Alida Harper Fowlkes (1908-1985) was the daughter of William E. Harper (1873-1954) and Georgia Law Edmondston (1878-1967). Her brother was Col. William E. Harper, Jr. (1905-2002) and her sisters included Alida Law Harper Glover and Eleanor B. Harper Peckham. Alida Harper Fowlkes married Hunter McGuire Fowlkes (1894-1949) in 1948. Fowlkes was one of the first restorationists in Savannah, Georgia. Fowlkes attended finishing school from 1924 to 1927 at New Sullins College in Virginia Park, Bristol, Virginia. She bought the Georgian Tea Room in 1930 and ran it until 1943. In 1939, she saved it from destruction and formed the Society for the Preservation of Savannah Landmarks. That same year, Fowlkes bought the McAlpin house on 230 Barnard St. and began her career restoring homes in Savannah's historic district. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s she was most involved in buying, restoring, and either renting or selling historic properties. She ran antique shops at this time as well, often located in structures she had saved. Fowlkes was a member of the Colonial Dames, Historic Savannah Foundation, Savannah Historical Research Association, and Independent Presbyterian Church. Fowlkes' great-grandfather, Judge William Law (1793-1874), was the first of the Law family line to come to Savannah. He served as Superior Court Judge from 1828 to 1834, as a representative on the Chatham county state legislature, member of the Board of Education, and a founding member of the Georgia Historical Society. Law married his last wife, Alethea Jones Stark, in 1834 and had ten children, the youngest of which became Fowlkes' grandmother, Alida Stark Law (1853-1935). Alida Stark Law married Charles Edmondston (1848-1909) in 1877 and had four children, including Georgia Law Edmondston (1878-1967), Fowlkes' mother. Charles Edmondston owned his own business as a commission merchant. He was also a cashier at Commercial Bank of Savannah. Georgia married William E. Harper (1873-1954) in 1902. Harper served in managerial and clerical positions with cotton factors. He was also the manager of the Southern Sales division of G. Ober & Sons, a commercial fertilizer manufacturer, which later merged with Read Phosphate and Davison Chemical.
From the description of Alida Harper Fowlkes papers, 1788-1984. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70295621
