Greenwood Florida - Historic Antebellum Town in Northwest Florida

Founded in 1824, the charming little Florida Panhandle town of Greenwood is home to one of the finest collections of antebellum homes and structures in the interior counties of Florida.

Greenwood has retained much of its original character through the years and remains today a small trading community surrounded by vast tracts of farm land. That is largely the role it has played for 196 years.

The community came into existance at an important crossroads just three years after Florida became a U.S. territory and grew in prosperity as the farms being carved from the surrounding wilderness grew into large plantations. By the time of the Civil War, Greenwood was an important trading community surrounded by one of the most prosperous plantation districts in the Deep South.

The town attracted national attention in 1853 when the abolitionist movement in the North seized on the spectacular suicide in Greenwood of a slave who threw himself down a well rather than submit to a whipping.

A drive or walk through the small town today provides a fascinating climpse of the grandeur that once marked such rural trading communities during the antebellum era. Although none of Greenwood's historic homes are open to the public, many have been beautifully restored and are treasured parts of the community. Historical markers dot the front lawns, telling the stories of both magnificent and simple structures, some of which date back to the 1830s.

Greenwood is located on State Highway 71 just 7.1 miles north of U.S. Highway 90 in Marianna, Florida. Also of interest in the area are Marianna's historic sites, the site of the Battle of Marianna and Florida Caverns State Park. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/greenwood.

Lowndesboro, Alabama - Historic Antebellum Town

A quick turn off U.S. Highway 80 between Montgomery and Selma in Alabama will take you into the beautiful town of Lowndesboro.

Growing from a settlement that was established as early as 1814 following the Creek War of 1813-1814, Lownesboro is located in one of the most historic areas of Alabama. The Battle of Holy Ground, where the Creek leader WilliamWeatherford made his fabled horseback leap into the Alabama River, took place just ten miles north of town. A skirmish was fought in the streets of Lowndesboro during the closing days of the Civil War, but spooked by false rumors of a small pox outbreak, Union soldiers moved on quickly sparing the town the severe destruction suffered by many Southern communities.

As a result, Lowndesboro today is an architectural showplace. There are antebellum homes, churches and other structures, almost all of them maintained in beautiful condition. The C.M.E. Church, built in around 1833, is actually capped by the dome from the state's first capitol building.

Lowndesboro will host its annual Heritage Celebration on May 1st. It is a great time to visit the town and experience the hospitality of this beautiful Alabama town. Events planned for the day include tours, a living history encampment, demonstrations of historical weaponry and more.

To learn more about historic Lowndesboro, please visit our new page at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/lowndesboro.