Eufaula, Alabama - Historic Sites & Points of Interst
Eufaula, Alabama - Historic Sites & Points of Interest
Eufaula, Alabama
The antebellum Hart House
is now the home of the
Historic Chattahoochee
Commission.
Fendall Hall in Eufaula
Completed in 1860, Fendall
Hall is now a museum owned
by the Alabama Historical
Commission.
Eufaula, Alabama - Historic Sites and Points of Interest
Eufaula, Alabama
One of the most beautiful cities in the South,
Eufaula is noted for its magnificent old homes.
History on the Chattahoochee
Founded on the site of earlier Creek Indian
villages, the historic city of Eufaula, Alabama,
is a national treasure.

Eufaula and the surrounding area is home to
more than 20 structures and districts listed
on the National Register of Historic Places
and the city's annual Spring Pilgrimage is
one of the finest such events in the South.

The early history of the city was turbulent. In
1831, General William Irwin built a home on
his massive 31,000 acre "empire" south of
Eufaula near today's Shorterville community.
To take advantage of riverboat traffic on the
nearby Chattahoochee River, he built a
steamboat wharf at the present site of
Eufaula. A settlement, named Irwinville in his
honor, soon grew up on the bluff near the
wharf.

Unfortunately, while Irwin's home was on
lands that legally belonged to the whites, his
wharf and the settlement of Irwinville were
not. Although some leaders of the Creek
Nation had signed a treaty in 1832 agreeing
to move to new lands west of the Mississippi,
the land  on which Irwinville was built had not
yet been vacated by the Creeks when it was
occupied by white settlers.

Federal authorities, including soldiers from
Fort Mitchell, tried to drive off the settlers and
President Andrew Jackson sent Francis Scott
Key, author of the National Anthem, to look
into claims of frauds being perpetrated on
the Creeks.

The situation became too much for the Yuchi
branch of the Creek Nation and they rose up
against the whites in the Creek War of 1836.
Using Irwinton as one of their bases, state
and federal troops moved against the Creeks
and forced them west at gunpoint on what is
remembered today as the Trail of Tears.

By 1843, Irwinton had developed into a
prosperous community thanks to the efforts
of Captain Seth Lore and other leaders. The
town's name was change to "Eufaula" that
year, after a band of Creeks that had once
lived in the area, to eliminate mail confusion
with the town of Irwinton, Georgia.

As riverboat traffic increased on the
Chattahoochee River, Eufaula emerged as a
major port and commercial center. Many of
the city's magnificent antebellum homes still
stand, stunning reminders of the amazing
wealth generated by the city's residents
during the decades prior to the Civil War.

Fendall Hall, for example, was completed in
1860 and featured Italian marble fireplaces,
a black and white marble entrance floor and
magnificent landscaped grounds. It is now a
museum owned by the Alabama Historical
Commission. Numerous other homes of the
era also survive.

The Civil War interrupted trade on the river
and briefly halted the growth of Eufaula. The
city was spared from the destruction visited
on many other Southern communities,
however, when Union troops halted just west
of town after receiving news of the end of the
war and a request for a truce in the form of a
letter from Major General Samuel Jones.

As the South rebounded after the war, so did
Eufaula. Many magnificent homes of the post-
war era can also be seen in the city. Among
them is the historic Shorter Mansion, now a
museum.

One of the more fascinating historic sites in
Eufaula is Fairview Cemetery. Used as a
burial ground from the city's earliest days, the
cemetery is the final resting place of soldiers,
governors, slaves and free blacks of the
antebellum era, civic leaders and others.

The Chattahoochee River has now been
dammed to create Lake Eufaula, a massive
and beautiful lake that is popular for outdoor
recreation. Eufaula stands remarkably
preserved on its high bluff overlooking the
sparkling blue water. Just north of the city,
Lakepoint Resort State Park features a hotel,
cabins, restaurant, marina and more.

Click here to learn more about the Eufaula
Heritage Association's annual Spring
Pilgrimage & Christmas Tour.
Shorter Mansion
Eufaula's beautiful Shorter
Mansion is now a museum
and has been recognized for
its neoclassical architecture.
Fairview Cemetery
This unique burial ground
near downtown Eufaula is
noted for the diversity of its
graves.
Saved by the War's End
Eufaula was saved from the
destruction visited on many
Southern cities when the Civil
War ended as Union troops
approached the city.
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Copyright 2012 & 2013 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.

Last Update: May 4, 2013
Historic Sites in Alabama