Clarke-Dorning House

The story

Behind the sketch.

Susan Adams Clarke, widowed and raising ten surviving children, purchased this Adams Street lot in 1835 and built the substantial house that stands here today. Later owners included Parmelia Bibb, widow of Alabama's second governor, and merchant John Jacob Fackler. Under the Facklers, the house became known for balls, masquerades, string orchestras, and lavishly decorated rooms. That gracious lifestyle depended upon enslaved labor. In 1860, eighteen enslaved people lived on the property, and the original two-story service wing that contained their quarters and workspaces still survives. The Civil War brought a sharp end to the festivities. As Union troops entered Huntsville in April 1862, Sallie Fackler Pynchon reportedly learned of their arrival while leaning from an upstairs window. Her father was later arrested for helping Confederate soldiers escape. When questioned, Fackler admitted doing so and reportedly declared that he would do it again.

Neighborhood

Twickenham

Book location

Page 48