FLORENCE – Local residents will have an opportunity to “Take a Walk on the Historic Side” by participating in the annual Walking Tours of Historic Florence April 1 – 29. Florence/Lauderdale Tourism hosts the walking tours as a way to promote our historic sites, neighborhoods and unique architecture. A Tour of a different historic location will be featured each Saturday and will be guided by local historians. This year, a new tour of the iconic Larimore Home has been added to the list of previous favorite tour destinations. The tours begin at 10:00 a.m., are free to the public and will last approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
April 1 – North Court & Seminary – North Court & Seminary Streets tour will begin at 10:00 a.m. at Roger’s Hall or Courtview on the UNA campus. It features Rogers Hall, Coby Hall, the Governor O’Neal Home, Connor Place, Wakefield, the Robert Dean Martin Home, the Medical Arts Building, Pope’s Tavern, two Sears & Roebuck houses and many other homes. The tour begins at Roger’s Hall, the North end of Court Street at 10 a.m. Parking will be available on Court Street and at the UNA parking lot located at One Harrison Plaza. Tour Guide: Billy Warren.
April 8 – Walnut Street Historic District
The Walnut Street Historic District boasts tree lined sidewalks, diverse architecture and elegant homes. The tour will begin in the UNA Tennis Courts parking lot on Hermitage Dr. Walk by 29 beautifully restored houses that originally comprised the Walnut Street Historic District and were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The tour begins at the corner of Walnut St. & Hermitage Dr. at 10 a.m. Parking is available at the UNA Tennis Courts on Hermitage Drive. Tour Guide: Billy Warren
April 15 – Florence City Cemetery
The tour of the Florence City Cemetery, established in 1818, features unique headstones and monuments adorned with burial and religious symbolism. The cemetery contains graves belonging to early settlers, two former governors in the O’Neal family, along with other prominent community leaders and families.
The tour begins at Florence City Cemetery entrance at 10 a.m. 705 E. College Street next to the Animal Shelter or entrances on Tennessee Street. Tour Guide: Harry Wallace
April 22 – Larimore Home
The Larimore home was built in 1870 by Theophilus Brown (T.B.) Larimore. Following his marriage in 1868 to Miss Esther Gresham, they established a school on 27 acres of land she had inherited from her mother’s estate. Using the home and approximately 20 other buildings on the same site, Mars Hill Academy operated from 1871 to 1887 to train ministers and Christian workers of the Church of Christ. In 1947 the home became the Mars Hill Bible School. The 12-room home is now surrounded by the expanded school campus and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Presently the home is open for special tours and available to rent as a venue for meetings, receptions, weddings and other special events. Tours guides will be Florence City Historian Billy Ray Warren and Ryan A. Moore, Vice President of Advancement for Mars Hill Bible School.
The tour of the home and grounds will begin at 10:00 a.m. and is free to the public. A special lunch prepared by the Associated Women’s Organization of Mars Hill will be available with advanced reservations. Seating will be at 11:45 with the meal served at 12 noon. The cost is $12 cash or check. The menu will be smoked marinated pork tenderloin with broccoli salad, sweet potato casserole, homemade rolls and dessert. Call Florence/Lauderdale Tourism at 256-740-4141 for lunch reservations.
April 29– Forks of Cypress Plantation Site & Cemetery
The Forks of Cypress Plantation was one of the oldest antebellum mansions in Alabama. It was built in 1822 by James Jackson, one of the first settlers in Lauderdale County and a friend of Andrew Jackson. Bring your lawn chairs for the beginning portion of the tour. The second part of the tour will be at the historic Jackson Cemetery. The tour begins at Forks of Cypress at 10 a.m. Directions to the site are as follows: take Cox Creek Pkwy to Jackson Rd. and turn right (no traffic signal at intersection). Turn right at the dead end. Park along the road or enter the gate to park in the field leading to the columns. Tour Guide: Harry Wallace.
For more information, call the Tourism Office at 256-740-4141.
Meadia Release/Alison Stanfield, TMP – Director of Operations
Florence/Lauderdale Tourism
