He operated a Water Street brickyard in downtown Mobile on the present-day site of the RSA Battle House Tower.

With his business interests failing, Roper and his family then left Mobile, and became a lumber merchant in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1840.

and Lee Fearn Irwin, their sons, were both veterans of the Civil War and gained local prominence in the late 19th century.

[2] Built as a raised, galleried villa in the Greek Revival style, Oakleigh is one of the largest T-shaped homes in the state of Alabama.

The lower floor was originally a raised basement, likely built of handmade brick from the site, once functioned as a workspace and storage.

[2] The Oakleigh Historic Complex also consists of the Union Barracks, the Cox-Deasy Cottage, and the Minnie Mitchell Archives.