A Renovation to Fit Today’s Modern Living

Story and photos

by Hudson Shelton

Drake Manor, the family home of Jimmy Drake and four of his five children, has been around to see its fair share of Cullman’s history through the years. Sitting on a plot of land that was once deeded by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to Colonel John C. Cullman in the 1880’s, the home was constructed in the early 1890’s by S.A Felter and has been a staple in the community ever since. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Georgian home has 6,000 square feet of living space and features 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and 2 half baths. After undergoing an extensive renovation shortly after the Drake’s purchased the manor in 2019, Jimmy says the home as it is today has been “redesigned to fit today’s modern living.”

Jimmy Drake, who was born and raised in the Vinemont area, has owned J. Drake Salon in downtown Cullman for the last 35 years. He had his eyes on the home, now known as Drake Manor, and it had always been his dream to buy it one day. In fact, he and his late wife, Amy, looked at the house shortly after they married more than 20 years ago, but decided at the time they were not ready to take on the burden of carrying out the structural renovations needed, and decided to focus on their young family instead. Fast forward 20 years, Jimmy found out the manor was back on the market while on a cruise with his family. “I bought it on the spot. I had a friend go down to the courthouse and put my name down,” Jimmy smiles, “Amy was not thrilled because it was technically a downsize.”

After some back and forth, the Drake’s made the move to 801 3rd Avenue and were set to start the adventure of renovating the historic home. Sadly, Amy passed away just a few months after she and

“A porcelain Capodimonte piece rests on the table when you walk in the entrance. The whimsical style of Amy is present in this colorful piece done by Mary Rose Young of England. Evelyn Burrows chandelier hangs above the marble statue placed by Ray DeMonia.”

Jimmy purchased the home. In that short time, though, Amy was able to make sure that her unique style and touch were carefully dotted throughout the décor, and ensured that her family would feel right at home. Maintaining a home with four teenagers running around can be a difficult task. “There is always a party going on. Putting up with these thugs can be a lot,” Jimmy jokes as his daughter, Siddalee, walks by with a group of friends and asks Jimmy for food money. Jimmy shares the house with his four youngest children Dawson, Isaac, Siddalee and Asher.

His oldest, Casey, is married and in her own home now. Jimmy excitedly mentions that Dawson will soon be out too.

As you approach the front of the manor, the first thing that you notice are the four imposing white columns. The original home lacked the columns, and Jimmy proudly points out that they were one of Amy’s ideas. As I walk between them and into the entrance of the manor, classical piano music plays over the speakers, setting the mood for the type of home I am about to see. The first rooms you see when entering the home feel perfectly preserved in time, with their original hardwood flooring and two fireplaces, whose chimneys can be seen rising even higher than the columns outside.

The renovated kids’ rooms upstairs can only be described as the ultimate crash pad for the constant flow of guests. A TV room in the middle is surrounded by four bedrooms, one for each member of the clan, and each with its own bathroom. An 8-seat media room in the basement, a 6-bed bunk room, and a pub area also serve as ideal places for a teenager to lounge. Jimmy’s master bedroom can be found on the main floor and has a window that is adorned with a cornice specifically made for the house by a company out of South Carolina. Two more cornices can be found over the original windows on the front of the house. “The house lends itself to being formal, so I had those custom made to try to bring it back to the period style at the time it was built,” Jimmy says.

A fire roars in the fireplace in the newly renovated portion on the right side of the house. The renovations included updates to the kitchen, bathrooms and a large living-area for the children to spend time in together. Amy had a love for all things whimsical, and her taste is evident in many of the items in the house. After falling in love with the work of an artist named Mary Rose Young from England, Jimmy and Amy began collecting more of her pieces to decorate their home. Mary Rose has made them a tea set, a set of black and white dishes and several other colorful trinkets that can be found around the interior of the home. Jimmy hopes to continue collecting her artwork.

The center hall includes a wooden table from the late 1800’s with a marble statue placed on top of it that Cullman antique dealer Ray DeMonia helped Jimmy install shortly before Ray passed away in 2021. The chandelier that hangs above the wooden table was once in the home of Evelyn Burrow, whom the museum at Wallace State is named after, and was known for her extensive collection of porcelain and glassware. When it comes to collecting things, Jimmy explains that he tries to acquire things from people or places who have touched his life in one way or another. For instance, the chandeliers in the front room of the house were brought back with them from a trip to Europe they remembered fondly.

Porcelain Capodimonte pieces rest on top of several of the tables in the manor and help to remind you of Amy’s whimsical style. On a trip to the Biltmore Estate, Siddalee observed that “the Vanderbilts have the same Capodimonte as the Drake’s from Cullman!”

Jimmy says he has always had a love for old homes. He and Amy spent most of their married life touring old houses in places like New Orleans and Savannah, Georgia, and talked about one day owning one in Cullman’s Historic District. “It was our passion and something we loved doing together,” Jimmy says, “I have loved every bit of this home… except the heating and power bills, of course!”

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