Oates House - Shoemaker House, Abbeville Alabama

Date added: July 27, 2023 Categories:

The house was originally built in 1900 as a one-story residence for the county's largest farmer. As the planter prospered, the house was extensively remodeled in 1910 in the popular Classical Revival style. The most prevalent characteristic of the style includes the massive full-height pedimented portico supported by Tuscan columns, the symmetrical facade, second-story balcony, and hipped roof.

The Oates House was built in 1900 by Ephraim Oates, one of the most successful farmers in Henry County. Ephraim Oates was born in South Carolina on January 27, 1826. At the age of 13 Ephraim and his 13 brothers and sisters were brought to Henry County, Alabama, by his recently widowed mother, Elizabeth Shipps Oates (1786-1866). In Alabama, Elizabeth Oates purchased a farm near Abbeville.

Ephraim Oates successfully managed and worked the farm. In 1855 he started a merchandising business but soon sold his stock and purchased 560 acres of land and continued farming. He steadily increased his land holdings and by 1890 he owned over 5,000 acres. Ephraim Oates became the most successful and largest farmer in Henry County.

At the age of 74 Ephraim Oates built a home in the county seat of Abbeville for his second wife and new family. Ephraim borrowed the capital to purchase the land from his cousin, Governor William C. Oates (1894-1896 term). In 1900 Ephraim built a small one-story house. But in 1910 the house was greatly enlarged and remodeled in the popular Classical Revival style.

One year later Ephraim Oates died at the age of 85. The fashionable home remained in the Oates family for another 16 years.

In 1927 the house was purchased by Herman Timothy Shoemaker (1897-1981) and his wife, Phoebe Carey (1893-1975). Shoemaker was a Ford dealer in Abbeville. Soon after purchasing the home, the Shoemakers added the present windows on the first floor and moved the staircase to the back of the hall. The house remained in the Shoemaker family until it was purchased in the early 1980s by the present owners. The property is being renovated to serve as offices.

Building Description

The Oates House is a single-family, detached residence constructed in the early twentieth century in the Classical Revival style. The wood frame clapboard house is two stories in height, generally square in shape with a one-story rear addition and topped with a hipped roof. The house is dominated by a massive full-height pedimented porch supported by four Tuscan columns. The main elevation has five bays with the entrance centrally located. There is a second-floor balcony over the entrance. The south side elevation has a two-story sleeping porch projection and a one-story porte-cochere on the north side elevation.

The main mass of the Oates House measures approximately 30 feet square and rests on a stone foundation. There are two massive interior chimneys. The hipped roof is covered with asphalt shingles.

The main (east) elevation is symmetrically divided into five bays. The centrally located main entrance is a single paneled door surrounded by slender side lights and transom. The entrance is flanked by floor-to-ceiling multi-paned casement windows. The end windows are 2 over 2 double-hung sash windows. The second story features four 2 over 2 double-hung sash windows. There is a centrally located door opening up onto a wooden balcony with turned posts and supported by brackets.

The full-length portico on the main elevation features four columns in the Tuscan order supporting a plain frieze and pedimented gable. On the north side elevation, there is a one-story porte-cochere supported by two Tuscan columns on square piers. There is a second-story balcony above the porte cochere with square balustrade. On the south side elevation, there is a two-story sleeping porch projection with a shed roof. There is a one-story, hipped roof kitchen addition on the rear. A one-story screen porch stretches along the entire west side of the house.

The interior plan features a central hall with two rooms to each side. At the end of the hall is an open string stairway leading upstairs to an identical center hall plan. The interior details include narrow pine flooring, ten-inch high baseboards, and plaster walls. Seven of the eight fireplace mantels are original; two feature over-mantel mirrors. Many of the c. 1912 light fixtures and sconces are still present.

The Oates House was built in 1900 as a one-story residence, although no known description exists. In 1910 the house was enlarged by adding a second story and classic portico. In c. 1927 the house underwent another remodeling that included the sleeping porch, porte cochere, the rear kitchen wing, and a new roof. It is speculated that at this time the present first-floor windows on the main elevation were added and the interior staircase was relocated.

The Oates House is located on a shallow city lot facing east on Abbeville's main street. There are no outbuildings on the property. There is a stone and iron fence along the east and north edge of the property.