Old house in Alabama
Cassimus House, Montgomery Alabama
The Cassimus House is one of the few remaining examples of eccentric late Victorian architecture in Montgomery. Constructed in what was one of the finer residential areas in late 19th century Montgomery, the house not only reflects the newly-acquired prosperity of its Greek immigrant builder, but is one of the earliest landmarks associated with the Greek community in Alabama. When Speridon Cassimus built his home at 110 Jackson Street in 1893, he was a newly successful businessman and he wanted his neighbors to know it. Yet there is a curious reticence about the overall design of his house since, except for the front porch he rejected ornate, Gothic-inspired detailing for the dentil molding and egg-and-dart associated with the more classical styles of architecture.
Speridon Cassimus came to the United States on December 28th, 1888. Funds for his trip were provided by money saved by his father and brother, both named Alexander M. Cassimus. Alexander and his oldest son had arrived in Mobile, Alabama on October 23rd, 1873, where they had opened a fruit store. After about a year, for unknown reasons, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where they lived until 1878 when they moved to Montgomery.
Speridon Cassimus, a married man with two children, left his native home of Othonior, Corfu, and his family, with the promise that once enough money was earned, he would return to bring them to America. From the profits of the successful wholesale fruit business which he operated on Bibb Street he accomplished this goal in 1892 and was successful enough to have purchased the lot and begun construction of the home. When he returned from Greece with his family, he brought with him fig trees, flowering Sparta bushes and many other garden variety plumb to use around his home.
The older Cassimus, who resided with his son, Speridon, after the completion of the house in 1893, was the first Greek immigrant to settle in Montgomery where he was known as the "father of the Greek community" and was one of the first Greek immigrants in the state. The Greek communities in the state have little or no physical heritage dating much earlier than the early 20th century, when their churches were built; and the Cassimus House, currently under restoration for office use, is possibly the oldest remaining landmark associated with the early history of the Greeks in Alabama.
Building Description
The Cassimus House is a two-story frame structure with a hipped roof with several gables extending from it. Stylistically it is highly eccentric late Victorian combining an asymmetrical, domed front porch with articulated Greek Revival detailing on cornices and bay windows. There has been some alteration to the exterior of the house, but the interior is in excellent and original condition. All moldings, hardware, doors, mantels and floor are either intact or in storage.
The exterior alterations were done when the house was converted to two apartments in 1935. A kitchen and bath were added onto the rear of the second floor, a porch was added onto the front of the second floor, and a new entry was cut into the side of the house where no opening previously existed. None of these alterations obscure the original appearance of the house, which can easily be restored.
Though the house is now painted white, the initial color scheme was a cream with white trim, green shutters and green latticework. The turned metal roof has been replaced with composition shingles.
The building site is one of the most prominent in Montgomery, being on the crest of a hill that rises two blocks above and behind the State Capitol. Much of the original landscaping remains along with many of the plants brought by Cassimus from Greece. An iron fence surrounds the front yard which is divided by a front walk.
Two brick octagons flank the walk and are surrounded by a border of grass and flowers. The backyard was terraced, featuring an upper terrace devoted to grass and flowers, and a lower terrace separated by a brick wall which still remains, given to the growing of vegetables.
Looking southeast (1975)
