The website has a little blurb:
James Jackson McAlester, city founding father, was credited with discovering rich veins of coal that brought wealth to the area. Built in the mid 1870's, his lavishly furnished ten room mansion quickly became the meeting place of the socially elite.
You may look but don't touch: This is a private residence, so visitors should show respect for the owners by taking photos at a safe distance. At the sidewalk is fine, and there are some views of the mansion to be had along the fence that separates the house from the Old Town district where some of Mr. McAlester's buildings are still standing. You may visit at any time at no cost, but there are no tours available.
In 2013, Union Pacific presented a check to the City of McAlester for $15,000 for the development of a self-guided historic walking trail through Old Town, and descriptive signs soon followed. This one is stop #5, and the sign near the sidewalk reads:
Col. James Jackson McAlester married Rebecca Burney, the sister of Chickasaw Chief Benjamin C. Burney, and the daughter of Judge David Calhoun Burney. Marrying into an allied tribe gave J.J. the rights of tribal membership in the Choctaw Nation which included the right to receive a land allotment.
The smaller portion of the current home on the east side dates to 1870 and was initially both home and trading post. As business flourished, this modest structure was repeatedly enlarged and refined.
According to city records and based on the codes of the day, the home was finished in 1875, though building continued until 1885. By 1893, McAlester built a separate building for his business just west of his home. Times were treacherous, and legend has it that when J.J McAlester would start home from his store each evening, his wife would stand guard, shotgun in hand, from the 3rd floor turret to discourage any would be bandits.
When the Colonel died in 1920, the house was left to his daughter, Sudie, who was born at the house in 1873. Later the home was left vacant for 25 years until 1960 when Mr. & Mrs. James T. McAlester, grandson of the founder, moved into the home and completely restored it. Retained in the remodel were the old woodwork and staircase, a fireplace in what is now used as a den, cut-glass light fixtures brought from Belgium and stained glass windows. Workmen discovered during the restoration that huge cypress logs with the bark still on them were used as the foundation, underneath the mansion.
The home currently consists of 3,828 square feet of living space and the grounds measure two acres. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.