One Way or Another
For Mallory Scoble, the Farmstead community is more than just a series of houses nestled together. It’s where the heart is.
Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Al Blanton
When Mallory Scoble was six years old, her family moved from a crowded neighborhood with small yards and seemingly miles of pavement to Jasper’s Farmstead community. There was plenty of outside space for her and her brother to play, even a pond where they could fish.
Her memories from this time are filled with family and friends. It was there that her parents taught her to garden. Another fond memory was her 17th birthday, which consisted of an unintentionally large get-together with a bonfire.
Fast forward 24 years to April 2018, when Mallory returned to Farmstead to live with her husband, Grant, their ten-month-old daughter, Violet, and their three dogs. Although the Scobles’ new home was not the same one she grew up in, it had that same familiar feeling of home she felt from the beginning. “I’ve always loved this neighborhood and knew I wanted to make my way back here,” Mallory says. “It makes you feel like you’re on a secluded farm in the country, but you’re still within the city limits. I was going to live here one way or another.”
The Scobles’ farm style home not only sparks envy in many who strive to make theirs match the current farmhouse trend, it holds a rich history as well. The land on which it sits was included in a New Deal program designed to help Alabamians struggling after the Great Depression. “The Roosevelt administration played a big role in helping people get back into farming after the Depression,” Grant says. “Part of the program was to build about 100 homes in this area and other areas throughout the state that were affordable to people who otherwise couldn’t buy a home on their own.”
Mallory remembers seeing and even visiting the house when she was growing up. The homeowner, Joe Deavors, also owned a flower shop, and Mallory and her mother would often visit around Valentine’s Day to see the arrangements.
Memories with her mother are another force that brought Mallory back to the Farmstead community. “Grant and I were living in downtown Jasper when we learned that my mom had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s,” she says. “We wanted to be closer to her and we wanted to be here for my dad, and we saw this house. It was just a no-brainer.”
Unfortunately the house was not on the market at that time. It had been purchased and was being restored by Shannon Brunner, who is known for restoring homes in the Jasper area. Grant and Mallory took a leap of faith, explained their situation to Brunner, and signed a contract to purchase the home after he completed renovations.
“Some people thought we were crazy,” Grant recalls. “They told us we could just tear this house down and build a new one in its place for what we were spending, but we had already fallen in love with the idea and the character of this house.”
Two years later, they are still as in love with the house as they were then. Many of the features stand out as favorites with the Scobles: the large kitchen, the open sightlines, the original fireplace and coal-burning stove uncovered during renovations, and especially the vast back yard and patio space where they can entertain friends. Perhaps what they love most, though, is the peace they feel living here.
“We know pretty much all of our neighbors, my dad is right next door, and the road is not busy,” Mallory says. “I know that when Violet starts playing on her own, I won’t be scared to send her outside while we work or cook or clean inside.”
Although they briefly considered moving after Mallory’s mom passed away, the Scobles have no intention of leaving. Rather, they want to keep improving the home to meet their needs, and continue living in the place that Mallory holds closely to her heart.
“This is where I remember my mom healthy and happy. This is where I spent my last days with her,” Mallory says. “I appreciate now why she and my dad loved it so much.” 78