Bluff Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bluff Hall
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Bluff Hall in 2008
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| Location | 405 N. Commissioners Avenue Demopolis, Alabama |
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| Built | 1832 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000105 |
| Added to NRHP | July 28, 1970 |
Bluff Hall is a historic house located in Demopolis, Alabama, in the United States. This special home shows us what buildings looked like a long time ago. The first part of the house was built in the Federal style. Later, some parts were changed to the Greek Revival style.
Bluff Hall was officially recognized as an important historical site in 1936. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Today, it is a historic house museum. This means you can visit it to see how people lived in the 1850s, as the inside has been carefully restored to look like that time.
History of Bluff Hall
Bluff Hall was built in 1832. A man named Allen Glover had it built for his daughter, Sarah Serena Glover. Her husband was Francis Strother Lyon. The house was built by enslaved people.
The Lyon family used Bluff Hall as their home in town. They also owned several large farms outside of Demopolis. Bluff Hall was one of many homes built on a high limestone cliff. This cliff overlooked the Tombigbee River and was called White Bluff. Francis Lyon had bought the land for the house from the town of Demopolis a few years earlier.
Changes to the House Over Time
In the 1840s, the house was changed. A two-story front portico was added. A portico is like a large porch with columns. A big wing was also added to the back of the house. This new part had a dining room and kitchen on the first floor. It also had two bedrooms on the second floor. These new additions gave the house more of its Greek Revival look.
The Lyon family owned Bluff Hall until October 30, 1907. Then, it was sold to A. R. Smith. The Smith family lived there until the 1940s. During their time, the upper floors were turned into apartments.
The house was sold again in 1948 and continued to be used as apartments. On March 22, 1967, the Marengo County Historical Society bought the house. Their goal was to fix it up and turn it into a historic house museum.
What Bluff Hall Looks Like
Bluff Hall is a two-story building made of brick. Some parts of the brick are covered with a smooth finish called stucco. The front portico has six tall, square columns. These columns are made of brick and covered with stucco. They look very similar to the columns at another nearby house called Lyon Hall.
Under the portico, there is a balcony. This balcony stretches across the front entrance doors. It is held up by decorative metal supports called wrought iron brackets. Inside the house, there is a large room called a double parlor. This room has two special columns. These columns were a gift to the Lyons from the Whitfield family, who lived nearby at Gaineswood.
Gallery
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The front facade in 2008
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Entrance hall in 1935
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Parlor in 1935
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Dining room in 1935
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Gate and east elevation in 1935
