The William Poole House, also known as the William Cade Thompson House, is a historic plantation

Plantation

A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...

 house and historic district

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

 in Dayton

Dayton, Alabama

Dayton is a town in Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 60 at the 2000 census.-History:Dayton began to be settled in the early 19th century, with a town survey done and a "public well" established in 1832. The post office was established in 1837. It was incorporated on...

, 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...

. The Greek Revival

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...

 style house was completed in 1848. It and the surrounding grounds were 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...

 on July 7, 1994 as a part of the Plantation Houses of the Alabama Canebrake and Their Associated Outbuildings Multiple Property Submission.

History

The house was built by John D. Catlin for his ward, Sarah Altona Terrell, and her husband, William Cade Thompson. He had it built as a wedding gift and to serve as their residence following their marriage on August 10, 1847. Catlin was one of Alabama's first millionaires, owning three plantations, a townhouse, and 179 slaves in 1850. The house remained in the Thompson family for less than a decade, with William Thompson dying on May 25, 1854 and Sarah following him on July 6, 1856. The house was then purchased by the Browning family, who held it until it was sold to the Watlington family in September 1882. They, in turn, sold it to David Miller Prowell on July 14, 1917. It remained in that family until 1959. It was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. William Poole in 1978. They completed an extensive restoration of the home.