Waldwic, Historic plantation district in Gallion, Alabama.
Waldwic is a plantation house with Carpenter Gothic style in Gallion, Alabama, featuring steep gables, detailed wooden trim, and symmetrical windows. The building and its outbuildings stand along Alabama Highway 69 and preserve construction methods from the nineteenth century.
Robert Gracey founded Waldwic in 1840 as a farmhouse with galleries, which underwent Gothic Revival renovations in 1852 by enslaved craftsmen Peter Lee and Joe Glasgow. These modifications show the skilled labor of enslaved workers in the architecture of antebellum Alabama.
The name comes from William H. Ranlett's 1851 cottage design "Waldwic Cottage", to which a "k" was later added. Robert Gracey's widow married Willis Bocock in 1856, and the 1860 Marengo County census records him enslaving 127 people. Gracey's granddaughter Bertha married William Micajah Spencer at the house in 1889; he was elected to the Alabama Senate in 1901.
The property is accessible via Alabama Highway 69, and entrance to buildings depends on current visitor conditions. Check local information ahead of your visit to understand what is open and any access rules in place.
The house closely follows William H. Ranlett's architectural plan 'Waldwic Cottage' from 1851 and is one of the few remaining Gothic Revival houses in Alabama. This connection to a published design makes it a rare example of how nineteenth-century building guides were actually built.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,407 contributors worldwide.