the early 20th century, although some of the monumental brick columns remain, known now as the "Crocheron Columns."
Following the transfer of the business to Richard, John Jay Crocheron then relocated to Elm Bluff, near his Crocheron and Stoutenborough relatives in Richmond
Richmond, Alabama
Richmond is an unincorporated community in Dallas County, Alabama. Richmond gained its name from Richmond County, New York, the birthplace for several early settlers, most notably the Crocherons. Richmond has one site included on the National Register of Historic Places, the Street Manual...
, named in honor of their former home in New York. He began acquiring additional property until the plantation comprised several thousand acres. In 1845 he completed the main house.
His great-niece and longtime Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
, Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve
Virginia Gildersleeve
Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve was an American academic, the long-time Dean of Barnard College, and the sole female US delegate to the April 1945 San Francisco United Nations Conference on International Organization, which negotiated the UN Charter and created the United...
, described life at Elm Bluff in her memoirs, Many a good crusade:
Elm Bluff was a large plantation with about two hundred slaves. My great-uncle entertained many of his neighbors and friends there. As he had no wife, he used to bring down from the North a "lady housekeeper," so called, who presided and acted as hostess. In those days travel was almost entirely by river steamers, which had a habit of running on mudbanks and being delayed for a day or two at a time. Gentlemen from the plantations for many miles around used to ride to Elm Bluff and settle down with my great-uncle to stay as might be necessary, until their steamer came along and carried them on down to Mobile. In the big house at Elm Bluff there was a large library, and there, laid out on a long table, were American periodicals and many European ones. I like to know this and to realize that the people who lived in Alabama in those long-ago days were not cut off from the world.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when many of his family members had returned to New York, John Jay Crocheron stayed in Alabama and financed a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
unit, named in his honor as the "Crocheron Light Dragoons". Crocheron died before the end of the war, on October 17, 1864.
Architecture
Considered by architectural scholars to be a "New York house in a Deep SouthDeep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
setting," Crocheron's house at Elm Bluff serves as evidence of his Staten Island origins. Stylistically the house features details usually associated more with the expression of the Greek Revival style in the Northeast and Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
than with that of the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
The -story house is built of plantation-produced brick, with granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
window sills and lintels. The granite was shipped from the Northeast by Crocheron. The exterior featured a one-story fluted Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
portico, now partially destroyed, centered on the front facade. The front and side facades feature full-height Doric pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s, six on the front and four on each side. The rear of the house originally incorporated a two-story brick ell
Ell (architecture)
In architecture, an ell is a wing of a building that lies perpendicular to the length of the main portion.In connected farm architecture, the ell is often extended to attach the main house to another building, usually a barn. It takes its name from the shape of the letter L.-External links:*...
to one side, used as a domestic wing. It has been completely destroyed. A one-story rear porch wrapped around the remaining length of the main rear facade and one side of the ell.
The most unusual feature of the house is its "eyebrow" windows set into the frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
above the pilasters, each originally masked with wooden screens utilizing a Greek Key motif. More commonly seen in Northeastern houses, these windows admitted light and air to the low-ceilinged rooms on the largely hidden third floor. The soffit
Soffit
Soffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
s feature mutules studded with gutta
Gutta
A gutta is a small water-repelling, cone-shaped projection used in the architrave of the Doric order in classical architecture. At the top of the architrave blocks, a row of six guttae below the narrow projection of the taenia and cymatium formed an element called a regula...
e. A hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
tops the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
.
The interior of Elm Bluff is divided by a spacious center hall on all levels, usually with two rooms to each side. The brick interior walls are plastered
Plasterwork
Plasterwork refers to construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called pargeting...
. A series of wide staircases in the central halls of each level wind up to the third floor. Like the exterior, the interior originally demonstrated a high level of finish. Many of the architectural elements were taken from pattern books, such as those by Minard Lafever
Minard Lafever
Minard Lafever was an influential American architect of churches and houses in the United States in the early nineteenth century.-Life and career:...
and Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal style architecture and the later Greek Revival. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and towns throughout New England until the Civil War...
. Most of the wooden details, such as base boards, stair banisters, and door facings, have now been removed or vandalized. Details that have survived intact are the Greek Revival casings
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
that survive on some of the window and door openings on the upper floors and finely contoured plasterwork crown molding
Crown molding
Crown molding encapsulates a large family of moldings which are designed to gracefully flare out to a finished top edge. Crown molding is generally used for capping walls, pilasters, and cabinets, and is used extensively in the creation of interior and exterior cornice assemblies and door and...
s.