Kirkwood, historic plantation house in Eutaw, Alabama
Kirkwood is a large Greek Revival house in Eutaw, Alabama, featuring two main stories and a small cupola on top. Tall Ionic columns support a wraparound porch, while low-pitched hipped roofing with decorative wooden brackets completes the structure.
Foster M. Kirksey began construction in 1857 as a cotton planter, but the outbreak of the Civil War interrupted the work. Economic collapse in the South prevented completion, and the property remained with his family until 1961.
The house takes its name from its original builder Foster M. Kirksey and reflects the social order of plantation life in the antebellum South. Its grand scale and prominent columns were designed to display wealth and authority to the community.
The house sits in the countryside near Eutaw at 111 Kirkwood Drive and can be viewed from the outside. Visitors occasionally have access to interior tours and special events that showcase the restored rooms and original features.
The house received its first fresh coat of paint since 1912 in 1977, requiring approximately 200 gallons of color. The Swayze family's restoration efforts from 1972 onwards earned the property a special Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1982.
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