08/31/2026
This is a great example of restoration in progress here in Murfreesboro. The house is now owned by Jeffrey Parker who is beginning extensive renovations with a lot of help from his twin brother Greg.  It is going to be beautiful when he’s done. Jeffrey calls it "The Carriage House"  because it was Southall's carriage  that transported General Lafayette into Murfreesboro during his visit.
Built around 1820, the Southall house is a beautiful example of Federal-style architecture and has been part of the Murfreesboro landscape for more than 200 years.
The two-story brick house has some impressive construction details. Its exterior walls are reportedly 21 inches thick, and the brickwork was laid in American bond rather than the Flemish bond more commonly used during the period. Large foundation vents also suggest there may have once been a working basement beneath the house.
The earliest known occupant was John W. Southall, and a rear frame wing of the home dates to 1833.
The house underwent several alterations during the late 1800s. A full-width porch was added to the front, along with carved brackets and delicate decorative vergeboards along the gables. Interestingly, those vergeboards are identical to those found on Murfreesboro's nearby Gingerbread House, suggesting that E. C. Worrell may have been involved in the later remodeling of the Southall house.
The full-width porch is no longer there today, but the home still retains much of its Federal-style character and remains an impressive piece of Murfreesboro's architectural history.
Even better, I've heard that plans may be in the works to restore the Southall House in the near future.
