The Globe Hotel stood on the location of the Maxwell-Peters Home. The hotel was lost in a fire in the late 1830’s, and the 1830’s, Richard Maxwell, the current owner’s great grandfather, emigrated from England. He became an early business and civic leader. In 1975 the Alabama Historical Commission listed the home on The Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
The House and Magnolias–
Following the War Between the States, Richard Maxwell started construction of the home in 1867, and first occupied it in 1868.
The architecture is English Cottage Orné with coordinated front porch wood peg trellis columns and wrought iron. The original floor plan was the main hall way and three (3) rooms on either side. To the best of our knowledge, most of the trellis columns are original. The wrought iron is original and has been traced to the New York Bent Wire and Rail Company – now out of business.
The English Cottage Orné style with coordinated trellis columns has been identified as likely the most historically significant feature of the home. This style was prominent in the area prior to the War Between the States, but most such homes were lost during the war or reconstruction.
In 1868, Richard planted the two (2) Southern Magnolia trees in the front.
Circa 1890, a large single room addition was made – it now is the master bath. The Federal period mantel is original to this addition, and, it is believed the addition came from a relocated home built circa 1820.
The Daughter’s Houses –Prior to his death in 1885, Richard built four (4) other homes for each of the living daughters as their dowry - three (3) of these still stand, and two (2) are across the street.
Richard’s wife, Fannie Mae Maxwell, was pregnant and Richard’s health was failing. Realizing he would not live until the child’s birth, nor have time to build another house, he willed his home to my unborn child in case the child was a girl. The daughter was Pearl Virginia Maxwell – grandmother of the current owner.
Croxton’s Raid and the Dining Room–
During the Union Army raid to burn the University, General John T. Croxton also burned a hat factory and saw mill in Kentuck (Northport) near the area where the house now stands. Materials from the saw mill and hat factory were used to construct the house. There are several visible char marks left by Croxton’s fires in the dining room floor.
The Railroad Trestle–
In the 1890’s, a railroad engineer came to layout a new railroad bridge and trestle. Looking southward down Main Avenue, the route of the bridge appears to be coming through downtown Northport. When the engineer came to town, Fannie Mae Maxwell allowed him to stay in the house and they became friends. Fannie Mae convinced the engineer to route the trestle in an “S” curve to avoid what would become downtown Northport.
This is a departure from conventional railroad layout. To this day, the train wheels loudly squeal in the curve directly behind the house. This is the longest wooden railroad trestle in the world.
Dr. Peters and Mammy –
Pearl married a career army doctor, Captain W. Marcus Peters, MD. Capt. Peters rode with General Black Jack Pershing chasing Mexican revolutionary Poncho Villa along the Mexican border. Captain Peters served in the most decorated division of WWI, the famous Rainbow Division formed and commanded by General Douglas MacArthur. During the war he was gassed by the Germans tending to gas victims, and was awarded the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action. In Paris, following the Armistice, Capt. Peters participated in founding the American Legion.
After the war, he received appointment as the prison doctor at Kilby Prison near Montgomery. There he met a convicted murderess known as Texas Black Mammy. She had been a boarding house cook in South Alabama. She could not read and kept her spices in specific locations. She claimed that someone switched some spice with rat poison to poison a boarder. When Dr. Peters arrived Mammy was a trustee and he believed her story.
When Dr. Peters and Pearl returned to the Home, he obtained Mammy’s conditional release as trustee. Upon Dr. Peter’s death in 1934, the trusteeship was transferred to Pearl. Mammy helped Pearl raise her son William Maxwell. Mammy died in her room and was buried in Tuscaloosa.
The room was not salvageable. We used wood from it in the restoration for flooring repair and the entire ceiling of the back porch. The back porch is named in her honor – Mammy’s Porch.
The 1932 Tornado –
In 1932, a tornado hit Northport killing 38. The tornado hit the house, removing the roof and doing major damage to the North side and front porch. The main structure withstood the storm. Dr. Peters survived by crawling under a bed. He then set up a battlefield like hospital behind the house to tend to the victims.
This was during the depression, and the Fleur de Lis style accents between the front columns were lost in post tornado repairs. The current owner had never seen these. Tornado period pictures were studied to most accurately restore the home. From computer enhancement of tornado pictures, we made scale drawings to make the current Fleur de Lis pieces.
The Portrait –
The portrait in the Parlor is of Mary McMurtrey Maxwell, mother of Richard. It was painted in England circa 1840. Lee Peters, Maxwell Peters’s younger son, restored the portrait in 1977. In 2002, Marc Peters restored the frame. The frame has been authenticated to be original and the gold leaf finish is original.
Northport’s 1st City Judge –
William Maxwell Peters, the third generation owner, was Northport’s 1st City Judge. In WWII Judge Peters served on a B-17 bomber in the 8th Air Force. We are proud of his efforts during 1960-1976 to establish the modern Republican Party in the State, and he was twice a delegate to the Republican National Convention. Judge Peters lived in the home until his death in 1976.
Restoration –
Judge Peters’s oldest son, W. Marcus Peters, restored the home in 1998-2000. The downstairs was restored to the original floor plan. The downstairs and exterior were restored as most historically accurate as practicable with the inclusion of modern conveniences.
The downstairs walls in the original six (6) rooms and hall way were repaired with plaster. Floor repair wood, the wood trim around the master whirlpool tub, and the stairs and banister are all original 1867 heart pine taken from the attic.
All seven (7) fireplaces are functional with wood, coal, or gas. These were originally wood and changed to coal around 1900 – we have stored the original coal burning grates.
The attic was totally redone to add two (2) offices, two (2) bedrooms, a bathroom, and a great room. The original iron tub from the house is used in the upstairs bath.
Modern conveniences include a professional kitchen, two (2) steam showers, a whirlpool tub, TV and telephone outlets in all rooms, central vacuum system, and a 120-gallon hot water system. Hot water is continuously pumped to all outlets, thus, providing instant hot water.
Special Times to Visit –
The home is decorated with Christopher Radko collectibles during Dickens and Christmas. The home is open at these times for scheduled visitation.