The old Folsom farm house, built before 1900, was located about 18 miles northwest of Elba, near Old Tabernacle Community, until it was moved to Elba a few years ago and donated to the city. It was being destroyed by vandals and when Coffee Co. Commissioners were contacted about what to do about preserving the old home, they contacted the City of Elba and asked if they would like to have the old home since the Folsom family were long residents of Elba after they moved from the farm in the early 1900s. It is now located on city property next to the old city jail on Putnam Street.
The old house is in bad shape but still standing after all these years. A new chimney replaced the one that had to be taken down in order to move the house. Not much else has been done to the house except to clean it out (a big truck load of junk left over from when the house was used as a hunting lodge). Also bathroom fixtures were taken out. Neglect and a leaking roof caused some of the flooring to rot in corners and along walls. The windows and doors need replacing as well as some of the boards on the exterior walls. It needs a new roof. There's so much history in this old home. It is listed on the Alabama Historical Commission's historical sites (1976) and has a large granite marker placed in the front yard (that was moved from the country also). (click on photos to enlarge them)
The old house looked so bad after it was moved to Elba in 2003, that the Woodmen of the World Lodge 1933 took on a project to plant a southern antique garden in front of it. Materials were donated for the high school welding class to build a sturdy wrought iron garden fence to enclose the front yard. I served as the committee chair for this project, and ended up doing most of the work and I still maintain the flower garden. Now we will wait and see what interest is expressed in helping restore the old house when the news is printed in Ala. newspapers the first of June. I can't do this alone and there doesn't seem to be anyone else interested in helping. Not only is this the home of the only Gov. from Coffee County, but the old house is a dying breed - old wooden farmhouses. Not many are standing anymore, except in museums. We need to protect this one for future generations to visit.
