History of Greenvale

Greenvale, also known as the Quarles House, is a historic residence in Long Beach, MS. William James Quarles was a rural school teacher from Tennessee, who settled in Long Beach in 1884.

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Mr. Quarles had a major impact on the community. He taught the first school in Long Beach at his home. He also opened the first general store. Mr. Quarles was appointed first post master in Long Beach.

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Greenvale was constructed in 1892 as a five-bay, wood-frame, two-story residence with clapboard outer walls. The structure was two rooms deep and sat on a foundation of brick piers with one interior chimney.

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Throughout Greenvale’s history, the house was battered by a century of hurricanes. The house was severely damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969. Through the later half of the 20th century, the house was vacant and sealed.

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Jim Alexander and Janet Alexander Griffin are Mr. W.J. Quarles’ great-grand children. Jim and Janet inherited the land and house from their mother Mary Ellen Alexander.

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Greenvale was orginally located at 120 East Railroad Street in Long Beach, MS. On February 3, 2012, Jim and Janet gained permission from the National Register of Historic Places to move the house 400 feet northeast. The house was designated a Mississippi Landmark on September 7, 2012.

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In 2020, the city of Long Beach began the process to apply for grants to restore Greenvale. In 2021, the city received a 2 million dollar grant from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund to begin the project.

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Once the city of Long Beach received the grant to restore the house, Jim Alexander and Janet Alexander Griffin donated the house and the land to the city. J.O. Collins Contractor, Inc. was awarded the bid for construction, which began on January 4, 2023.