700 Lapsley Street
Friday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
The owners of this Tudor-style house like to think of it as “Thomas Kincade meets Fairhope.” Since purchasing the home in 1990, local landscape specialist Greg Bjelke and his wife, Jane, have decorated it inside and out to capture the look of a rambling, cozy English cottage and to reflect their style.
Completed in 1923 by the family of Victor Atkins, whose father was mayor of Selma from 1903 to 1910, it is believed that Montgomery architect Frank Lockwood designed the house in a style which later became his trademark throughout Alabama and the Southeast. Lockwood also designed Montgomery City Hall and the Covington County Courthouse.
From about World War I up into the 1930s, English Tudor-like, half-timbered gables became a popular feature of many American houses large and small. The casement windows and an entry-porch framed by a wooden Tudor arch add to the country-cottage charm.
The gardens include a variety of southern shrubs such as the Lady Banksia rose, overflowing window boxes and hanging baskets. A large sunroom on one side is perfect for year-round enjoyment and entertaining.
The Bjelkes say there’s a “very interesting story” about a discovery that was made when the house was built. However, the story will have to wait until they share it with their Pilgrimage visitors.
