Meggan Monday: Tour of Greenvale in Long Beach

This morning, our friend Meggan Gray takes us on a tour of a Long Beach home rich in history.

Back in the late 1800s, W.J. Quarles, a school teacher from Tennessee, arrived in Long Beach, Mississippi to teach children in the community.

A few years later, he and his wife lived in a cottage and built Greenvale on Railroad Street. In this week’s Meggan Monday, we’re going to take you inside the historic home that Long Beach has saved and refurbished for city use. Let’s take a look at the Quarles House.  Courtney Cuevas with Long Beach Community Affair said, “Walking into the house, I want individuals to know that he was the start of Long Beach as well as many other Long Beach settlers. And when individuals come in here, they can be transported into that time period with the furniture from the woodwork that he put into each piece of wood in the house. ”

Mayor George Bass said, “You know, Mr. Quarles he came from Greenvale, Tennessee. He and his wife, Miss Miranda, and when they came from Greenvale, Tennessee, they settled here in what is now Long Beach. He was the first postmaster here in Long Beach.”

“He was the first teacher.”

“He opened the first country store here in Long Beach.”

“And he had a total of 10 children. Only four or five of them survived to adulthood.”

“So, it’s a great lot of detail and a lot of the fixtures here as far as the chimney surrounds, and I can just imagine the pleasure. You know, having built my own houses personally, and the pleasure, I take and look at and say, and I did that, you know, God gave me that ability to do that. And he guided me through it and I’m sure Mr. Quarles was the same way. And to walk through and look at each room and wonder about the person or the family who lived in that room. The fun they shared.”

“So, after 2005 Miss Carol Paola’s discovery class applied for the grant to get a new roof and to stabilize the house to be able to move it. Once the house was moved to its current location right now. The city in 2017 began the process of writing the grant to refurbish the house. So, the grant was awarded to the city in 2023 and construction started in mid-February 2023. And it was completed in January 2024.”

What a beautiful piece of history that was rescued from near ruin! Long Beach is pretty proud of the house and has even offered it as a venue for prom pictures.

If you are interested in visiting the Quarles House, call 228-863-1556.