Arlington House & the Benjamin P. Worthington House

There was a time when large mansions were scattered all over the south.  Some were considered antebellum while others were simply mansions.  But whichever name  you choose to call them, they were without exception, incredibly large houses with overly abundant porch systems.  Perfect for sitting outside to escape the heat and humidity of the southern summer before the invention of air conditioning.  

These mansions were built not only for the homeowner's comfort but also to accommodate their out of town visitors.  They were built long before the inventions of the telephone, email or Twitter. These were the days when folks packed up and went to visit friends and relatives for months at a time.

Sadly, most of them have been demolished to make way for "progress".  New interstates, new subdivisions, commercial buildings and the like.  Let's take a peek at two of the more famous local mansions.  One has withstood the encroachment of "progress" while the other was demolished nearly 80 years ago.

Arlington House

Owned by the City of Birmingham since the 1950's and open to the public, the Arlington Mansion in Birmingham is one of the only true antebellum houses left in Alabama and the only one left standing within the city limits.  It is a wonderful example of Greek Revival architecture which dates back to the 1840's.  It is located at 331 Cotton Ave SW in Birmingham on 6 acres in what was originally named the Old Elyton community.  Old Elyton was the first permanent county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama.   The mansion was originally called "The Grove" and was built by Judge William S. Mudd, one of the founders of Birmingham.

  Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is the front (north) view.

During the last year of the Civil War, General James Wilson arrived with over 130,000 troops and made the Arlington his headquarters while he planned the destruction of the Confederate iron furnaces and the military school at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. General Wilson camped on the grounds rather than inside the house thus sparing the mansion interior damage.  Some believe that the mansion was treated respectfully because both he and Judge Mudd were Masons.    While Judge Mudd opposed secession, he ultimately supported the south after hostilities broke out.  Judge Mudd bristled at being called a plantation owner.  He preferred his property to be considered a working farm.  While he did own 13 slaves, they were all members of the same family and he gave them their freedom before the Civil War broke out.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is the view of the rear hall.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the mantel in what was called the west parlor.

After the Civil War the mansion went through several owners.  In 1902, it became the home of Robert Robert S. Munger and over the next twenty year or so he added "modern" plumbing and electrical to the house. 

He also had another structure moved from across the street to the back of the mansion. This was used as the kitchen, sunroom, dining room and sleeping quarters for the big house.    Mr. Munger was known to have one of the first "motor cars" in Birmingham.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the dining room looking across from the main hall.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the dining room and kitchen structure at the back of the mansion.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the side porch looking west.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a wide photo of the side of the mansion looking west.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the front hall.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a full view taken from the street of the front of the mansion.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the view off the porch.

A newer photo  

This is a photo of the music room.

A newer photo

This is a photo of one of the bedrooms.

The Arlington House has been painstakingly restored and is open for public tours as well as special events.  Below is a current picture of the front exterior.

The Benjamin P. Worthington House

Benjamin P. Worthington was born and raised in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  He came to Birmingham in the mid 1800's to seek his fortune.  I would say he succeeded.

Mr. Worthington was a pioneer plantation owner in what is now Birmingham and also one of the original investors of the Elyton Land Company that developed the city of Birmingham.  In 1843 he married Caroline Mitchell and together they had 11 children.  They raised their children on the 1,000 acre farm that is now the Lakeview and Avondale districts of the city. 

At the intersection of 30th St. S. and 6th Ave. S., he constructed a two story 8 room mansion. The house was furnished with spring water piped in from (what is now) Rushton Park.  Among other crops, he planted a peach orchard near his home which was later purchased as the site for Trinity Methodist Church.  

At the conclusion of the Civil War, Worthington made plans to move with his family to South America.  Their ship was wrecked off the coast of Cuba, however, and after two years in Florida he and his family returned to his plantation in Birmingham where he died at the age of 70.

Unfortunately, his mansion no longer exists, but below are some photo's taken of it prior to demolition.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a front view

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the rear view.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the rear stairs.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the main entrance.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo showing the intricate front porch columns.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the front hall.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo showing the details surrounding the exterior windows.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of the pocket doors leading to the dining room.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

This is a photo of one of many fireplaces.

Photo was taken by Alex Bush on March 4, 1937.  

Another fireplace.

These photo's were all taken just prior to demolition.  I would love to see what the house looked like when it was lived in and new. 

Anyone can spend hours driving through Birmingham and never see all the wonderful old homes that still stand.  Some, sadly, are beyond repair.  Others have long been sectioned into apartments.  But many of them have been lovingly restored and serve as a constant reminder of the glory days of the area.