Famous Old Pickett House to Be Sold To Barnes School

Famous Old Pickett Home to be Sold to Barnes School

This house was built in 1837 by John Poston Figh, a city alderman and builder, for his own residence. Figh was the contractor for many Montgomery buildings, including the second State Capitol building in Montgomery. After the first capitol burned in December, 1849, Mr. Figh salvaged some of the square marble tiles from the ruins and used them to floor the downstairs (basement) dining room in his home. These are thought to be the only remaining artifacts from the first Capitol.

In 1858, Col. Albert James Pickett, Alabama's first historian, bought the house from Mr. Figh, but died before he could move in. His family, however, made this their home until 1906. The building was bought in 1906 by Elly Ruff Barnes and was heavily modified to be used as a school for boys. Professor Barnes operated the Barnes School continuously in this building, until it closed in 1942, having graduated generations of young Montgomery gentlemen.



		Famous Old Pickett Home to be Sold to Barnes School This house was built in 1837 by John Poston Figh, a city alderman and builder, for his own residence. Figh was the contractor for many Montgomery buildings, including the second State Capitol building in Montgomery. After the first capitol burned in December, 1849, Mr. Figh salvaged some of the square marble tiles from the ruins and used them to floor the downstairs (basement) dining room in his home. These are thought to be the only remaining artifacts from the first Capitol. In 1858, Col. Albert James Pickett, Alabama's first historian, bought the house from Mr. Figh, but died before he could move in. His family, however, made this their home until 1906. The building was bought in 1906 by Elly Ruff Barnes and was heavily modified to be used as a school for boys. Professor Barnes operated the Barnes School continuously in this building, until it closed in 1942, having graduated generations of young Montgomery gentlemen.

			After Barnes School closed, the house was fitted with plate glass showroom windows and used for an automobile dealership. A number of other commercial tenants followed, the last being a convenience store known as "C. T.'s Trading Post." In 1996, when the Federal Government began its massive Federal Court House expansion, the Figh-Pickett (Barnes School) House was given to the Montgomery County Historical Society to be used as its headquarters. As a result of the tightened security measures brought on by the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, it was suddenly decided by the General Services Administration that the house had to be moved or demolished. The Montgomery County Historical Society was desperately seeking a lot for the house against a rapidly approaching deadline when Robert Arrington made a gift to us of two lots. One of these is ideal for the building; the other will be useful for parking.
	The house was successfully moved in June, 1996. Restoration under the able leadership of James W. Fuller is well underway, being delayed only by the shortage of funds. This is the oldest surviving brick residence in Montgomery, and the only brick house here to ever be moved. The Montgomery County Historical Society plans to use the house as a repository for records and papers relative to the history of the county, and as a museum, housing artifacts from our history. As soon as the house became habitable, the society moved its headquarters in and is operating from there. Restoration is nearing completion.
Return to The Herald. The Montgomery County Historical Society 512 South Court Street, P. O. Box 1829 Montgomery, Alabama, 36102 Telephone 334-264-1837, Fax 334-834-9292 E-Mail: info@montgomeryhistorical.com Webmaster: Myra's Original Creations E-Mail: myralew@myrasoriginalcreations.com