BRUEGGEMAN HOUSE

614 Sherman Street SE

circa 1897

Albany’s Brueggeman home boasts an interesting history. Local lore indicates the house was moved down from the mill village (near the Hyosung factory) on log rollers pulled by mules to its present location at 614 Sherman Street. It is depicted on a 1906 map along with its twin, the house next door at 618 Sherman Street. Thought to be constructed between 1897 and 1899, the home served as a company home for employees of industries located in the area. This house was one of approximately 20 homes moved to various locations in New Decatur (Albany) as part of industry expansion. The triangular casing over the top of each window hints that the home’s original detailing was Victorian.

The earliest directory for the city of Decatur is from 1905. It lists Dent F. and Alice Green living here from 1905 through the early 1920s. Dent was a lawyer who served as the vice president of the Tennessee Valley Bank. He also served as a senator for the Second Alabama District, superintendent of banks in the State of Alabama, and chairman of the board for the State National Bank. After passing through 14 families, the home is now in the care of Bud and Charlene Brueggeman, who purchased the home in 2005. The triangular casing over the top of each window hints that the home’s original detailing was Victorian. This updated, two-story former row house features a wrap porch, a renovated/relocated kitchen and breakfast room, and modernized bathrooms. The original wood floors and windows maintain the home’s historic flavor with a floor plan only slightly modified from its original footprint. Bud and Charlene love living in the Albany Historical District with its great old houses, sidewalks, beautiful front porches, and wonderful neighbors. Be sure to visit the Brueggeman House at 614 Sherman Street on this year’s Christmas Tour.