Eutaw’s doors of hospitality open this weekend

from staff reports

The Annual Tour of Homes in Eutaw, Ala., take place today and Sunday.

The tour is a favorite of those who love Southern history, architecture and antiques. This year the tour includes five homes and two churches. Also included in the tour this year will be the historic homes that are for sale.

In addition to five diverse and interesting homes, pilgrimage visitors will see the Vaughn Morrow house (1841), the tour center, where tickets are sold. St. Stephens Church (1914) and The First Presbyterian Church (1851) will be open both afternoons for tour.

Belles from Tuscaloosa will be dressed in antebellum costumes to greet visitors.

The homes for sale also will be open and included in the ticket price.

All the local antique stores will be open during the event. There also will be a sale of collections of sterling silver flatware, including many discontinued patterns, coin collections, and elegant estate jewelry.

Pies, cakes, pastries, baked goods and lunches will be for sale on both days.

Homes on tour

• The Asa White-Colson house was built by Asa White in 1838. This home has many unusual features such as a two-tiered covered gallery across the front of the house with six doorways to the porches, distinctive millwork, and a dramatic staircase winding to the third floor. This house is considered transitional between Federal and Greek revival architecture. This house still stands behind a picket fence and looks much the same as when built by Colonel Asa White. The home was purchased in 1877 by Henry McGiffert . The home is presently owned by descendents of Mc Giffert, Fred and Vickie Colson.

• Everhope Plantation was constructed in 1852 by Nathan Mullin Carpenter. He built this antebellum home as part of a 667 acre cotton plantation. It is a classic example of a Greek revival plantation home. The house has four large octagonal columns across the front with pilasters and full entablature above the first level entrance and the balcony entrance. It is typical in plans containing a central hall with two rooms on each side on both levels and it has exterior chimneys on each gable end. The architrave and entrance decorations are lighter on this house than those of other houses, showing the influence of the Victorian style that was coming into vogue. It has been completely restored and furnished with period antiques. The owners David and Pam Harmon welcome you to their home.

• Merrifield was built in 1840 by William F. Pierce, a lawyer and planter, who was one of the earliest settlers in Eutaw. Merrifield is a raised-Cottage style house with the main living area on the second floor above a full house ground story, with walls 12 inches thick. The house is the typical four rooms over four with a wide center hall and double entrance doors. In 1879, John T. Brodnax acquired the home and incorporated many features of the Gothic influence. An array of dependencies and a lattice well house remain on the property. Merrifield is owned by Ouida Hann.

• The Head-Gillum house was built in 1857. It has an open floor plan with unusually high ceilings and wide folding doors. The floor plan of this story-and-a-half originally featured four rooms separated by a central hall with a graceful stairway rising from the rear. Robert E. Moore bought the house in 1859 and made later changes including the addition of an ell to the rear, three dormer windows at the front, and a balustrade to the porch. The owners John and Linda Gillum have just finished restoring this lovely home.

• Aunt Carrie’s House is a Victorian home on the corner of Main St. and Eutaw Avenue which has its construction date, 1895, incorporated in the ‘’gingerbread’’ of the façade. This home has been completely restored by owners Larry sexton and Michael Turner. They welcome you to tour their home.

Tour Details

When: Today, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Tickets: Adults, $20, children, $10. Tickets can be purchased today at The Vaughn Morrow House (Greene County Historical Society), 310 Main Street, Eutaw, AL 35462

More information: Call (205) 372-9878 or (205) 372-2326 or (205) 372-1758.