Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, 1906 Springhill Ave. Originally built by Judge John Bragg in 1855, the twenty-room, 13,000 square-feet mansion demonstrates both Greek Revival and Italian influence with fifteen-foot ceilings and a curved staircase.
Judge Bragg built the home for his wife and family to enjoy Mobile’s social season, Thanksgiving through Mardi Gras. The Bragg family split their time between the Mansion and their cotton plantation in Lowndes County outside of Montgomery. Judge Bragg died in 1878.
The house was acquired for $20,000 in 1925 by A. S. Mitchell, who restored it and lived there until 1965.
The mansion was donated to the Explore Center by the A.S. Mitchell Foundation in the late 1970s to be the home of an interactive science museum. Instead, The Explore Center built a separate science museum, The Gulf Coast Exploreum, and began work to restore the mansion.
After $3 million in renovations, the home was opened to the public in 1987 and now serves for wedding receptions and historic home tours. It is run by a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
