Along with an underground drainage system, the upgrade and repairs cost nearly $1 million.įor the Haskell family, the terrace has been a focal point for entertainment, art classes, birthday parties and nonprofit board meetings. Eight lanterns along the garages allow for evening basketball and volleyball games 10 months a year. Mr. The yearlong renovation resulted in significant changes to the estate, including the addition of the second garage. In 1998, a torrential rainstorm sparked a mudslide that did extensive damage to the grounds, he said. “My grandparents had great birthday and Christmas parties there,” said Reese Murray, 69, a retired attorney who now lives in Mountain Brook. Many winter evenings were spent in the main living room in front of the limestone fireplace. Munger’s cotton-gin manufacturing company eventually became the Northington-Munger-Pratt Co. Her great-great-grandparents, Robert and Mary Collett Munger, arrived in Birmingham from Texas in 1889. Haskell has learned her family has ties to the Northingtons. Their daughter, Mary Gaines Earle Northington, lived in the mansion until her death in 1960.įamily members who inherited the home leased the property in 1968 to a Bible college until 1981, when Reese Murray, a great-grandson to Mary Gaines Earle Northington, and his brother Lee moved back in. In 1995, Reese Murray, his wife, Marilyn, and their children took up residence in the home until 2019, when they sold the estate to the Haskells. Mary Gaines Earle, the daughter of a banker whose family also owned a grocery store and drugstores, built the home with her husband, Merrill Pratt Northington, more than 20 years after their wedding. The fourth floor has a guest bedroom and playroom that runs the length of the home. A workout area, wine cellar and storage are on the lower level. The three daughters have their own rooms. On the third floor is the main bedroom, where one of the marble fireplaces is put to use during the winter months. Haskell’s childhood bunk bed is now used in her daughter's room. “The plaster walls are so thick, there are a few spots where we can’t get the internet,” said Mrs. The sunroom has a 4-foot fireplace with a stone hearth, six sets of glass-paned french doors, two sets of side french doors and black stone-tile floors. The mansion has a large living room with a 6-foot limestone fireplace and 12-foot ceilings. Multilevel garden beds in the backyard enhance the lush landscape. Up a flight of stairs is the front door, which is level with the second story. Outside, a cobblestone driveway leads to the side of the home and a first-floor entry. “The plaster crown molding in the foyer and dining room was done by hand and is all original.” “The craftsmanship inside with the hand-carved details in the doors and patterns in the wood-you don’t see anything like that today,” said Jerry Talbot, a carpenter who has assisted with repairs for more than 20 years. Robert Rausch for The Wall Street Journal Marion, Clara and Colette Haskell play volleyball in front of an original garage on the property.
She said the Murrays had saved the home’s original plans and blueprints. They were careful to preserve original details, such as the carved-oak front door, two limestone and two marble fireplaces, lighting sconces throughout the home, and even a stack of hand-cut bricks, Mrs. “The home has grand spaces for entertaining,” she added, “but also cozy nooks where we spend most of our time as a family.” Haskell said ATC Interiors, a Birmingham design firm, spent over half a year working on each room. They upgraded the electrical system in the house and apartment, replaced windows, redid plaster, restored exterior woodwork and installed gating to the front and back entrances. The couple spent about $300,000 on renovations after moving in. He returned to his hometown from New York City and a job with Morgan Stanley shortly after the Sept. Haskell, an investment adviser, is a native of Birmingham. “Especially in this area, people appreciate historic homes.” “Sam loves preserving history,” said Mrs. For the family of five-including the Haskells’ three daughters, ages 9, 11 and 14-the move from Mountain Brook, adjacent to Redmont, represented an easier commute to their work and school.
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