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| Sturdivant Hall |
SELMA, Ala. (Feb. 28, 2011) — Take a Spring break the weekend of March 18-19 and enjoy the history and hospitality of one of Alabama oldest towns. Six homes dating from the 1840s will open to the public during Selma’s 36th annual Historic Pilgrimage.
The event also features the moss-draped Old Live Oak Cemetery “ghost” tour, paranormal investigation of Kenan’s Mill, three museums including Sturdivant Hall, 1860’s gristmill, foundry, two art shows and an antique car show. The Alabama Plein Air Artists will “paint the town” at Pilgrimage venues and other sites, then offer their paintings for sale.
“Selma loves company, and in spring, the state’s largest historic district revives with mild weather and beautiful blossoms,” said Pilgrimage Chairman Nancy Smith. “We cater to our guests with warm welcomes, period dress and guided tours, and we want them to savor their stay in one of the most historic places in the country.”
In addition to volunteer guides, junior hostesses from area schools and Miss Central Alabama will wear antebellum gowns and assist visitors at homes and other venues.
This year’s lineup includes homes representing Greek Revival, Italianate, Neoclassical, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and late-Victorian Cottage architecture. Two homes are new to Pilgrimage and one has not been shown since the first Pilgrimage in 1976. All homes will be open both days with three scheduled for morning tours and three for afternoon.
Homes on tour are:
* The Burns Home, a Pilgrimage newcomer that is a late Victorian cottage with a fanlight doorway apparently rescued from a house in Cahawba, Alabama’s first permanent capital. This home is also an “Antiques Road Show meets American Picker” treasure trove of memorabilia.
* Brownstone Manor, a Neo-Classical mansion that is both a private residence and reception hall. Its staircase bandstand, ornate Corinthian capitals and sparkling chandeliers are a treat to see as well as the decorating talents of owner Sam Golson, an interior designer.
* McPhillips Home, a Colonial Revival with a grand entry porch, columns both inside and outside and a mahogany coffered ceiling in the dining room. The house is notable as one of the locations where the movie Body Snatchers III was filmed.
*Platt-Gayle-Linden Home, an antebellum Italianate with an octagonal Victorian addition. It is furnished with family heirlooms and a touch of Oriental decor. Thanks to a Masonic pin, a Union lieutenant decided to spare this house during the Civil War, but the story doesn’t end until 100 years later!
*Ullman-Kornegay-Wait Home, a Pilgrimage newcomer that was purchased by a New Orleans artist who moved to Selma after Hurricane Katrina. A work-in-progress, this Queen Anne- style house was built by the German-born William Ullman, who established a business in what is now known as the Tepper Building downtown.
* Voeglin-Barker-Smitherman Home, an 1840 Greek Revival that was last on Pilgrimage in 1976. The daughter of its builder became the wife of the owner of Sturdivant Hall. This house once belonged to three churches that inherited it with instructions not to tear it down. It is a work-in-progress under renovation for a private residence.
Tickets (adult and children’s package or individual venue) can be purchased from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days at Pilgrimage Headquarters (Vaughan-Smitherman Museum, 109 Union St. at Alabama Avenue). Morning tours are from 9-1, and afternoon tours are from 1-5.
For more information and to download a brochure, visit the website at www.selmapilgrimage.org. The email address is info@selmapilgrimage.org. Facebook updates are listed under Selma’s Historic Pilgrimage. You may also call 334-412-8550 or 800-45-SELMA (800-457-3562). Sponsored by the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society, Pilgrimage began in 1976 as a way to share the city’s variety of architectural styles and rich history. Selma’s historic district features more than 1200 structures. Selma is located 50 miles west of Montgomery and 50 miles east of Demopolis on U.S. 80 and 90 miles south of Birmingham on Alabama 22. It can also be reached via Alabama 14 just a 45-minute drive west of Prattville.
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