Collier–Overby House

The home's first owner was its builder, a man by the name of James Walker. Information about him is not readily available. As for Collier, he was born in Virginia on January 17, 1801 but his family moved to South Carolina when he was a baby. The family attended a Methodist church and Collier was educated in the classical tradition. In 1818, the family moved to Huntsville, Alabama. As a young man, Collier studied law in Nashville, Tennessee under the tutelage of Judge John Haywood, who served on the Tennessee Supreme Court, and passed the bar exam in 1822. He then opened a law practice in Hunstville but not long after joined a law firm in Tuscaloosa. In the coming years, he became a prominent local figure and ran for the state legislature in 1827. The legislature then appointed him to the Alabama Supreme Court the next year. The governor reappointed him in 1836 and he became the court's chief justice in 1837 and remained in that position for twelve years. Over the course of his tenure, he drafted over 1,000 opinions.

Collier ran for governor in 1849 and won handily. Much of his time in office dealt with the issue of Southern rights (specifically in the area of slavery), which he supported. However, he did oppose secession, which many Alabamans favored at the time. He considered convening a state convention on the matter but in the end did not do so. He instead supported the Compromise of 1850, which, broadly speaking, temporarily resolved the issue of introducing slavery into new territories. As a result of his support for the compromise and Southern rights, Collier easily defeated the pro-Union candidate in the 1851 gubernatorial race.

Collier supported other causes as well. He advocated for prison reform and visited the state penitentiary regularly. He also promoted the diversification of the economy and establishing textiles mills. Collier supported improvements to education including equitable funding to communities and creating a state superintendent's office. In healthcare, Collier made improvements to mental health. Social activist Dorothy L. Dix spurred him in this direction, advocating better treatment of the mentally ill and incarcerated individuals. As a result, Collier led the effort to establish the Alabama Insane Hospital (now called Bryce Hospital), although it did not open until 1859.

When his tenure as governor ended in 1853, the legislature offered to appoint him as U.S. Senator but he did not accept due to his declining health. In 1855, he was essentially bedridden. His doctor suggested he go to a medicinal spring, which he did but died of gastroenteritis at Bailey Springs in Lauderdale County on August 28th.

As for the house, it remained a private residence until 1901 when it became the location of organization called the Associated Charities, which was the first such organization in the city. The house became a private home once again (one of its owners was a woman named Virginius Overby) and remains so today.

Atkins, Leah Rawls. "Henry W. Collier (1849-1853)." Encyclopedia of Alabama. February 14, 2008. Last Updated December 13, 2017. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1467.

Floyd, W. Warner. "Collier-Overby House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. July 14, 1971. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/36963943-1124-49b0-abf7-935d7ef72a31.

"Henry Watkins Collier." National Governors Association. Accessed December 19, 2020. https://www.nga.org/governor/henry-watkins-collier.