The life of Alida Harper is a
journey to be remembered. From a
young age, she showed
determination and expressed a
joyful disposition. A pioneer in
the restoration movement, Alida
grew to become one of the most
successful Savannah women in the 20th
century. Her life and
achievements are remembered
still today as visitors explore
the Harper Fowlkes House that is
maintained just as Alida wanted.
Born in the spring of 1908,
Alida and her family experienced
life in the South during the
Great Depression, World War I
and II and the Vietnam War. It
is no doubt that her life was
filled with devastating events,
yet her enthusiasm and character
kept her motivated, even
throughout hard times.
As a child, she spent many of
her days in bed. At age 5, she
contracted typhoid fever and had
several surgeries due to a rare
form of tuberculosis. This time
spent lying in bed led to her
fascination with drawing,
watercolors and journaling. She
kept diaries and scrapbooks with creative drawings and
landscape watercolors that kept
here imagination alive while
bedridden. Her numerous dolls
kept her company.
Despite her physical condition,
Alida remained active. After
some primary schooling, she
entered “finishing school” from
1924 to 1927 at New Sullins
College in Virginia. Although,
she was not an academic scholar,
she maintained adequate grades
and excelled in art classes.
Alida’s teachers and friends
often expressed that her
artistic talents provided income
to help pay her tuition. She
would paint silhouette figures
on brooches and on the backs of
her classmates' rain jackets.
These “fundraiser” opportunities
suggest that she possessed an
entrepreneurial spirit even at
such a young age.
After graduating finishing
school, Alida returned home and
quickly became a Savannah
socialite. She opened a small
studio, “Variety Shop” in her
parent’s home. In her journal
she wrote, “Had two afternoon
teas good write ups... You
couldn't say all Savannah turned
out -but it wasn't so worse.”
Soon after her return home, her
parents announced her official
“coming out into society.” Her
popularity flourished. She and
her “society friends” became
active in bridge games, parties
and debutante activities, and in
1928, she attends University of
Georgia (UGA). During her time
at the UGA, she opens another
variety shop, the “Loom and Art
Shop” and thus her business
career continued to flourish.
The story is often told how she
regularly rode the Barnard
Street bus and when it passed
the house, she stretched to see
it, thinking “someday I will own
that house.” On New Year’s Eve,
1939, Alida Harper and her
mother moved into what is now
the Harper Fowlkes house.
Six
years after she bought the
house, she married Hunter Mc Gregor
Fowlkes, a tenant of the house.
Unfortunately he died of natural
causes a year and a half later.
She did not inherit wealth from
her family or her husband. She
earned it, and lived frugally,
accumulated capital and
investing wisely.
Alida died in 1985 at the age of
77. In her will Alida left the
house to the Society of the
Cincinnati in the State of
Georgia to be used as state
headquarters. She wanted future
generations to see the lifestyle
of the mid 1800s. Her will
stipulated that the house is to
be property maintained and can
never be sold. All of the
current furnishings were hers,
including silver, china and
crystal.
Photos of Alida
