West of Marion, AL in the community of Folsom is one of Alabama’s last active plantations, one which has been in the same family since the early 1800s. William “the wagon maker” Moore came from South Carolina in 1819 and homesteaded in Alabama.  Since then, his farm has grown from the original 80 acres into thousands of acres. Most of the buildings on this property are original and date to the 1800’s.  The country store contains historic papers, a deed signed by Andrew Jackson, and other items.

A visit to this property is like traveling back in time.  You get to see  the log seed house used with the first cotton gin, the second cotton gin, a carriage house, a smoke house, a chicken coop, a potato house with a pit for the storage of vegetables, lard, and sausage, the plantation store with its pot-bellied stove and other items of interest, the blacksmith shop with its tools, the weaving house, a two-story early Federal/Greek Revival style house with clapboards covering the original log structure, a canning house, the overseer’s house, tenant quarters, barns, a fire house with a 1930s fire engine, and much more in their authentic setting.  You also see farm equipment, such as wagons, plows, planters, hay rakes, and other pieces.

This plantation is located on Hwy 14 approximately seven miles west of Marion (GPS coordinates 32.681184, -87.404372).

Tours are available by appointment. Visit HolmesteadCompany.com for details.

Photographs courtesy of RuralSWAlabama.