By Emily Williams
When Barbara Randle and her husband, Edmond, closed on their house in 1987, they weren’t just buying brick and mortar, they were buying a piece of history.
The Hoover-Randle Home was built in 1947 by William H. Hoover on 160 acres he bought with the hope that it one day would be located in a city named after him. That dream was achieved, and the house’s address is on Tyler Road in the Bluff Park area of Hoover.
“Mr. Hoover passed away in this house, as did his wife,” Barbara Randle said. “We bought it from the family in 1987, shortly after Mrs. Hoover died.”
The Randles didn’t call the house “home” until 1989, spending two years updating and expanding it. About 5,000 square feet were added to extend the back of the house.
From move-in day on, the home has welcomed Barbara’s four children, 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In 1990, the Hoover-Randle Home became the first structure in the city placed on the National Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
Now that the children are married with families of their own, Randle said the burden of keeping up the house has started to grow.
“When we started talking about downsizing, I kept thinking, ‘Nobody wants to buy this house,’” she said. “There simply isn’t a market for a home like this and we knew we wanted to preserve it.”
Offers rolled in from building companies that wanted to level the house and stuff the land with houses, but those offers were rejected.
Then, on a Monday, Randle heard a knock at the door.
“There was a woman at the door and she asked if we did weddings,” Randle said. “And I said, ‘Sure we do, when is it?’ And she said, ‘Saturday.’”
The short notice was due to the groom’s impending deployment with the army. Being no stranger to organizing an event, Randle used the knowledge she has gained from years of hosting non-profit events, family gatherings and two of her children’s weddings and got to work.
The incident sparked an idea, and Randle embarked on a mission to turn the home into Hoover’s newest event venue, with the help of longtime family friend Tahara Evans.
“I’m not a child by blood, but I like to think of myself as an adopted daughter,” Evans said. “This is one of my favorite places, so I am so happy that I have the opportunity to help preserve it.”
Filled With Attitude
In addition to maintaining the integrity of the home, Randle plans to leave much of its furnishings behind.
Though the outward appearance of the home is traditional, with its red brick and white columns, the interior is filled with Randle’s personality.
“It’s a historic home with attitude,” Randle said, and she plans to keep it that way.
The walls are filled with an eclectic variety of art that makes up a collection Randle has personally curated through her world travels.
“Of course there are a few things that I’ll have to take with me, but most of what you see in front of you will remain here,” she said.
Leaving the furnishings behind just gives her more space in her new residence to add to her collection.
“I like to think of myself as an uneducated art collector,” she said. “I buy what I like and what makes me happy. I’ve got some higher-end pieces, but a lot of it is stuff I have found. It’s the stories about what I’ve collected that make them meaningful.”
Randle pointed out one of her favorite paintings, depicting the “front door” of a plaster structure in vibrant shades of oranges, greens and purples. Barbara bought it off of the back of an SUV while in Morocco for somewhere in the neighborhood of $5.
Mixed in with pieces created by acclaimed local artists such as Carolyn Goldsmith and Arthur Weeks are framed prints that Barbara found in the basement at an estate sale on Cherokee Road.
Evans agreed that the prints are among her favorites in the collection.
Randle’s own work can be found throughout the house, from the pendant window treatments she handmade for the morning room to rolled fabric artwork hung beneath the front staircase.
For clients who wish to put their own spin on the space, Randle has the ability to remove the furnishings and store them away. She also can provide any extra details necessary to complete an event.
The central living space of the house fits just less than 100 people and opens up to a large covered porch with an outdoor fireplace and bar. Beyond a patio filled with tables is a large lawn with a gazebo tucked away at the far end that is a preferred spot for wedding ceremonies.
“We really can’t say enough good things about the neighborhood,” Randle said. “They are incredibly accommodating and have been so good to us.”
Randle noted that she will sometimes spot neighbors strolling through the garden, she even put a small stone path in for a neighboring 3-year-old who often visits her for a quick chat and a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
The Randles and Evans have been hard at work bringing the home up to ADA code in preparation for their already growing list of scheduled events for the fall.
“We had to put in all of these exit signs,” Randle said. “They are hideous. I can’t stand them. I keep trying to think of ways I can fix them up a little bit.”
Perhaps the neon red Exit signs and the new men’s and women’s restroom plaques will be given new life with a few bolts of Randle’s fabric. But before she can get to crafting, Randle said her next step is to get herself and her husband moved into their new home.
For more information on the Hoover-Randle Home, visit hooverrandlehome.com.
