On March 23rd, The Wilcox Historical Society Tour of Homes will take place in Oak Hill and Camden, Alabama. Featuring seven homes, two churches, and other historic sites, the annual event draws visitors from around the state to appreciate the well-preserved architecture. The area has a rich and fascinating history. According to the Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce:
Wilcox County was created One day older than the state of Alabama by an act of the Alabama Territorial Legislature on December 13th, 1819. The county was created from portions of Dallas and Monroe counties, which in turn were created from Creek Indian lands acquired by the United States in the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson. It was named after Lieutenant Joseph M. Wilcox, an army officer from Connecticut who was killed in a battle with the Indians on the banks of the Alabama River in this region in 1814.
Wilcox County includes numerous examples of antebellum homes and buildings, most still in continuous use. At one time (early 1900s), Wilcox County was one of the largest and wealthiest counties in the State of Alabama. Its towns are also historic. Camden was incorporated in 1841, after the county seat was moved from Canton Bend on the banks of the Alabama River in 1833. Camden was originally named Barboursville after Sen. Philip B. Barbour of Virginia and later renamed Camden by physician John D. Caldwell in honor of his hometown of Camden, South Carolina. Oak Hill was settled in the early 1800′s. Pine Apple was founded in 1820. Pine Hill saw its first settlers in the early 1800′s. Yellow Bluff is our newest town, incorporated in 1986.
Like much of Alabama, cotton was Wilcox County’s main agricultural product in the nineteenth century. With more than 50 boat landings on the Alabama River, Wilcox County was an important transportation site as well. Paddlewheel steamers took cotton and other agricultural products as well as passengers up and down the Alabama River.
2024 Tour of Homes Details
The homes featured in Oak Hill this year include the Fox-Jones-Mitchell home, c. 1845, Twelve Oaks – the Kennedy-Griffin home, c. 1920, the Dale-Kennedy-Neumann home, c. 1847, and the Jones-McWilliams home, c. late 1840s.
Churches and other buildings on tour in the Oak Hill area include the Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, c. 1895, Bear Creek Baptist Church, c. 1880, the Dale Brothers Store – Brittany House Antiques, c. 1870, as well as the Oak Hill School, c. 1926. Featured at the school will be a quilt display from local resident Betty Gaines Kennedy.
The homes featured in Camden this year include RiverBend – the Bell-Moore-Jones home, c. 1840, the Bagby-Liddell-Burford home, c. 1847 and the Jones-McIntosh-Hicks home, c. 1860.
Registration Friday night, March 22 will be in downtown Camden at the Wilcox Female Institute, 301 Broad Street. Saturday morning registration will be held at The Brittany House Antiques in Oak Hill, 5931 AL Highway 21, where all tickets holders will be provided a complimentary breakfast beginning at 8:30.
Find tickets here.