View source for Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens

[[Image:Arlington Antebellum Home.jpg|right|thumb|475px|Arlington Home, photographed April 2005 by Natalie Hummel]]
'''Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens''' is a mansion built by Judge [[William S. Mudd]], who went on to join with the [[Elyton Land Company]] in the founding of [[Birmingham]] in [[1871]]. The house, which formerly commanded hundreds of acres, is currently located on a 6-acre lot at 331 [[Cotton Avenue Southwest]] in the [[Arlington-West End]] neighborhood of [[Birmingham]]. Owned by the City of Birmingham, it serves as a historical interpretive museum and reception hall.

==History==
The 475-acre property was purchased in [[1822]] from [[William O. Tarrant]] and [[John Burford Sr]] by [[Stephen Hall]],  a trustee of the [[Jefferson Academy]]. Hall erected a [[Stephen Hall residence|log house]] on the knoll, along with various outbuildings, including a blacksmith's shop. Over time he enlarged the home to two stories with four main rooms. At his death, the property was inherited by his son, [[Samuel W. Hall|Samuel]], who depleted his wealth, forcing the sale of the house and grounds at auction in [[1842]].

Mudd bought the estate at auction. In [[1846]] he married [[Florence Mudd|Florence Earle]] and began building a larger home in place of Hall's, which he called '''The Grove''' for the numerous old hardwoods surrounding the house site. With the help of his slaves, Mudd constructed a grand eight-room mansion in the Greek Revival style. The shallow hipped roof projected over a double-height gallery, with its cornice supported on six square columns. Four brick chimneys provided a hearth for each chamber, which the Mudd's filled with 10 children.

From [[1843]] to [[1848]], Mudd served in the Alabama legislature. In [[1856]] he was elected Circuit Judge, a position he held until his health forced retirement in [[1883]]. During [[Wilson's Raid]] in the Spring of [[1865]], the house was commandeered as a temporary headquarters for General [[James H. Wilson]] and his staff. While there, Wilson made plans for General [[John T. Croxton]] to lead a detached brigade to [[Tuscaloosa]] to burn the [[University of Alabama]], which had trained cadets for the Confederacy and was operating a hospital for soldiers. Wilson's use of the home helped spare it from destruction.

When Mudd died in [[1884]], Colonel [[Henry Debardeleben]] purchased the house as an investment. He never lived there, and soon sold it to Franklin H. Whitney of Cass County, Iowa, who converted it for use as a boarding house and subdivided some of the property into lots for sale. The house was purchased in [[1902]] by [[Robert Munger]], owner of [[Continental Gin Company]] which manufactured cotton gins in [[Avondale]]. It was Munger who dubbed it "Arlington", a reference to the estate of Robert E. Lee in Virginia. He continued to divide the former plantation to provide houses for his children as they married. Munger died in [[1924]] leaving the main house to his daughter, [[Ruby Montgomery|Ruby]] and her husband, [[Alex Montgomery]]. They resided there for nearly three decades, putting the property up for sale in [[1952]].

Members of the [[Elyton-West End-Powderly Civic Club]], led by [[Fred Melof]], rallied numerous civic organization to petition Birmingham's Department of Parks and Recreation to purchase the house as a Confederate memorial and museum. Mayor [[Cooper Green]] and commissioner [[Jimmy Morgan]] supported their efforts, but declined to commit funds from the city budget. A steering committee headed by [[Morgan Smith]] began raising money to make the purchase, which was completed in [[1953]] for $53,000. The house was restored and furnished by the [[Arlington Historical Association]] and soon became one of the signature landmarks for visitors to Birmingham.

Tours of the home are available on Tuesdays through Sundays, and the restored tea-room can be reserved for private parties. The rooms are furnished with antiques from the Antebellum period, many of them original to the house. The home also displays a notable collection of 19th century decorative arts and paintings.

The house serves also as a decorative arts museum, featuring a collection of 19th-century furniture, textiles, silver, and paintings. Arlington has gardens and a restored garden room named the Tea Room that is used for private and club events such as weddings, meetings, and food-service events.

The site was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in [[1970]]. The ashes of former mayor [[George Seibels]], who died in [[2000]], are interred at Arlington.

In [[2008]] the exterior of the house was repaired and repainted. Visitors' restrooms were enlarged to accommodate the disabled and ramps were constructed to improve wheelchair access to the restaurant, gift shop and museum. Additional work planned for [[2009]] includes opening the restaurant up toward the formal garden and renovating its interior.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Arlington snow postcard.jpg|exterior in snow
File:Arlington hall.jpg|entrance and stair hall
File:Arlington parlor.jpg|parlor
File:Arlington bedroom.jpg|a bedroom
File:Arlington bedroom PC.jpg|a bedroom
File:Arlington 2nd bedroom.jpg|a bedroom
File:Arlington pine suite.jpg|a bedroom
File:1966 Arlington ad.jpg|1966 advertisement for Arlington
</gallery>

==References==
* "[http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/Arlington%20(6-52).jpg Arlington up for sale— Purchase of landmark for shrine urged]" (June 1952) {{BN}} - via [[Birmingham Rewound]]
* "[http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/Arlington%20%2807-52%29.jpg 'Buy Arlington' citizen fund drive opens]" (July 1952) {{BN}} - via [[Birmingham Rewound]]
* Satterfield, Carolyn Green (1976) ''Historic Sites of Jefferson County, Alabama''. Birmingham: Jefferson County Historical Commission., p. 49
* Jaffe, Dana (December 15, 2008) "Birmingham antebellum Arlington house and museum gets makeover." {{BN}}

==External link==
* [http://www.informationbirmingham.com/arlington/index.htm Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens] at InformationBirmingham.com

[[Category:Arlington-West End neighborhood]]
[[Category:1822 buildings]]
[[Category:1846 buildings]]
[[Category:Farms]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions]]
[[Category:History museums]]