Woodlands (Gosport, Alabama) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Woodlands
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off U.S. 84, Gosport, Alabama |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Creole |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000683 |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 1980 |
Woodlands, also known as the Frederick Blount Plantation, is a historic house located in Gosport, Alabama. This beautiful house was built in 1840. It is important because of its special design. Woodlands was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 1980. This means it is a place recognized for its historical value.
History of Woodlands
The Woodlands house was built by Frederick Spaight Blount in 1840. Frederick Blount was born in North Carolina in 1808. He was a lawyer who lived in Gosport.
In 1850, Frederick Blount lived at Woodlands with his wife, Emily James. They had three children and also had 18 enslaved people living there. A few years later, the Blount family moved to Mobile. Frederick Blount continued his law practice there.
A Family Story
In 1858, a story about the Blount family became well-known. Frederick Blount's daughter, Emily J. Blount, was engaged to a French officer named Henri Arnous de Rivière. However, Frederick Blount later ended the engagement. He did not want Henri Rivière to contact his daughter.
Henri Rivière and Miss Emily Blount later left together. Henri Rivière was found in Hoboken, New Jersey. But he and Emily Blount were able to leave before a trial. This event was reported in newspapers across the South and even in the New York Times.
The Blount family was later reunited. They lived together in Mobile in 1860. Henri Rivière and Miss Blount did eventually get married and had children. They lived in France. Frederick Blount himself moved to Paris by 1872.
House Design
Woodlands is a wooden house. It is built in a style called a Carolina cottage. This style looks a lot like a Creole cottage. These houses are usually one-and-a-half stories tall. They have roofs that slope down on the sides. The main roof also covers any porches.
The house also has beautiful Greek Revival details. For example, there are eight tall, fluted columns. These columns are called Doric columns. They support the front porch.
The front door is in the middle of the house. It has windows on the sides and above it. These windows are called sidelights and a transom light. The door is also framed by flat columns called pilasters. A simple decorative band, called an entablature, sits above the door.
See also
In Spanish: Woodlands para niños
