Joshua Kennedy Jr. House

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Constructed in 1857, this stately two-story building in downtown Mobile was recently restored as a result of efforts by local citizens to preserve and share the history of Mobile. The building was constructed by Joshua Kennedy Jr., the son of Joshua Kennedy who settled in Mobile around 1816 with his brothers Joseph and William. This family trio were some of the largest landholders in the area, including what is now most of downtown mobile, making the family key in laying out streets and establishing the city as a commercial shipping port. Joshua Jr. gained his fortune through the wholesale grocery trade, marrying Mary Emanual in 1853 before constructing this home in 1857. Joshua Jr. served as a Confederate soldier and died in 1862 at the Battle of Seven Pines, in Richmond Virginia. After his death, the house would pass through several hands until coming into the ownership of the American Legion in 1947. In 2017 restoration efforts began to return the building to its beautiful state after the 1857 Foundation acquired the building from the American Legion. Today, the estate serves as home to one of Mobile’s local Mardi Gras societies and as a continuing meeting place for the American Legion.

Images

The Joshua Kennedy House as it appeared in 1963

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

This home was built in 1857 for Joshua Kennedy Jr., a local Mobile businessman. It features an unusual 2 story facade that is a mix of Greek Revival Style and Italianate style. The outside facade is 40ft high with 4 stone pillars holding up the portico above. On the outside grounds, there is a reclaimed wrought iron fence that has been restored and returned to the property. Inside the building, there are two floors with 14 feet high ceilings and a basement that has been renovated to look like a speakeasy.

Joshua Kennedy Jr. was the son of Joshua Kennedy, a prominent landowner in Mobile. Joshua Kennedy was the son of a doctor and was born in Fairfield District, South Carolina in 1775. He settled in Mobile around 1816 with his brothers Joseph and William Kennedy. The trio came to own a significant amount of land in the city, much of which was located in what is now downtown Mobile, and as such was instrumental in laying out city streets and establishing the city as a commercial shipping port during the 19th century.

Joshua Kennedy Jr. gained himself a comfortable fortune in Mobile by running a wholesale grocery trade, allowing him the funds to construct the home in 1857. Before building his home Joshua Jr. married Mary Emanual in 1853. As a southerner Joshua Jr. fought for the Confederacy, serving as 1st Lieutenant in Company H, 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment. He would not return home, dying in 1862 during the Battle of Seven Pines in Richmond, Virginia. Mary and Joshua’s only child, Isabel, died at 21 by taking a poison she mistook for a remedy for sore throat.

On April 6th, 2016, the 1857 Foundation was created by citizens of Mobile to save the Kennedy house from disrepair. Initially, the group spent $10,000 to repair damages from a fire that occurred immediately before the creation of the foundation. In February 2017 the foundation successfully acquired the property from the American Legion and in May of that year began the restoration project. The project took three years and 2 million dollars, partially funded by a local Mardi Gras society that has remained anonymous. Today it serves as a meeting place for the members of the Lamar Y. McLeod American Legion Post 3 and the home of the Mystic Society that funded the project.

Sources

About the Kennedy House, 1857 Foundation. Accessed December 9th 2020. http://1857foundation.org/about-the-kennedy-house.

Matthews, Michelle. After decades of neglect, it’s time for this historic home in Mobile to shine once again, AL.com. February 12th 2020. Accessed December 9th 2020. https://www.al.com/life/2020/02/after-decades-of-neglect-its-time-for-this-historic-home-in-mobile-to-shine-once-again.html.

Baker, Elanor Inge. Mystic Restoration, Mobile Bay Mag. February 14th 2020. Accessed December 9th 2020. https://mobilebaymag.com/mystic-restoration/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Photos taken as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey. Image sourced from: https://www.loc.gov/item/al0494/