Dicksonia Plantation
Trademark
UnclaimedDicksonia Plantation, also known as the Turner-Dickson House, is a historic plantation property and surviving ruin near Lowndesboro, Alabama.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Dicksonia Plantation is a historic plantation house and property in Alabama, United States, rather than a conventional commercial brand. Also known as the Turner-Dickson House, it stood just south of Lowndesboro and became associated with the Dickson family after Robert Stiles Dickson acquired the mansion and surrounding land in 1901. The property is notable for its architectural history, repeated destruction by fire, documentation by preservationists, and later use as a picturesque private venue. The original house was constructed in 1830 by David White as a two-story residence with a small one-story portico. In 1856, Wiley Turner purchased the property and commissioned a substantial remodeling. The resulting mansion was designed in a Greek Revival style, with features influenced by Italianate and Mississippi architectural traditions. Its most distinctive addition was a monumental two-story portico extending around two sides of the building and supported by twelve fluted Doric columns. The house also included elaborate cornice brackets, formal sidelights and transoms around the principal doors, an upstairs iron balcony, a west-side balcony, and a central hall running the length of the structure. The property later passed to Shem Arthur Tyson and Mary Toler Tyson. On November 29, 1901, they sold the house and 400 acres known as the Turner Home Track to Robert Stiles Dickson, who gave the mansion the name Dicksonia. Before 1900, a separate kitchen had been incorporated into the house, and a windmill supplied water to the property. Fire shaped the site's modern identity. The original wooden house burned in 1939. A replacement was built in 1940 using cast concrete and steel and was intended to be fireproof. The replica followed the earlier floor plan but had a less extensive portico: the monumental columns were placed only across the front because producing concrete versions of the original columns across two sides was considered too expensive. Despite the change in materials, the second house burned in 1964. Severe heat damage to the foundation prevented another reconstruction, and the remaining shell and columns were left as an ivy-covered ruin. The ruins were recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1934, before the first house was destroyed, preserving architectural information about the historic structure. They were later featured in the 1993 book Silent in the Land. The site also received wider cultural attention when Annie Leibovitz photographed Natalie Portman at the ruins on February 7, 1999, for Vanity Fair's May 1999 issue. Dicksonia remains privately owned, although access has been available on a limited basis. Dorothy Dickson Skipper has undertaken improvements to the grounds and increased the visibility of the surviving structure. The property has been promoted as a historical rental venue through Dorothy Skipper Rental, LLC, and has hosted at least one documented family wedding in 2015 as well as later photo shoots. Its current significance lies in its architectural remains, its connection to Alabama plantation history, and its role as a restricted-access event and photography setting.
History
Dicksonia Plantation, also called the Turner-Dickson House, developed from a two-story Alabama residence built in 1830 by David White. The early house had a small one-story portico and stood on property near present-day Lowndesboro. In 1856, Wiley Turner acquired the house and commissioned an architect to transform it into a substantially more elaborate Greek Revival mansion. The remodeling introduced the architectural features for which Dicksonia became known. A monumental two-story portico extended around two sides of the house and was supported by twelve fluted Doric columns. The roofline carried elaborate brackets with Italianate characteristics, while the overall design also reflected architectural influences associated with Mississippi. The entrance incorporated sidelights and an overhead transom. An upstairs door opened onto a wrought-iron balcony positioned above the main entrance, and a second-floor balcony with wooden balusters extended along the west side. Inside, a central hall ran the length of the building and connected to a staircase leading to the upper floor. A separate kitchen was incorporated into the main house sometime before 1900, and a windmill provided water. After the Turner period, Shem Arthur Tyson and his wife, Mary Toler Tyson, owned the house and its surrounding land. On November 29, 1901, they sold the property, identified as the Turner Home Track and comprising 400 acres, to Robert Stiles Dickson. Dickson named the mansion Dicksonia, establishing the name by which the property became known. The house's later history was defined by two fires. The original wooden structure burned in 1939. In 1940, it was replaced with a replica constructed from cast concrete and steel. The replacement retained the original floor plan but differed externally. Its monumental portico ran only across the front rather than around two sides, a modification attributed to the high cost of making large concrete Doric columns. The new construction was intended to resist fire, but it burned in 1964. The resulting heat damage was so extensive that the foundation could not support another reconstruction. The family left the remaining shell and columns in place, and vegetation gradually transformed the remains into an ivy-covered ruin. Before the first fire, Dicksonia had been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1934. That record made the property part of the architectural preservation history of the region and preserved evidence of the mansion's appearance and design. The ruin later appeared in the 1993 book Silent in the Land, extending its cultural documentation beyond formal architectural records. The property gained additional public visibility through a fashion and editorial photography session. On February 7, 1999, Annie Leibovitz photographed Natalie Portman at the ruins for the May 1999 issue of Vanity Fair. The shoot presented the deteriorated structure as a dramatic historical landscape rather than as an occupied residence. In the more recent period, Dicksonia has remained privately held, with public access available only on a limited basis. Dorothy Dickson Skipper has improved the grounds and helped make the remaining structure more visible. The site has been advertised as a historical rental venue through Dorothy Skipper Rental, LLC. A family wedding was held in front of the building in 2015, and further photo shoots have taken place after the grounds were improved. Dicksonia's present identity is therefore based on heritage, architectural ruin, controlled access, and event or image-making use rather than on the manufacture or sale of consumer products.
