Where was the old Knights of Columbus Hall? I remember watching Mardi Gras parades there, as a child, during the early 1960s. The Knights of Columbus, Council No.666, once occupied the former John Battle home at the northwest corner of Government and Warren streets. The organization was founded in Connecticut in 1882 as a mutual benefit society to assist Roman Catholic widows and orphans. In 1902, a K of C council was established in Mobile. By 1908, the group had constructed a handsome building at 106 St. Joseph St., in the block north of St. Francis Street. Like many of Mobile's social clubs, the ground floor was leased as office space, while the upper floors held meeting space for the Knights. In 1918, for reasons not entirely clear, the group moved to rented rooms above a dry goods store on St. Emanuel Street. Two years later, the house on Government Street was purchased. John A. M. Battle built the home in 1854. He was one of three brothers who established the hotel bearing their name. The Battles had made a fortune buying and selling cotton, and brothers John and James built nearly identical mansions on Government Street. The John Battle home was a two-story brick Italianate mansion. The front had cast-iron galleries, flanked by large bay windows. Inside, a center hall separated spacious rooms. Early photographs show a square cupola atop the roof, which was gone by the 20th century. By the late 1860s, the Battles had died. A subsequent owner sold John's home to William H. Ross in 1878. Like Battle, Ross was a successful cotton factor. For almost 30 years, his home was known for its hospitality, a well-stocked wine cellar, and one of the city's most popular New Year's Day open houses. Ross died in 1903. By 1920, the household was down to just an unmarried daughter, Jennie. Whether it was because of the sheer size of the place, or the fact that a Texaco gasoline station had just arrived across the street, Jennie Ross decided to move to Selma Street, and the Knights had Government Street frontage. Newspaper accounts mention that the Knights of Columbus spent $12,000 making numerous changes to the house. Interior walls were removed and shower baths in the basement replaced the Ross wine cellar. Photographs also show that the front porch steps vanished to create a balcony of sorts. The front entrance was installed on the east side. For decades, the site was popular for viewing Mardi Gras parades. By the 1960s, Mobile's downtown was changing. The Knights of Columbus opted for a change as well. In 1969, the wreckers came for 602 Government St. Newspaper accounts explained that the Knights needed income-producing property. They had offered the house to the University of South Alabama, with the provision it be moved. USA did not take them up on the offer. The lot currently holds a vacant tire store. The similar James Battle house survived until 1930, when the site was obtained for a Gulf station. The Social Security Administration Building occupies that space today. Image information: The Battle-Ross home was grand enough to rate a postcard view in the early 1900s. Known for elegant entertainments, as well as its impressive architecture, the house became a Knights of Columbus hall in 1920. Courtesy Knights of Columbus