2021 April 24, Touring the Antebellum Home of Presbyterian Minister Robert Donnell Athens, Alabama with Tour guide Alice Tiller

Pleasant Hill 

Home of Rev. Robert Donnell (1784-1855) 

Built abt. 1849 by Rev. Robert Donnell, a native of North Carolina, and his second wife Clara Lindley Donnell. 

He was greatly inspired by the Great Spiritual Revival of 1800 and became a Presbyterian circuit rider, one of the "flaming fires," so-called because of their spiritual intensity. Donnell held the first camp meeting in the settlement that became Huntsville, started new churches in North Alabama and Tennessee, and retired as minister of the Athens Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 

For his service and dedication, the North Alabama Presbytery was named in his honor. After the death of Rev. Donnell in 1855, this house and surrounding acreage passed to his son James Webb Smith Donnell. J.W.S. Donnell and his family lived here during the Civil War, even though he was wanted by the Union Army for aiding the Confederacy. 

In 1862, during the sacking of Athens, Federal troops camped on the house grounds, looted, and damaged the house through bankruptcy after the war. 

It served as a boarding school for boys for a time and later as the home of Athens School Superintendent, Julian Newman, and his family. 

 In the 1970s, a campaign to save and restore the house was initiated by local historians and authors Christine W. Edwards and Faye A. Axford. Local citizens, businesses, and Donnell's descendants contributed to the restoration of this historical landmark.

Pleasant Hill Historic Marker

Pleasant Hill Historic Marker

Donnell House

The Donnell House is located at 601 South Clinton Street. 

It hosts events throughout the year, such as a Christmas tree presentation during the holiday season. Because it is located on the campus of the Athens Middle School, students have conducted school projects, including interpretive videos that are centered around the history of the house. 

April is the month to showcase the local history in counties in Alabama by featuring walking tours every Saturday in April. I chose the *Robert Donnell House & Museum to tour it was the only walking tour that I had not attended. 

 *Tour options were: *Beaty Historic District *Downtown Athens Historic District *Athens City Cemetery *Athens State University *Houston Historic District All the above are excellent tours and many tour guides dress in the period of the tour. 

 Unfortunately, the Governor George S. Houston Library and Museum were not offered this year. 

 The Donnell House and Museum were hoasting a wedding later that day and food was being prepared and finger foods placed on the table.

Wedding Buffett

What caught my eye was the Armadillo pink cake. Hanging in the parlor were pictures of Rev Donnell and his two wives. 

Two staircases were leading to the upper level which showcased the history of the home and its occupants. 

 Outside was an 1830s log cabin donated by Don and Ed Horton sons of Judge James Horton and nearby was an herb garden. 

 I had driven past the Donnell House Museum many times but never noticed it until the tour because it was located in the Athens School system.

👣👣👣👣 2017 April 1 & 8, Walking Tours in Athens, Alabama

April Walking Tours 

On April 1, Saturday, I drove to the Visitor Center in Athens to join them on a Walking Tour.

There were sign-up sheets for the following tours. 

1. Athens University Historic Tour WITH ANNA GIBBS

2. Robert Beaty Historic Street Tour BILLY WARD

3. George S. Houston Historic Street Tour REBEKAH DAVIS

4. Athens Veterans Museum

5. Athens Cemetery JIMMY HILL OR WM PEPPER

6. Historic Downtown Athens BUZZ ESTES 

At 10:00AM everyone gathered in front of the Visitor for a group picture, then we disbursed into groups and began our tour. 

I chose the Robert Beaty Historic District Street Walking tour, led by Billy Ward. Mr. Ward was dressed like a southern gentleman, he was wearing a top hat, tailored a suit, and carrying a cane.

We saw many Azaleas, dogwood trees, and other blooming bushes as we walked along the sidewalk, stopping to listen to Mr. Ward tell us interesting stories about the many historic homes. 

Historic Home 

Historic Home in Beaty District 

The Robert Beaty Historic District is located in Athens, Alabama. Beaty was one of the original founders of Athens. Beaty was an Irish immigrant who first settled in Virginia.

Beaty purchased about 160 acres around a spring. Beaty’s Federal-style home was completed in 1826. The District contains several homes in the Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Eastlake, Victorian, and Spanish Colonial Revival Styles. 

1984 the district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Our last stop was the historic home of Billy Ward.
Billy invited everyone into his historic home, and we walked through the ground-level rooms. 

I walked back to the Visitor Center stopping at Creek at Big Spring Park to take pictures of the goldfish and ducks. 

