Tuscaloosa in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

The Drish House/Monroe Place/The Jemison School

Tuscaloosa County

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 25, 2023

1. The Drish House/Monroe Place/The Jemison School Marker

Inscription. Built in 1837 by skilled slave craftsmen, the Drish Mansion is notable for its unusual combination of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. John Drish, a physician and contractor, assisted with building Bryce Hospital, old state capitol, and the University of Alabama. Following economic hardships after the Civil War, the Drish family sold the property to Judge W.G. Cochrane in 1887. During the 1900s the house was the location of the Jemison School, Tuscaloosa Wrecking Company, and Southside Baptist Church. The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society acquired the site in 2009. In 2015, the property was privately purchased and renovated.
Marker erected in 2017 in memory of the Jerry Luther Smelley, Sr. family
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 2016

Erected 2017.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1837.

Location. 33° 11.865′ N, 87° 33.718′ W. Marker is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in Tuscaloosa County. It is at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and 17th Street when traveling south on 23rd Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2300 17th St, Tuscaloosa AL 35401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least

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8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Jemison Home (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chabannes - Sealy House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Howard-Linton Barbershop (approx. half a mile away); Hunter's Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (approx. half a mile away); The Friedman Home (approx. half a mile away); First Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Tuscaloosa Confederate Monument (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tuscaloosa.

Regarding The Drish House/Monroe Place/The Jemison School. Excerpt from the building's National Register nomination:

The Jemison School is significant at the local level under Criterion A in the area of education. Originally the residence of the locally prominent physician, builder and plantation owner John R. Drish, the mansion was turned into an elementary school from 1906 to 1925. Much of its exterior and interior appearance dates from that time period. Compared to other communities in Alabama, Tuscaloosa was late to establish a public school system, not doing so until 1885. Once established, the system was not well supported and was heavily in debt by the 1890s. Tuscaloosans committed themselves to improving and expanding their public school system in the early 1900s. The establishment of Jemison School
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 25, 2023

2. The Drish House/Monroe Place/The Jemison School Marker
in the former Drish House was an important step in this process.

Also see . . .
1. Dr. John R. Drish House. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 13, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. Jemison School (PDF). National Register nomination submitted for the site. (National Park Service) (Submitted on February 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. Death Lights in the Tower. Dr. Poppy Moon shares some ghost stories about the house, particularly the three-story Italianate tower in front. (Dr. Poppy Moon, uploaded Jan. 3, 2013) (Submitted on February 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.