- 2015
The site hosts a family wedding
[1]A family wedding is held in front of the surviving building after improvements to the grounds.
- 1999
Vanity Fair photo shoot takes place at the ruins
[1]Annie Leibovitz photographs Natalie Portman at Dicksonia on February 7 for the May issue of Vanity Fair.
- 1993
The ruins appear in Silent in the Land
[1]The Dicksonia ruins are featured in the book Silent in the Land.
- 1964
The replacement house burns
[1]The second incarnation of Dicksonia is destroyed by fire; foundation damage prevents another reconstruction.
- 1940
A concrete-and-steel replica is built
[1]A replacement house is constructed with cast concrete and steel, retaining the earlier floor plan but using a front-only portico.
- 1939
The original wooden house burns
[1]The first Dicksonia structure is destroyed by fire.
- 1934
The house is documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey
[1]The original mansion is recorded as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey before its destruction by fire.
- 1901
Robert Stiles Dickson acquires and names the property
[1]On November 29, Robert Stiles Dickson purchases the mansion and 400-acre Turner Home Track from Shem Arthur and Mary Toler Tyson and names the mansion Dicksonia.
- 1856
Wiley Turner commissions a major remodeling
[1]The residence is remodeled into a Greek Revival mansion with a monumental two-story portico, Doric columns, formal balconies, and other decorative features.
- 1830
Original house is constructed
[1]David White builds the original two-story house near Lowndesboro, with a small one-story front portico.
Products and positioning
A privately owned historic Alabama plantation ruin positioned as a heritage setting, event venue, and photography location.
Heritage and event venue
Historic rental venue
Dicksonia Plantation is promoted for limited-access historical rental use. The surviving shell, columns, and surrounding grounds provide a heritage setting for private events, including weddings. The venue's appeal derives from the property's documented history, Greek Revival architectural remnants, and ivy-covered ruin landscape rather than from conventional hospitality infrastructure.
Location service
Photography location
The Dicksonia ruins and grounds have been used for photography, including Annie Leibovitz's 1999 Vanity Fair session with Natalie Portman. Later photo shoots followed improvements to the property and its visibility. Access is private and limited, and the location is valued for its architectural remains and historical atmosphere.
Marketing campaigns
- 1999Vanity Fair editorial photo shoot
United States
Annie Leibovitz photographed Natalie Portman at the Dicksonia Plantation ruins on February 7, 1999, for the May 1999 issue of Vanity Fair. The shoot brought national magazine exposure to the property as a visually distinctive historic ruin.
Outcome. The ruins received wider cultural visibility through their appearance in a major editorial magazine feature.
Brand decisions
1964
Leave the fire-damaged structure as a ruinStrategyBackground
A second fire severely damaged the foundation of the concrete-and-steel replacement.
Action taken
The family did not reconstruct the mansion and left the surviving shell and columns standing.
Aftermath
The remains became an ivy-covered architectural ruin and later served as a documented heritage and photography setting.
1940
Rebuild the house in concrete and steelOtherBackground
After the original wooden mansion burned in 1939, the property was rebuilt rather than abandoned.
Action taken
The replacement followed the original floor plan but used cast concrete and steel. Its monumental portico was limited to the front because of the expense of producing large concrete columns.
Aftermath
The replacement structure burned in 1964 and was not rebuilt again because the foundation suffered extreme heat damage.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/dicksonia-plantation · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled