Through the annals of time, man has worked hard to create…building taller, faster, and ever extravagant dwellings, some of the finest of these creations can be found in Huntsville on a Southern Antebellum Home Tour.

As Europeans began rapidly populating the southern portions of America they found great fortune in the production of tobacco and cotton, and with this fortune they funded their ever expanding plantations and mansions. The mansions, now known as Antebellum-style, were constructed with the utmost care, detail work and only the finest building materials would be used.

Among these aging masterpieces was the Weeden House, occupied by Maria Howard Weeden, nationally famous artist and poet. The home was constructed with a beautiful brick front centered on the classic French design. The home is elegant and timeless; the painted white front is in perfect contrast to the dark shutters under the shade of the oak and cottonwood trees. If you stop by the Weeden House Museum you can view this home up-close, and learn a great deal about the live of the entire Weeden family.

As you continue your tour of Greek revival architecture you’ll want to see the Kirkwood Plantation. This masterpiece was to be the gem of the south, until construction halted abruptly with the onslaught of the civil war. However, construction was finally completed, elevating this house to a god-like status among antebellum homes. Eight immense columns surround the stunning white building; marble, crystals, elegant furnishings, hand carved detail work. The home was truly a modern marvel, and it continues to amaze all visitors who seek out the home, the gardens, and the everlasting beauty of this stunning success.

Before letting your Southern Antebellum home tour come to an end, one final truly work of art must be seen, simply called, the Octagon House. A brief fad of early residential America, the octagon houses were constructed with 8 distinctive sides, while still maintaining the very detailed work of a traditional Antebellum home. A series of small columns support the two story white home, while elegant railing encompasses the top. The Octagon house is a unique treasure of Alabama, and is a very rare sight in America today.

So, grab your camera and your travel plans and visit the great state of Alabama on your next vacation or day trip. The Southern Antebellum Home Tour is one that will delight the senses and take you back to a simpler period of time…let your imagination run wild as you walk the grounds of these stunning antebellum homes.