Bluff Hall
Encyclopedia
Bluff Hall is a historic residence in Demopolis
, Alabama
, United States
. The original portion of the house is in the Federal style
with later additions that altered it to the Greek Revival style
. It was documented as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
in 1936, and added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1970. It serves as a historic house museum, with the interior restored to an 1850s appearance.
. The Lyons used Bluff Hall as a townhouse; they also resided at Bermuda Hill
, their plantation near Arcola. Bluff Hall was one of several homes built atop a limestone cliff overlooking the Tombigbee River
, known as White Bluff
, on land that Francis Lyon had purchased a few years earlier from the town commissioners of Demopolis.
The house was altered in the 1840s with the addition of the two-story front portico
and a large rear wing. The new rear wing contained the dining room and kitchen at ground level and two bedrooms on the second floor. This new construction also added the other Greek Revival details.
The house remained in the Lyon family until 30 October 1907 when it was sold to A. R. Smith. The Smith family maintained it as a residence into the 1940s, though the upper floors were converted to apartments. The house was sold again in 1948 and continued as apartments. The Marengo County Historical Society purchased the house on 22 March 1967 in order to restore and convert it to a historic house museum.
. The front portico
features six two-story square columns, constructed in brick with a stucco finish. These columns are very similar to nearby Lyon Hall
. The balcony under the portico spans the width of the entrance doors and is supported by wrought iron
brackets. The double parlor in the interior features two columns that were an anniversary gift to the Lyons from the Whitfield family. The Whitfields lived nearby at Gaineswood
.
Demopolis, Alabama
Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 7,483 at the time of the 2010 United States Census....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The original portion of the house is in the Federal style
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
with later additions that altered it to the Greek Revival style
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
. It was documented as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
in 1936, and added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1970. It serves as a historic house museum, with the interior restored to an 1850s appearance.
History
The house was built in 1832 by Allen Glover for his daughter, Sarah Serena Glover, and her husband, Francis Strother LyonFrancis Strother Lyon
Francis Strother Lyon was a prominent Alabama attorney and politician. He served two terms in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War after being an antebellum member of the United States Congress.-Early life:Lyon was born in Stokes County, North Carolina...
. The Lyons used Bluff Hall as a townhouse; they also resided at Bermuda Hill
Bermuda Hill
-References:...
, their plantation near Arcola. Bluff Hall was one of several homes built atop a limestone cliff overlooking the Tombigbee River
Tombigbee River
The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. It is one of two major rivers, along with the Alabama River, that unite to form the short Mobile River before it empties into Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico...
, known as White Bluff
White Bluff (Demopolis, Alabama)
White Bluff, also known as Ecor Blanc, is a historic site located along the Tombigbee River in Demopolis, Alabama, United States. It is a chalk cliff, roughly one mile long, that is composed of a geological layer known as the Demopolis Chalk Formation, part of the Selma Group...
, on land that Francis Lyon had purchased a few years earlier from the town commissioners of Demopolis.
The house was altered in the 1840s with the addition of the two-story front portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
and a large rear wing. The new rear wing contained the dining room and kitchen at ground level and two bedrooms on the second floor. This new construction also added the other Greek Revival details.
The house remained in the Lyon family until 30 October 1907 when it was sold to A. R. Smith. The Smith family maintained it as a residence into the 1940s, though the upper floors were converted to apartments. The house was sold again in 1948 and continued as apartments. The Marengo County Historical Society purchased the house on 22 March 1967 in order to restore and convert it to a historic house museum.
Description
The house is a two-story brick structure, with portions covered by smooth stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. The front portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
features six two-story square columns, constructed in brick with a stucco finish. These columns are very similar to nearby Lyon Hall
Lyon Hall (Demopolis, Alabama)
Lyon Hall, also known as the Lyon-Lamar House, is a historic Greek Revival mansion in Demopolis, Alabama, United States. It was built over a period of three years by George Gaines Lyon and his wife, Anne Glover Lyons...
. The balcony under the portico spans the width of the entrance doors and is supported by wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
brackets. The double parlor in the interior features two columns that were an anniversary gift to the Lyons from the Whitfield family. The Whitfields lived nearby at Gaineswood
Gaineswood
Gaineswood is a plantation house in Demopolis, Alabama, United States. The house was completed on the eve of the American Civil War after a construction period of almost twenty years. It is the grandest plantation house ever built in Marengo County and is one of the most significant remaining...
.