"The Home of the Brownings"

Author and socialite Octavia Walton Le Vert was born at her grandparents' plantation near Augusta, Georgia, on August 11, 1810. In 1821, her father accepted an appointment to serve as the territorial secretary of Florida, and the family relocated to Pensacola. After the appointment ended, the family moved to Mobile, Alabama, in 1834. In 1836, Octavia married Dr. Henry Strachey Le Vert. The couple had four daughters. Le Vert was a respected member of Mobile's social elite, hosting parties and contributing to the city's literary, artistic, and social organizations. In the 1850s, Le Vert made two trips to Europe, first visiting England, Spain, and Italy in 1853 with her family. She returned in 1855, visiting the Paris Exposition representing Alabama as a state commissioner. In 1857, she published Souvenirs of Travel, an account of her European travels. Upon her return to Mobile, Le Vert became actively involved in the campaign to purchase and restore Mount Vernon. After her husband's death in 1865, Le Vert left Mobile and returned to her family home in Augusta. After losing much of her fortune, Le Vert worked as a traveling lecturer in the 1870s. She died in Augusta on March 12, 1877.

Source: Encyclopedia of Alabama.