Pitts' Folly, human settlement in Alabama, United States of America
Pitts' Folly is a Greek Revival mansion in Uniontown, Alabama, built around 1852 with wood construction and two stories. The building features a striking wide porch extending across both floors with fourteen substantial columns, a gabled roof, and ornamental plaster decorations on interior walls.
The house was commissioned in 1852 by Phillip Henry Pitts, a wealthy plantation owner from Virginia who also invested in railroad ventures. During the Civil War, the family lost two of their ten children, a loss shared by many southern families of that era.
The house earned its name "Folly" because neighbors viewed the massive, elaborate structure as unusual for the area. This name has endured and reflects how the community once reacted to this ambitious building project from the 1800s.
The house sits along State Highway 21 in Uniontown, Perry County, and can be viewed from outside. It is not typically open for public tours, but the grounds with their outbuildings can be explored from public access areas.
The name "Folly" originated from original neighbors who viewed the unusually large estate as wasteful or foolish. Despite this early criticism, the house became an enduring local landmark, proof that ambitious visions often outlast initial judgment.
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