Bethune-Kennedy House

Dr. William Calvin Bethune, a Confederate Colonel during the Civil War, built this small Creole Cottage for his family after having returned to Abbeville in 1870. Dr. Bethune was a part of the Fifty-seventh Alabama infantry regiment during the American Civil War. He returned to Abbeville after being wounded, moving into this home with his family after its construction. Dr. Bethune would only live in the house for a few years before he sold it and moved with his family elsewhere.

The house changed hands more times in its history before landing in the hands of Walter K. Stokes in 1878. Stokes held onto the property for seven years before selling it to William and Mollie Kennedy in 1885. The Kennedy family owned and farmed land in rural Henry county but chose to live close to the town center because Abbeville was the largest town in the county. The house would remain in the Kennedy family until 1974 when it was acquired by the board of education.

The house itself is a fine example of the late Creole Cottage style, constructed after the close of the Civil War. It is a one and a half story braced frame structure, featuring two chimneys and a double front door and pen design. Originally the house had a rear porch and breezeway, leading to a detached kitchen, these were removed in the early 20th century to make space for additional bedrooms. When the property was acquired by the Board of Education, the rear additions were removed and two large metal school rooms were constructed within 20 feet of the rear of the building.

After the building was acquired by the board of education, the future of the house was brought into question. The Board of Education planned to demolish the house to make room for the nearby crowded Abbeville Middle school unless the house was bought quickly. The Henry County Historical Society and its president William Nordan sought to save the historic house from its destruction. They sook the help of Cheryle Webster, a recent transplant to Abbeville who had recently renovated another historic home on Kirkland street with her husband. After some effort, the local community and clubs formed the Community Improvement Council for the interest of preserving Historic Homes. The Abbeville City council then allocated $1,000 to the council to save the home. The building was purchased by the Abbeville Community Improvement Council for use as a community center in 1976.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 5th, 1978. A historical marker was erected in 1986 by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Abbeville Chamber of Commerce.

Floyd, W. Warner. Kennedy House, National Register of Historic Places. January 5th 1978. Accessed November 29th 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=f1eb154b-c53a-4b97-aab1-060f54804437.

Gaines, David J. The Bethune-Kennedy House, Historical Marker Database. July 16th 2016. Accessed November 29th 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=60754.

Greer, Caroline. Bethune-Kennedy House, Encyclopedia of Alabama. April 3rd 2019. Accessed November 29th 2020.