Barton Hall

Barton Hall is an antebellum plantation house in rural Colbert County, Alabama, near the present-day town of Cherokee. It is also known as the Cunningham Plantation. The property is significant primarily as an architectural and historic site rather than as a commercial brand or operating business. Constructed beginning in 1840, the house is regarded as an unusually distinctive example of Greek Revival architecture in Alabama, incorporating features associated with the late Federal period. The house stands approximately four miles west of Cherokee and about half a mile south of U.S. Route 72. The surviving historic setting comprises roughly four acres of land, reached by an elliptical drive from Cedar Lane. Barton Hall is a two-and-a-half-story wood-frame building with clapboard siding, a truncated hip roof, and a rooftop belvedere. Single-story, gable-roofed wings extend from the rear. Its principal elevation is five bays wide and symmetrically organized around a central entrance. Fluted pilasters distinguish the central bay and mark the corners of the façade, while the entrance is sheltered by a deep porch carried on fluted Doric columns. The porch cornice includes Doric triglyphs, and a second-story doorway opens onto a balcony above the main entrance. Sidelights, a transom, and an eared architrave further emphasize the formal entrance composition. The interior retains period features, including a particularly unusual staircase. Rather than rising in a conventional single run or simple dogleg, the staircase proceeds through double flights and bridge-like landings toward an observatory at roof level. The observatory historically provided expansive views across the plantation landscape and contributes to the house's architectural distinction. Armestead Barton, who came from Tennessee, moved to the area in 1840 and acquired approximately 40,000 acres. He began construction of the house, but it was unfinished when he died in 1847. His widow supervised the completion of the building two years later. The property remained associated with the Barton family until it was sold outside the family in 1908. A Barton descendant reacquired the house in 1967, returning it to family ownership. Barton Hall received national recognition when it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. The designation reflects the significance of its design and surviving architectural character. Documentation also exists through the Historic American Buildings Survey, which recorded the property with photographs, measured drawings, and caption materials under the name Cunningham Plantation. The house remains privately owned and occupied and is not open to the public. In November 2008, photographer Charles Moore made his final documented images on the property. Because Barton Hall is a private historic residence rather than a consumer-facing enterprise, there are no established product lines, commercial offerings, public executive structure, or conventional brand campaigns associated with it.

Barton Hall was begun in 1840 after Armestead Barton, a Tennessee native, moved to the area and purchased approximately 40,000 acres. He initiated construction of the plantation house, but the building was still incomplete at the time of his death in 1847. His widow oversaw the remaining work, and the house was completed in 1849. The resulting structure combined a formal Greek Revival design with elements recalling the late Federal style. Its five-bay front, central entrance, fluted pilasters, Doric porch, balcony, rooftop belvedere, and elaborate interior stair arrangement distinguish it from more typical Alabama plantation houses. The staircase rises through paired flights and bridge-like landings to an observatory, which historically allowed occupants to survey the surrounding plantation grounds. The property remained in the Barton family until 1908, when it was sold outside the family. A Barton descendant bought the house back in 1967. The surviving historic property is situated on approximately four acres near Cherokee in Colbert County, accessed from Cedar Lane by an elliptical drive. The rural setting and the preservation of the principal house contribute to its architectural integrity. Barton Hall was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973 in recognition of its architectural importance. It has also been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey as the Cunningham Plantation, with photographs, measured drawings, and related caption materials. In November 2008, photographer Charles Moore produced his final documented images at the property. The house continues to be privately owned and occupied. It is not open to the public, and no current commercial operation, museum program, retail identity, or public-facing institutional management is identified in the available reference material.

• 2008

  Final documented images by Charles Moore

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Photographer Charles Moore made his final documented images at the property in November 2008.

• 1973

  Designated a National Historic Landmark

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Barton Hall received National Historic Landmark designation for its architectural significance.

• 1967

  Barton descendant reacquires the property

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  A descendant of the Barton family purchased the house again.

• 1908

  Property leaves the Barton family

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  The property was sold outside the Barton family.

• 1849

  House completed

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Armestead Barton's widow supervised completion of the house approximately two years after his death.

• 1847

  Armestead Barton dies before completion

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Barton died while the house was still unfinished.

• 1840

  Construction begins

  [1]Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Armestead Barton moved to the area, acquired approximately 40,000 acres, and began construction of the plantation house that became Barton Hall.

A privately owned historic residence and architectural landmark representing Alabama's antebellum Greek Revival heritage.

1. 1Barton Hall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Historic American Buildings Survey, Cunningham Plantationloc.gov