Sturdivant Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sturdivant Hall
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Sturdivant Hall in 2009
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | 713 Mabry Street Selma, Alabama |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1852-56 |
| Architect | Thomas Helm Lee |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000340 |
| Added to NRHP | January 18, 1973 |
Sturdivant Hall, also known as the Watts-Parkman-Gillman Home, is a beautiful old mansion in Selma, Alabama, United States. It was built in the Greek Revival style, which means it looks a bit like ancient Greek temples. Today, it's a museum where people can visit and learn about history.
This grand house was finished in 1856. A man named Thomas Helm Lee designed it for Colonel Edward T. Watts. Sturdivant Hall is very important because of its amazing design. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1973. A famous architect, Edward Vason Jones, even said it was one of the best Greek Revival mansions in the entire Southeast!
Contents
The Story of Sturdivant Hall
The building of Sturdivant Hall started in 1852. It took four years to complete, finally finishing in 1856. Colonel Edward Watts and his family lived in the house for several years. In 1864, they sold the house and moved away to Texas.
Who Owned the House After the Watts Family?
A local banker named John McGee Parkman bought the house from the Watts family. He paid $65,000 for it on February 12, 1864. After the American Civil War ended, Parkman became the president of the First National Bank of Selma.
The bank faced big money problems because of cotton trading. The government authorities in Alabama took over the bank. They also arrested Parkman and put him in jail. Sadly, Parkman was killed on May 23, 1867, while trying to escape from prison.
How Did the City of Selma Get the House?
After Parkman's death, the house was sold again in January 1870. A well-known Selma merchant named Emile Gillman bought it for $12,500. The Gillman family owned the house for a very long time, until 1957.
In 1957, the Gillman family sold the house to the City of Selma for $75,000. A big part of the money came from a gift of $50,000. This gift was from the will of Robert Daniel Sturdivant. He wanted a museum to be set up in the city. So, the mansion was turned into a museum and named Sturdivant Hall in his honor.
Today, the City of Selma, Dallas County, and the Sturdivant Museum Association all help take care of the property. They make sure it stays open for everyone to enjoy.
What Does Sturdivant Hall Look Like?
Sturdivant Hall is a two-story building made of brick. The bricks are covered with a special plaster called stucco. This stucco makes the house look like it's made of large, smooth stone blocks.
The Grand Front Entrance
The front of the house has a huge porch called a hexastyle portico. It has six very tall Corinthian columns, each about 30 feet (9 meters) high. These columns are decorated with fancy carvings at the top.
You can reach the front porch from the second floor. There's a special balcony that sticks out from the house without needing support from below. This balcony has a beautiful railing made of fancy cast-iron. Both the first and second floors have amazing front doorways. They are decorated with full Corinthian columns on each side, just like the big porch columns.
Sides and Back of the House
The sides of the house also have interesting features. One side has a small balcony that sticks out. The other side has a wide porch on the first floor with another balcony above it. Both of these areas also use decorative cast-iron.
The back of the house has a large porch with two Doric columns. These columns are simpler than the ones at the front. Behind the house, there's a kitchen, a smokehouse, and a two-story building for servants. These buildings are set at angles, creating a semi-enclosed yard behind the main house. The main part of the house has a low, pyramid-shaped roof called a hipped roof. On top of the roof, there's a small dome-like structure called a cupola.
Inside the Mansion
The inside of Sturdivant Hall shows how people liked very fancy things in the 1850s. The first floor has amazing decorations made of plaster and wood. The drawing room and the ladies' parlor are the most detailed. They have doorways with Corinthian columns and walls decorated with flat, column-like shapes called pilasters. These are topped with decorative plaster borders called cornices.
When you enter the first floor, you step into an L-shaped front hall. A special staircase that seems to float without visible support is in the side part of the hall. Other rooms on the first floor include the dining room, a gentleman's parlor, and a warming room.
Upstairs, on the second floor, there's a T-shaped hall and four bedrooms. Another floating staircase leads up to the attic. From there, a spiral staircase winds around a central pole all the way up to the cupola on the roof!
A Ghost Story at Sturdivant Hall
Like many old houses, Sturdivant Hall has its own ghost story. The house is featured in a short story by Kathryn Tucker Windham in her book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey. The story is called "The Return of the Ruined Banker." It's about the ghost of John Parkman, the banker who owned the house, supposedly coming back after he died.
See also
- Old Town Historic District (Selma, Alabama)
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Alabama
- Reportedly haunted locations in Alabama
Images for kids
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Sturdivant Hall, front facade in 1934.
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View from drawing room into rear parlor
