The Pickensville Stagecoach Inn, constructed ca.1820 and prominently located along the Old Columbus Road (also historically referred to as the Greensboro Road, and Seymer Road today), is considered a local landmark and believed to be the oldest surviving standing structure in the small town of Pickensville, the former seat of government in Pickens County. The two-story, white clapboard house is integrally associated with the early settlement of Pickesnville, as well as to the early development and expansive years of the town, county, and region. In addition, the residence served as an Inn for passengers traveling along the various Stagecoach lines that operated throughout the region during the nineteenth century.
The Stagecoach Inn is also an excellent surviving example of the Plantation Plain style house form, a variant of the traditional I-House, which characterizes much of southeastern rural residential architecture. Its modest Greek Revival-style detailing, interior design and workmanship, and subsequent alterations further contribute to the historic integrity and exceptional significance of the Pickensville Stagecoach Inn. Description: The Pickensville Stagecoach Inn is a two-story, frame Plantation Plain style house, a variant of the I-House, two rooms high and one room deep with a central hall and an integral, rear, dropped shed extension. The shed extension, typical of the early to tnid-nineteenth century, is one room deep and runs the length of the house.
The concept of this shed addition, brought by settlers from Georgia and the Carolinas, is romantically referred to as Plantation Plain sty Ie. This variant to the I-House was a common expansion to vernacular forms throughout the southeastern United States. The one-story rear extension provided additional rooms on the first floor and prevented the reduction of air circulation throughout the second-story. The house is three bays wide (W, D, W). Unlike the exterior end chimneys common to the I-House and Plantation Plain style, the Pickensville Stagecoach Inn features two interior brick chimneys located along the rear slope. Windows are nine-over-six -light sash with teal- painted casings and pediment lintels. The house rests on a brick pier foundation.
The front (west) fa<;ade features a centered, partial width, one-story porch. The porch is wood and sits on brick piers. Four, tapered wood square columns support a relatively flat roof with standing seam metal. Full-length pilasters are situated at the corners of the front PICKENSVILLE STAGECOACH INN HABS No. AL- (Page 2) fac;ade, wrapping the corners to the north and south. The central door is most likely a replacement door in the Eastlake style (ca.1880-1900). The entry door features heavy, elaborate detailing, with a single pane surrounded by variable-sized smaller panes. A horizontal panel is located below the lights and features a heavy, detailed surround.
The second floor window fenestration is out of line with those on the first floor, with the exception of the central window which is centered directly above the entry door. The second floor windows on either side of the central window are situated slightly more toward the center of the structure than those on the first floor. The central hall extends through the rear shed extension with two rooms flanking either side of the hall on the first floor. All doors on the first floor feature faux-graining. The interior doors fronting the central hall (with the exception of the parlor door) contain two, full-length vertical panels and white, porcelain knobs, both typical of the Greek Revival style. The parlor features a more detailed, four-panel, Greek-Revival style door.
All doors are faux -grain painted. The former bedroom located at the southeast corner of the house was converted in into a workroom with bathroom, water fountain, sink, etc. The northwest room is historically the parlor space, and, as such, features more refined decorative detailing than the remainder of the rooms. The northeast room is believed to have been the dining room and was once directly accessible to the parlor. 1 Each room on the first floor contains a fireplace and decoratively carved mantel, the most detailed of which is located within the parlor. Windows throughout the house (with the exception of the parlor) feature a modest window casing. Walls in the front bedroom are plastered while those in the dining room are flush board.
Bead board siding is placed over the brick fireplace and above the mantel in the dining room. Ceilings in all rooms except the parlor are flush board. Unlike the other rooms on the first floor, the parlor window casings are much more elaborate featuring decorative corner blocks and resting on plinth blocks contiguous with the baseboard. A horizontal panel is located beneath the lower sash and is faux grained. The ceiling in the parlor is flush board; however, the ceiling features decorative, full-length, narrow strips of beveled wood. Walls are bead board and painted a pale pink color. The wood mantel is Greek Revival with decorative fluted columns and painted black. The second floor features a single room on either side of the central stair hall and a full- length attic along the rear.
The attic space runs the length of the rear shed addition. The bedrooms located on either side of the stair hall on the second floor are modest with slightly lower ceilings than those on the first floor. Window casings are very simple - almost reaching floor level. Ceilings are flush board. The bedroom located on the south side of the hall features bead board walls painted a similar teal to the window trim on the exterior of the house. The door features two, full-length panels similar to those on the first floor. The mantel is modestly carved and painted white with a concrete hearth. 1 The space between the parlor and dining room was enclosed during a restoration project. PICKENSVILLE STAGECOACH INN HABS No.
AL- (Page 3) Unlike the south upper room, the door leading to the north upper room features six panels: two small panels located near the top of the door with four larger panels below. The mantel was removed during the restoration; however, it remains in the room and matches that of the south room on the second floor. Walls in the north upper room are unpainted, flush board with bead board surrounding the fireplace. Although an excellent restoration has been completed on the exterior and first floor of the house, much work remains to be done on the second floor; however, the surviving materials, form, and design retain a significant degree of the structure's hist6fiC"-iIrt,grity. I l ... History: The Pickensville Stagecoach Inn was constructed~a.
he property on which the Stagecoach Inn is situated was initially granted to EdWar-ims and T. Rogers on April 22, (Certificate No. approximately four years following the construction of the Stage c: . It is unknown who initially constructed the Pickensville Stagecoach I ,. in 181 . Surviving deed records2 suggest that the house was "-~ owned by the Gray family as--earty as (Deed Book B, Page Fannie Gray, wife of A.W. Gray purchased the property and house at auction on October 20, According to the same document, it appears that Guardians of Callie Gray (a widow) and Angela Doss were involved in the transfer of the property. It is unknown what the relationship between the two women was and whether or not they shared ownership of the property at this time.
In the property and house were conveyed to Wilbourne (Deed book E, page The Wilbourne family retained ownership for over 100 years when in they sold the property to Pickens County (Deed book 96, Page Due to its convenient location along the Tombigbee River as well as a principal transportation route between Demopolis and Eutaw, Alabama and Columbus, Mississippi, Pickensville quickly became an important business and trading center throughout the region during the century. It is said that the two-story residence was built to serve as a stagecoach stop on the Eutaw-Columbus Stagecoach Line. Whether constructed as a residence, Inn, or both, it is evident that the early owners of the two- story house took advantage of Pickensville's central location by offering rooms to travelers.
The Pickensville Stagecoach Inn quickly became a prominent stop-over for passengers along the historic stagecoach lines which passed through Pickensville, as well as travelers arriving by steamboat and ferry. Due to the introduction of the railroad in the latter years of the nineteenth century, the resulting decline in Stagecoach Lines and steamboat travel, and the contemporaneous transfer of ownership to the Wilbourne family, it is probable that the house ceased operation as an Inn by the time the Wilbourne's acquired the property in 2 The Pickens County Courthouse fire of destroyed all records prior to this date. PICKENSVILLE STAGECOACH INN HABS No. AL- (Page 4)
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