Cahaba in Dallas County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Castle Perine
Photographed by Mark Hilton, June 1, 2025
1. Castle Perine Marker
Factory or Palace?
In 1852, Joel E. Mathews, a wealthy planter, began to build a cotton mill here at the foot of Vine Street, but he never completed the project. Instead, merchant Edward M. Perine purchased the unfinished factory in 1856 and spent $60,000 converting it into a magnificent residence - the largest and finest in town.
"The house contained 26 rooms, finished in the most artistic manner. There were long, broad halls with winding stairway, reception rooms, parlors and ballroom, with embossed ceilings and chandeliers of silver and crystal, shimmering and flashing brilliantly over the beautiful marble mantles imported from Italy. It was no unusual occurrence to find seventy- five or a hundred guests seated around the massive mahogany tables.
Memories of Old Cahaba, Anna Gayle Fry, 1908
[Caption]
Joel E. Matthews, Courtesy of the John P. Furniss Family
Erected 2024 by the Alabama Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.
Location. 32° 18.746′ N, 87° 5.949′ W. Marker is in Cahaba, Alabama, in Dallas County. It can be reached from Oak Street. Located
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Black Belt. 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 New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Working and Living in a "Dead Town" (approx. 0.2 miles away); Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Double Duty: Burial Society & School (approx. 0.3 miles away); New Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Footprint of a Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cahaba's "New" Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cahawba - circa 1500 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Civil War Prison (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cahaba.
Other markers no longer nearby. Perine Well (was about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed); St. Luke's Episcopal Church (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. Located at the south end of the Vine Street Recreational Trail. (No cars or other motorized vehicles allowed on this trail).
Photographed by Mark Hilton, June 1, 2025
2. Castle Perine Marker with the Perine Well in far distance.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, June 1, 2025
3. View of Castle Perine Marker looking west.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 155 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 1, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
