Johnson, Axil, House

Fairhope was founded in 1894 as a Utopian colony by a group of mid-westerners. Prior to the founders 7 selection of the site of their town, there was little development along the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. Indeed, the site of Fairhope itself was an overgrown pine barren with a few squatters. The early Fairhopers were guided by the Single Tax philosophy of Henry George. George's theory called for a single tax on land, freeing it up for the highest and best use. Residents would lease their land from the Single Tax Colony, and own their improvements. This arrangement was meant to stifle land speculation.

By early 1895 some two dozen settlers had arrived in Fairhope, so named because their experiment had a "fair
hope" of success. The Single Taxers quickly acquired several hundred acres of land, much of it located along the
bluffs overlooking the bay. One of their first actions was to set aside the choice bayfront property for the community, in the belief that no individual had the right to monopolize such a scarce resource.

As the town slowly grew and developed, a variety of people sympathetic with the principles of the Single Tax moved in. Many of these people were mid-westerners who had followed the progress of the Utopian experiment in a variety of big city dailies. By the turn of the century Fairhope had about four hundred residents. Because the soil at the site was marginal and unsuited to extensive agriculture, many people rented out rooms to Mobilians and other out of towners seeking a summer resort or escape from northern winters.

Around 1900 a man named Axil Johnson moved to Fairhope from the midwest. Johnson was of Swedish ancestry and a committed Single Taxer. His presence promised to be of practical value to the community since he was a skilled plasterer and cement finisher. Johnson paired up with Marmaduke Dyson, an English immigrant and local builder of some repute. Together, Johnson and Dyson had a hand in numerous local buildings, including the Masonic Hall (1911) on South Section Street and a number of modest houses typical of Fairhope. The partnership would last until World War I.

In partnership with Dyson, and on his own, Johnson worked as a small time builder in an informal setting. Most of the architecture in Fairhope was of a vernacular nature, informed by occasional stylistic trends. Most builders
worked without the benefit of plans and specifications. It was not uncommon for the scheme to be in the builder's head only. Despite this, certain builders developed their distinctive "styles" still recognizable as their work. Such was the case with Johnson's skill as a plasterer and stucco man.

During the war years Johnson struck out on his own, and tried a variety of endeavors. He experimented with farming, but failed to make much of a living. It was as a builder that Axil Johnson was most competent. Though Johnson was a committed Single Taxer, colony lots were in limited supply after World War I. Indeed, during the 1940s there were none. Therefore Johnson purchased a deeded lot just east of downtown Fairhope in 1940 and began construction of a new one and a half story house. The area had been sparsely settled up to that time. There were a scattering of houses on large lots and there was even a pear canning plant on Ingleside Avenue nearby. (Dyson Interview, Rowe Interview, Fairhope City Directory) With its use of local materials, unenclosed eave overhang, exposed roof rafters, stucco finish, casement windows and free, open interior plan, the Johnson House is typical of the Craftsman style as it existed in Fairhope. Stucco was widely used in the community from the 1920s to the 1940s, and was even referred to as "Single-Tax Stucco." The Johnson House is somewhat plainer than earlier examples of the style, for instance it lacks knee braces in the gables which are ubiquitous in examples from the 1920s. In its clean simplicity the Johnson House represents the fading of the Craftsman philosophy into a less studied, modern form. Indeed, the Johnson House is one of the last Craftsman style houses constructed in Fairhope.

Fairhope fared quite well during the teens, twenties and thirties. During the Depression only two banks in Baldwin County stayed in business, one of these was in Fairhope. The community continued to attract reform minded individuals, though in fewer numbers than in former days. Many located in Fairhope simply because it was a nice place to be. Increased land speculation during the 1920s put some pressure on the Single Tax idea, but it and the community did not succumb to development schemes.

By the time Johnson built his house, downtown Fairhope was prosperous, and more people were building out on land to the east of downtown, like Johnson. Johnson's house was an impressive display of his specialized building skills. The building consisted of stuccoed clay tile blocks and a smoothly finished interior with an open archway between the dining and living rooms. As noted earlier, the clay tile blocks were a common building material on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. A wide vein of clay runs from Montrose on the bay to the Fish River, several miles inland. This vein has been exploited by man since prehistoric times. From the 18th century a number of potteries were established in Daphne and Montrose, and a series of kilns was established on the Fish River during the late 19th century. Known as Clay City, these kilns produced clay building blocks for the area. The blocks were made in molds and fired to hardness. Each block looked rather like a concrete block, though smaller, with hollow spaces. This dead air mass was thought to be an advantage for building in the hot climate. It was
thought that it would keep the home warm in winter and cool in summer.

Johnson's lot was a generous 140x170 feet, fenced and bordered with rose bushes. In an effort to supplement his income during retirement, Johnson included an off-set one story shed roof wing and garage with his house which he and his wife rented out. This was a common practice in Fairhope.

From 1942 to 1954 Johnson served as Superintendent of Lands and Highways for the Single Tax Corporation and was listed in the city directory as living at 2401 Hedge Villa Place. Today the house bears the address of 751 Edwards Street. The Johnson's lived in the house until about 1960. The present owners purchased it in 1985.