• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
RuralSWAlabama

RuralSWAlabama

Rural Southwest Alabama: Attractions

  • Region Map
  • By Attraction
  • By County
  • By Town
  • Open for Tours
  • More
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Wilcox Female Institute Building at Camden, AL (completed ca. 1849, recorded in HABS, listed on the NRHP)

Antebellum, Historic Markers & Memorials, Historic Schools | Camden in Wilcox County  

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Wilcox Female Institute is a historic Greek Revival-style school building in Camden. The brick structure features twin Doric columns, a second floor balcony, and a two-tiered cupola and pilastered belfry. This building was built between 1848 and 1850 and chartered as an academy for women in 1850. During the antebellum and postbellum periods, this school was one of the most successful academies in Alabama. The school closed in 1910 and the building was then used as part of the county high school for over 50 years. The building was deeded to the Wilcox Historical Society in 1974 and today it serves as the headquarters of this group. The Wilcox Female Institute was recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1937 and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on April 3, 1975.

This building is located at 301 Broad Street, Camden, AL (GPS Coordinates 31.994673, -87.294239).

Sources: 1) Wilcox Historical Society; 2) NRHP “Wilcox Female Institute” Nomination Form.

B&W photographs courtesy U. S. Library of Congress (HABS), photographer: Alex Bush, Date: January 6, 1937.

Tags: alabama, antebellum, black belt, camden, historical marker, wilcox county

Explore more

About This Website

Welcome to rural southwest Alabama. This website is dedicated to twelve counties located in rural southwest Alabama which includes a large portion of Alabama’s Black Belt area. This region is known for its rich and diverse heritage, historic homes and churches, and natural beauty. This website contains details about historic and interesting places that you will find in this area of Alabama.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST OF THE HOMES INCLUDED ARE PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARE DRIVE BY ONLY.

We hope that you enjoy this website.

Be sure to like our Facebook page

Dedicated to the memory of Stacy Milstead Henson (1978-2008) & Inez “Sis” Watts (1924-2007).

Footer

Copyright © 2023

  • Facebook
  • Instagram