We recently closed a breathtaking property.
Real Estate is mostly about houses and sq ft but sometimes there’s an amazing story behind it. Because the owner of this one was a very dedicated world-renowned doctor who touched so many lives.
This House was owned by Philp T. Cole was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Michigan State University (B.A., 1960), the University of Vermont (M.D., 1965), and Harvard University (M.P.H., 1967). He earned a Dr. P.H. in 1970, also from Harvard.
He began his professional career in Epidemiology at Harvard in 1969 where between 1969 and 1979 he authored or co-authored more than 70 research papers relating to the epidemiology of cancer in human beings. In 1979 Phil relocated to Alabama where he assumed a position as Senior Scientist at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He served as Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology at UAB from 1981 to 1994, and during that time he authored or co-authored more than 130 research papers on causality in Epidemiology, health policy and law, innovative approaches to smoking cessation, occupational and chemical carcinogenesis and the health effects of electromagnetic fields. Phil retired from UAB and was named Professor Emeritus in 1999. He continued his career in Cancer Epidemiology by continuing to teach and consult on Epidemiological issues. He received many professional honors and awards, both nationally and internationally, for his distinguished achievements in the field of Public Health. He was loved by his students and traveled all over the world to teach about cancer and to help find a cure.
He built this house because it was his dream house. Stepping into the foyer is like stepping into a world of imagination. When you look up 3 stories of open space to the cupula it’s an amazing site to see because you feel so small. Like when you step inside a great museum. Inside this house were many beautiful paintings, some of the homes similar to his own which helped his inspiration. In the library, gorgeous books were neatly stacked in place from floor to ceiling. Philip enjoyed his retirement overlooking the beautiful lake and mountains every day. Until 2 years ago when that terrible tornado came through Shoal Creek and almost destroyed it.
Philip was inside this home when the tornado came through and he survived. The house however took quite a punch. Philip rented a house in the Shoal Creek neighborhood which he loved so much and worked very hard to get it back to completion. It was at this time he became ill and became less and less involved with the restoration of this home. The family knew how much it meant to him so one day they were able to take him one last time (as they returned from the hospital) to see his gorgeous home almost fully completed.
The story goes on because the family wanted to see this home completed as their beloved Philip Cole did, and so they together made it happen. Having everything repaired to a fort-like state. Adding steel to the columns that surround the house. Adding a metal roof on top that lasts a lifetime. All the framing inside, Electrical, and plumbing has been done, and new framework, and decking all around. This home is 4 stories tall, with over 9 acres in Shoal Creek, you can not miss this home. It was built directly in the middle of the back side of Shoal Creek so privacy is absolutely not a problem. The dream of 509 Carnoustie’s completion has been passed to the new owners. We are all very excited, to say the least. Some of the photos below are renderings of what the outside may look like in the future so stay tuned.
As a realtor and real estate agent, I have never been in a home that captured my imagination quite like this. The stigma most buyers would have buying a home that has been through a tornado, what does that look like and how do we overcome that? How do we find someone who would appreciate and love it to finish this out? That’s when we wanted to add a few modern ideas that would capture the modern buyer to make it very captivating and unique. We had quotes for everything. But if I’m being completely honest with you I think all that is wonderful. However when you see this home and when it takes your breath away in person without anything done to it. You just fall in love with the scenery, and the views, and it really makes you say wow.
At that moment you just want to do it exactly the way it was designed and you just want to finish what was started. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime dream house and we were honored to be a part of its story.
Written by: Connie Alexander Jacks
The Luxe Group at Real Broker, LLC
