Fairhope in Baldwin County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Nancy Lewis
⎯⎯⎯
Stewart the Picture Man
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson
1. Nancy Lewis Marker
The Lewis' lived on unused land and had an informal agreement that they could homestead here if they paid the County land taxes of $2 per year.
John and Nancy Lewis, their six children and extended family cleared 15 acres, built houses, outbuildings, orchards and gardens, and kept meny farm animals. They reared a closely knit, happy and hard-working family on this site.
In 1894, the Fairhope Industrial Association "Single Taxers," bought the land and paid the widow Nancy Lewis a generous $100 for her home. They then helped her buy a nearby 40 acres for $4.58. In years to come, Nancy Lewis became a prominent Fairhope citizen.
Reverse Side
Frank Stewart (1855-1942) came to Fairhope in 1903 with a large box camera that made glass plate negatives of images. He wrote on the glass plates which produced white script on his paper prints so identifyimg the pictures as "Stewart the Picture Man photographs.
On this site in 1918, Stewart purchased town founder Shuah Strait Mann's bungalow home and this became the "Fairhope Photo Shop. He operated the business along with his
this page online
Stewart photographed the Fairhopers' efforts to build a new community, chronicling their achievements as well as their struggles. His specialty was the popular photo post card. We know so much more about Fairhope's history because he captured the moment in his crisp black and white images marked "Stewart the Picture Man."
Erected 2019 by Friends of the Fairhope Museum of History.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.
Location. 30° 31.251′ N, 87° 54.111′ W. Marker is in Fairhope, Alabama, in Baldwin County. It is at the intersection of South Bancroft Street, on the left when traveling south on South Bancroft Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 73 South Bancroft Street, Fairhope AL 36532, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Alabama’s Gulf Coast and in Mobile Bay. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. 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 Viceroyalty of New France, 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: City of Fairhope (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fairhope Museum of History (approx. 0.2 miles away); Craig Turner Sheldon (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fairhope Colony Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); Land, Capital, Labor (approx.
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, 2023
2. Nancy Lewis Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 126 times since then and 66 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
