The Alston-Cobb House

The Alston-Cobb House (c. 1854) is an example of plantation plain-style architecture, also called an "I" house because of its narrow profile. It is characterized by a simple gable roof. Typically, as in the Alston-Cobb House, there were masonry chimneys on each end. The rooms have high ceilings, which allow heat to rise and provide a more comfortable environment for people before the invention of modern air conditioning., On your left is the house kitchen, another hallmark of plantation plain-style homes. There were two reasons for a detached kitchen. The first was that people cooked over large fires, and in the summer they wanted the heat kept out of the main house. The second reason is that without modern plumbing and water hoses, a fire in the kitchen could destroy the entire house. With a detached kitchen, any fires could potentially be put out with buckets of water without risking the main structure., This house was built on this site in 1854 by Lemuel Lovett Alston for his new wife, Sarah French Jackson. They lived in the house until 1867 when they moved to Dallas County. Alston was a physician and early postmaster. The house later passed through the Bettis, Cobb, and Bumpers families. By the 1980s, the house had fallen into disrepair and was scheduled for demolition to make way for a car lot. The Clarke County Historical Society purchased the home in 1980 and raised funds for restoration. The house was opened to the public as the Clarke County Historical Museum in 1984., Captions , UpperLeft: The Alston-Cobb House in the 1970s, prior to restoration. , Upper Right: The upstairs bedroom of the Alston-Cobb House. , Lower Right: A family brings the past to life for visitors to the detached kitchen, furnished to the period of the 1850s-1860s.