Ducks at Big Spring Park Athens

Ate a side salad from Zaxby’s for lunch before driving home

On April 8, Saturday, I drove to the Visitor Center in Athens to join them on a Walking Tour.

There were sign-up sheets for the following tours. 

1. Athens University Historic Tour WITH ANNA GIBBS

2. Robert Beaty Historic Street Tour BILLY WARD

3. George S. Houston Historic Street Tour REBEKAH DAVIS

4. Athens Veterans Museum

5. Athens Cemetery JIMMY HILL OR WM PEPPER

6. Historic Downtown Athens BUZZ ESTES 

First Christian Church where we parked

Visitor Center Group that toured different sites

At 10:00AM everyone gathered in front of the Visitor for a group picture, then we disbursed into groups and began our tour. 

This time I chose the George S. Houston Historic Street Tour led by Rebekah Davis and my husband came with me.

This time we had to take the car and park in the parking lot across the street from the First Christian Church.

Luke Pryor Historic Home 

 Historic Home

George S. Houston Memorial Public Library & Limestone County Museum Historical Society. 

Inside the Houston Library, we saw a 1944 Certificate of Restoration and appraisal pump organ and melodions, six quilts, a wooden round table, five velvet seat-covered chairs, a green sofa, a fireplace with a white mantle around it, a spinning wheel, several wooden chairs, and rockers, a picture of Robert E Lee, a Goth bust pano with music book Constancy Romance for Piano by Wm Fink with Mary E Mason dated Nov 21, 1898, written on the top of the book, boxes on top of boxes of book, walls badly in need of repairs and two sets of staircases. 
The house/library was a white two-story home with four large wooden columns, green shutters, and a triangle roof that covered the balcony and porch. 
Azaleas and shrubs lined the sidewalk leading up to the front door.
The yard was full of blooming dogwood trees, and magnolia trees 

The George S. Houston Historic District lies to the West and north of the public square where some of Athens's most prominent people lived.

Some of the historic homes that we saw were Hendricks, Bailey Hamilton Home ca 1919, Luke Pryer Home, Gibes, Powers, Christopher Home ca 1920, Hayden, Boston Home, Caughran, McCormick, Patton ca 1935, Stanford, Lauderdale 1969, Tilman Jeffery ca 1913, Martin Malone Johnson #13 1821 home, & Hendrix, Alexander 1937

Only five homes are remaining from the antebellum period. Between 1908 and 1939, such as the American Four Squares, bungalows, cottages, some Tudor Revival, and some Colonial Revival. The Neoclassical style First Methodist Church was built in 1925 and a hospital was built but later turned into apartments. 

This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Governor George S Houston's Home Marker 

Governor George S Houston's Home Marker 

George S. Houston/Home/The Houston Memorial Library

This house was purchased by George S. Houston in 1845 and was his home until his death here on 31st December 1879. Houston served the people of Alabama in public office for thirty-six years. His long and distinguished political career began in 1832 and included; one term in the Alabama State Legislature, three terms as circuit solicitor, nine terms in the U. S. House of Representatives, two terms as Governor of Alabama, and he was twice elected to the U. S. Senate. Due to his conservative fiscal policies while in Congress, he was known as "The Watchdog of the Treasury".

Houston's most notable service to Alabama was during his two terms as governor. For almost a decade after the Civil War, the people of Alabama suffered under the rule of Radical Reconstructionists.

(Back):
In 1874 the white citizens of Alabama united behind Houston in his bid for the governor's office. His election as a Democrat returned self-rule to Alabama. During his two terms, the state's huge debt was reduced, property owners were protected from excessive taxation, and many other reforms were enacted that brought stability to the state.

After Houston's death, his home was occupied only occasionally until 1937 when it was deeded to the City of Athens with some stipulations, one of which was that it should house a library and meeting place for literary and patriotic societies and should be known as "The Houston Memorial Library".

Our next stop is CE Pools, The first weekend in April every year they have a grand opening where they grill hamburgers, chicken, and Hotdogs and Sue cooks her famous banana pudding and Butterfinger cake for their customers.

We stopped for a hamburger, coke, and pie.

Our next stop was the 7th Annual Car, Truck, Tractor, and Cycle Show at TM Rogers High School. 

Car Show TM Rogers

Our last stop was to attend the funeral of my brother-in-law. I cannot say enough good things about him. He was known and loved by many, and he gave of his time and money. He will be greatly missed. 

We picked up dinner at Taco Bell (my husband) and Captain D’s (shrimp for me).

It had been a long day and we both just wanted to relax. 

I hope to add three more April tours to this blog.