Oak Haven Cottages

Fairhope's

Oak Haven Cottages

The history of Oak Haven Cottages, located on South Mobile Street in Fairhope, is older than the history of Fairhope itself. “We were told that the cottages were built by one of the early Fairhope residents, Captain Nichols,” said Ralph Neise, who has owned the cottages with his wife, Meriam, for about 35 years. Before moving here, Ralph worked in shipping and frequently visited Mobile and Fairhope. When the couple were ready to retire, they began looking for a small business to run. “We were living in New York. My wife is from Hawaii, and she wanted to live someplace quieter, and we chose Fairhope.”

Currently Oak Haven has 16 cottages that one reviewer on Trip Advisor described as “comfortable and funky in a 1960s kind of way.”

Because the cottages were built years ago as summer vacation rentals, they do require regular repairs and upgrades, Ralph said. “We’ve added insulation and heating and air conditioning. They all have full, furnished kitchens, and people who visit enjoy that. Visitors also love that they are close enough to walk easily to the Bay or downtown.”

Vacationers enjoy the location, but it was the key element to one long-term renter. Janice Harayda first spent time in Fairhope as the writer-in-residence for the Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts and lived at the Wolff Cottage behind the library. She returned to Fairhope again when working on her third novel and has lived at Oak Haven for more than two years.

“I spent months looking for place to finish my third book, hoping to find a clean, quiet, and reasonably priced long-term furnished rental. Because I don’t drive, I also wanted a place that would let me walk to town, the library, the post office, and the beach. Oak Haven Cottages met all those needs and more,” Janice explained. “Meriam and Ralph take a personal interest in their tenants and have gone out of their way to help. As a novelist, I especially like that my cottage, like many others at Oak Haven, has a screened porch, so I can write either there or indoors. The lovely extras include bright pink azaleas in the spring and the cardinals, mockingbirds, and other birds that they attract.”

Local historian Donnie Barrett says that the original cabins at Oak Haven were built by Forest Nichols, son of Captain C.E. Nichols who established the area known as “Nicholsville” before the Fairhope Single Tax founders showed up on the Eastern Shore in 1894. “Captain Nichols owned a lot of land in that area and was not a part of Single Tax. That’s why there are homes for a block or two on the beach side of Mobile Street—they weren’t part of the land that Single Tax acquired. Captain Nichols served as one of the original council members when the City of Fairhope was established in 1908, and of course the city grew up around Nicholsville. No one knows the area by that name any longer.”

Ralph said that he and Meriam enjoy owning a piece of Fairhope history. “The cottages are a unique part of our town, and we intend to keep at it as long as we are able; we enjoy having visitors. We’re old, but we’re not too tired yet,” he said, laughing.

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