Flowerhill

The meticulously landscaped lawn is maintained by the University of Montevallo staff.

Step inside the president’s mansion at the University of Montevallo

Story by Katie McDowell and photos by Jon Goering

For 86 years, Flowerhill has housed the University of Montevallo president and his family.

The two-story, red brick, Georgian-style house and its sprawling 10-acre lawn is a favorite spot for students to picnic, study or throw the football. It has attracted families for photo shoots and has even been the scene of wedding ceremonies.

That inclusiveness is what the current residents, University of Montevallo President Dr. John Stewart and his wife, Jennifer, love most about the house.

The Stewarts share a laugh with 4-year-old Peyton outside Flowerhill. Peyton enjoys playing in the lawn outside the house, including picking pears and swinging on a tire swing.

However, when John took the job a little more than a year ago, that feeling of family friendly inclusiveness did not extend to the interior of the manse.

“Before the downstairs was used for entertaining and almost like a museum,” he said. “We really needed to have the downstairs livable as well. We wanted to entertain. We wanted it to be elegant and represent the sophistication and traditions of the place, but we also have a 4-year-old.”

That would be Jennifer’s son, Peyton. John’s 20-year-old son, Ian, lives in an apartment next door to the house and eats dinners with the family most nights.

So, Flowerhill has undergone a bit of a transformation in the last year to accommodate its new first family.

The Stewarts worked with a local design firm to redecorate the interior with a focus on creating a comfortable, sophisticated home that also showcases artists from the university.

The painting above the mantle belonged to the Stewarts when they lived in Florida before moving to Montevallo. The pottery on the mantle was made by UM professor Scott Meyer.

“The main reason we decided to change things is we wanted it to have an art gallery feel and look because it’s a liberal arts university,” Jennifer said. “We have so many talented staff and talented students.”

This summer and fall, the house has featured the work of three professors. Scott Stephens and Misty Bennett both have art in the house, while Scott Meyer’s sculptures and pottery are scattered throughout the formal and informal living rooms.

The Stewarts hope to rotate art by students and professors throughout the year.

The couple chose a subdued gray color for the walls and neutral furniture in the downstairs living rooms, dining room and foyer to allow the art to pop. They kept some of the items in the house, including several rugs that were gifts from trustees, but most of the furniture is new and was bought in Shelby County.

“Jennifer did the decorating, but we also bought the furniture and gifted it to the university,” John said. “One day, when we retire, it will stay here.”

The front rooms of the first floor are often used for entertaining, including the annual Christmas party.

Flowerhill is filled with artwork, including the painting above the mantle in the formal living room, on loan from University of Montevallo professors.

“Whoever designed it in the 1920s was very, very aware that the university family is part of the president’s family and vice versa,” John said. “It’s a great place to entertain.”

The Stewarts also transformed the president’s office on the first floor into a den area. The room is still dominated by a large desk and floor-to-ceiling shelves, but it’s also home to a TV, sofa and many of Peyton’s toys.

Also on the first floor is the kitchen, where Jennifer regularly whips up meals for the family of four.

The second floor of the house is generally closed off to visitors. It includes four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a parlor that overlooks the campus. The Stewarts hope to use the parlor for small breakfasts honoring students or faculty.

Now that the family is settled in the house — Jennifer had an ongoing consulting project in Florida that prevented her from moving to Montevallo full-time until recently — they have other plans for the house.

The Stewarts are both football fanatics, and they want to create an outdoor living room, complete with a grill and TV, on the side patio.

For the outdoor lovers, the expansive lawn, which is meticulously maintained by UM staff, is possibly the home’s best feature. It’s also a constant draw to University of Montevallo students, who can be seen reading books or creating art projects on the lawn throughout the year.

“We feel really blessed to have 3,000 wonderful young people across the street,” John said. “It makes for a kind of exciting and really youthful lifestyle.”

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