Malcom & Malcom Realty
The E.M. Carnes House

We know that a house stood on this site earlier than 1857 and was not destroyed by the devastating fire that struck our downtown in April of that year. The entire west side of Broad Street from Spring Street to Washington was destroyed. However, we are told that a child was born in this house during this chaos.

The house was a boarding house then, but the owner is unknown. Just after 1900, Elihue Mansfield Carnes arrived in Monroe from Cartersville on his way to Florida. While inMonroe, Mr. Carnes met Miss Ossie Louise Parker; they were married and spent the rest of their lives together in this house. They had two daughters, Thelma and Devera. It is easy to see why Carnes, named Elihue Mansfield, was known as E.M. 

Mr. Carnes was a skilled photographer, and throughout his career, he remained up-to-date with the changes occurring in the field. Mr. Carnes' first studio was on Court Street. However, he soon converted part of the second floor of this house into a studio space. He even removed part of the north wall and the roof to install a large skylight. Looking at the outside wall today, you can see the cuts in the siding where the skylight used to be. Also, in the photos he took of large groups, the skylight is often visible in the upper right corner. For a time, an exterior staircase led to the studio. Mrs. Carnes was a skilled artist who, when requested, perfectly tinted the black-and-white pictures that her husband took. 

Mr. Carnes photographed Monroe for half a century, documenting its people, places, and things. He took thousands of photographs. After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Carnes, Larry Witcher approached Thelma and Devera Carnes. Through his efforts, Mr. Carnes's photographic equipment, along with hundreds of photographs and negatives, was saved, and today, they are part of the archives at the Monroe Museum.

A footnote to the life of E.M. Carnes. Late in his life, after retiring from his photography, Mr. Carnes enclosed part of the front porch of this house and sold snow cones to the kids coming out of the Troy theater next door.

When Malcom & Malcom Realty took possession, Andy Malcom did a complete restoration, returning the house to its original glory. 

Here are some additional pictures: