Cahaba in Dallas County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Who Lived Here?
Photographed By Mark Hilton, January 6, 2018
1. Who Lived Here? Marker
This house, the Fambro / Arthur home,
takes its name from two of its owners.
One was a judge, the other was a former
slave. The Fambro Family
A. Judge W. W. Fambro built this house in the early 1840s. He may have created his home by moving two older structures onto this lot where he merged them into one larger home.
B. Elizabeth Jacob was 28 when she married the 45 year old Fambro in 1850. They were childless, but their house did not remain empty. The couple provided room and board for students and teachers from the nearby academy.
C. Mary Snyder Johnson lost her birth parents in a steamboat accident. Frank Johnson, the captain of that boat, saved baby Mary and adopted her, but the Fambros raised Mary in this house. Ironically, another boating accident claimed Mary's husband and son in 1881.
The Arthur Family
D. Ezekiel Arthur was born into slavery. After Emancipation, he traveled to several different states to find his mother and sisters who had been "sold away." They returned to Cahawba, and he purchased this house in 1894.
this page online
E. Mattie Arthur was the daughter-in-law of Ezekiel. She lived in this house until her death in 1995. The copper bucket is a family heirloom from Cahawba's early days.
Erected 2015 by the Alabama Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.
Location. 32° 19.148′ N, 87° 5.984′ W. Marker is in Cahaba, Alabama, in Dallas County. Marker can be reached from Oak Street south of 1st Street North. Located within the Cahawba Archaeological Park (nominal fee required). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Oak Street, Orrville AL 36767, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Working on Walnut Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Anna Gayle Fry House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Methodist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Alabama's Statehouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alabama's First Statehouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Saltmarsh Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Courthouse Reduced to Rubble (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cahaba.
Also see . . .
Photographed By Mark Hilton, January 6, 2018
2. The Fambro house.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, January 6, 2018
3. Older marker, barely readable, nearby.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 644 times since then and 165 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 9, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
