James Donnelly residence
Donnelly House is a historic residence and event venue located at 2828 Highland Avenue in Highland Park. It was built in 1905 to be the residence of industrialist and civic leader James W. Donnelly, who moved to Birmingham after retiring from the Procter & Gamble Co. in Cincinnati.
The 12,000 square-foot Georgian Colonial mansion features white marble floors, as well as a lighted ornamental pool and fountains. A 200-year-old beaded Austrian crystal chandelier imported from France greets visitors at the foyer.
During the 1950s, it also was home to the Birmingham Civic Ballet. The Donnelly House was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on March 20, 1975. Since then it has been partially renovated to serve primarily as an event hall. The house currently has six bedrooms, two kitchens, three full baths and three "bonus rooms".
The property fell into foreclosure in 2009 and is currently owned by Gateway Bank of San Francisco, California. From 2007 to July 2010, the property was managed by Culinard, the culinary institute of Virginia College. It is currently vacant.
References
- Kent, Dawn (July 31, 2009) "Birmingham's historic Donnelly House is in foreclosure." Birmingham News
- Cooper, Lauren B. (July 26, 2010) "Historic Donnelly House back up for sale." Birmingham Business Journal