Thomas Rowan residence

The Thomas Rowan residence (also called Rowan Oaks or the Rowan Oaks Historical Home) is a farmhouse built by Thomas Rowan and his son John Rowan at 1900 Montevallo Road in Leeds.

Rowan moved to a 130-acre farm which he purchased at auction in 1846 and built a small house on the site in 1854. It was greatly enlarged by Rowan's son in 1904. The family remained in the house through another generation, with the last occupant passing away in 1979.

Builder Charles Kessler, Jr purchased the deteriorating property in 1998 to develop Woodruff Farms. He was persuaded to donate the historic house to the Historical Society.

The wood structure with deep porches and pine floors was restored by the Leeds Historical Society beginning in 1999. With help from volunteers from Leeds First Baptist Church the house was repaired, re-roofed, air-conditioned, furnished and landscaped for use as a reception hall.

The house was dedicated to the public on April 22, 2000. A carriage house for the society's replica stage coach was added a year later.

The house was listed with the Jefferson County Historical Commission in 1999 and Alabama Historical Commission erected a marker at the site in 2001.

References

• Henry, Jane (November 5, 2008) "Rowan Oaks is one of historical society’s accomplishments." The Leeds News