This is the oldest documented structure in Camden. It was built for Thomas Dunn who was one of the earliest settlers of this area. It is believed that he donated the land upon which the present town of Camden, known as Barboursville until 1841, was built. This house was originally a two-story, log dogtrot constructed circa 1825. The two-story frame addition was added to the house in the 1835-1840 time period. It was modified again in the 1890s to its current structure with the addition of a full-façade portico and extended eaves. The home, owned by the W. J. Bonner family for many years, was donated to the Wilcox Historical Society in June 2001. The Historical Society began restoring the house and then sold it to Blake and Betty Field of Camden, who completed the restoration in 2006.
This house was photographed and recorded in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1937. It is located on Broad Street near the intersection of Broad and Clifton Streets near downtown Camden (31°59’37.5″N 87°17’26.9″W – Google Maps).
This is a private residence – drive by only.
Sources: 1) Wilcox County Historical Society; 2) The Alabama Catalog, A Guide to the Early Architecture of the State, by Robert Gamble.
B&W photograph courtesy U. S. Library of Congress (HABS), photographer: Alex Bush, date: March 27, 1937.