Relocation of 'Close Encounters' Farmhouse in Fairhope

planned

The iconic farmhouse featured in the 1977 movie 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' is located on Alabama State Route 181 in Fairhope, Alabama. The city council approved a site plan to move the farmhouse on November 21, 2024, but the relocation has not yet occurred. The farmhouse is situated in a new 13-lot subdivision, and the developers have until November 21, 2025, to secure a building permit to commence the relocation project. Adjacent to the farmhouse, a Sherwin-Williams paint shop is under construction, and other nearby developments include a new office building with an orthodontics practice. The developers plan to use the farmhouse for office space with access to Route 104, and there is hope for a historic marker to commemorate the house's cultural significance.