Corry Homestead, Southern Museum of Folklife, State Route 69, 10 miles South of Jasper, Oakman

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,64-OAK,1B-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

AL 69, 10 miles south of Jasper in Oakman, Walker County, Alabama. Owner: Harold Corry Date of. Construction: c. Builder/Architect/ Engineer: Harold Corry Proj ect Information: This report is based on written documentation donated by the Birmingham Historical Society, reformatted to HABS/HAER guidelines.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,64-OAK,1B-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The residence reflect's the prosperity of the Corry family, which has continuously occupied it. It also contains the original log house structure. Condition: Because the Heritage Park is a replicated mining boom town, the structures are in excellent condition. Mining artifacts are well-preserved and attractively displayed. Source Consulted: Corry, Harold, owner, Old York, P.O. Box Oakman, Alabama CORRY HOMESTEAD, SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FOLKLIFE HABS No. AL-949-B (Page ?4) %

Description

The Corry landholdings are situated in an area that was formerly an agricultural valley at the terminus of the Warrior Coal Field. The homestead site sits in a broad lawn area. A portion of the remainder of the site has been cleared by mining, timbering and most recently for construction of the Old York Heritage Park and associated parking. Associated with the Corry Homestead site is the Old York Heritage Park. The Heritage Park recreates the mining boom era when Oakman, established in and originally called York, was the trade center of Walker County prior to the rise of Jasper as the dominant county center. Owner Harold Corry has reconstructed a mining boom town streetscape that includes the Chamboredon Saloon, a general store, a hotel, and a blacksmith shop.

The immense Rosewood bar in the reconstructed saloon is original, shipped to Oakman from Paris, France in the The site also contains a two-story log house, a replica of the earliest Corry homeplace; a log church; and a bandstand, which incorporates a waterwheel to suggest a grist mill originally found on the property. A jail facsimile is currently under construction. A well and masonry trough also contribute to the setting.

Historical Overview

The Corry Family Homeplace was built as the residence of the current owner's great grandfather, Joseph Mortimer Corry in At one time, ownership extended to 900 acres surrounding the homeplace, and activities included farming, timbering and mining. Harold Corry's artifact collection includes carriages, farming and blacksmithing implements, a Civi1 War ambulance, wagons and numerous other items. The Old York Heritage Park is the setting for four special events held each year. During the Spring and Fall festivals. Mule and Wagon Day and the Christmas party, visitors relive the Walker County mining boom.

Historic re-enactments, bluegrass and country music; demonstrations of blacksmithing, quilting, horseshoeing, log hewing, board splitting, bee-keeping, cotton spinning, wood carving and the making of pottery, candles, whiskey, soap, harnesses, brooms and sorghum syrup annually attract an estimated visitors. Although there is no site or long-range plan to guide the Heritage Park is continually evolving. Future plans include furnishing the original log cabin, creating a museum in the log home replica, and constructing a country music hall.