The J. D. Holman House

Jessee DeCosta Holman was born on January 3rd, 1872 to his father Dr. J. C. Holman. Jessee  Holman started his career in the livestock business in the early 1890s by selling a mule his father had obtained. This operation eventually blossomed into a successful business venture in several towns throughout southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia. This business of selling mules and horses would be his main business that he would continue for 50 years. His other business interests included a Buick dealership and the Ozark Cotton Mills, one of the first mills in Wiregrass and in Ozark.

In early 1912 at the age of 40, Holman contracted architect C. Frank Galliher of Montgomery and contractor Mr. H. N. Hunter of Ozark to build his house. The house was built by an all-Black crew with the carpenters, electricians, masons, etc all being members of the Boykin Family, which continues to be an active builders trade. The home was constructed for a cost of $75,000 according to traditional records.

The home is one of the finest examples of neoclassical revival style that has been applied to a large residence in the Wiregrass region of Alabama. The style of neoclassical architecture of this period is part of the mythic image of the Old South that had developed at this time. Often these houses were making a statement more about the owner’s perceived regional identity than wealth or patrician background. The home features 8 classical pillars and has 2 floors of 10,000 square feet and a basement measuring 5,000 square feet.

During the house’s history, the Methodist Episcopal Church held its annual conference in Ozark in 1924. Arrangements were made for Bishop W. A. Candler to stay in the Holman Home during the conference. The Bishop held business meetings upstairs each morning before going to the church for the general session. This was ideal for him since the Holman house was only two blocks from the church.

The home would remain in the Holman family up to its sale to a private benefactor in the early 1980s. On February 19th, 1982 the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture and commerce. In 2013 after years of disrepair, the building was purchased by the City of Ozark after the building was put on public auction. When purchased the building was in need of serious repair, 2 of the columns had fallen and a third fell immediately after the sale. The city spent considerable amounts of money on restoring the house. A historical marker was erected in 2018 by the Ozark Heritage Association, inc detailing some of the history of the home.

Today the building is a wedding venue as well as a museum and is open to the public. 

Gaines, David J. The J.D. Holman House, Historical Marker Database. April 23rd 2019. Accessed November 28th 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=132527&Result=1.

Gamble, Robert. Holman House, SAH Archipedia. Accessed November 28th 2020. https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/AL-01-045-0080.

History, The Holman House. Accessed November 28th 2020. http://theholmanhouse.org/about-us/history/.

Horton, Ebony. Ozark gives highest bid for historic Holman mansion, Dothan Eagle. February 20th 2013. Accessed November 28th 2020. https://dothaneagle.com/news/article_a929762a-7baf-11e2-bd84-001a4bcf6878.html.

Mertins, Ellen. J. D. Holman House, National Register of Historic Places. February 19th 1982. Accessed November 28th 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=73179f11-7626-48a6-8c12-f91e6499de49.

Thacker, Christine. Jesse Dacosta Holman, Find A Grave. September 13th 2004. Accessed November 28th 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9456718/jesse-dakosta-holman.