Historic Locations of Columbia Alabama Walking Tour

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Originally known as Travelers Rest, this two-story Queen Anne home was completed in 1890 by William Henry Purcell, a local businessman, and politician. Mr. Purcell built this home with its iconic octagonal tower for his family after having much success as a businessman and local politician. This house was the childhood home for Bishop Clare Purcell who, in 1955, was elected President of the Council of Bishops, the highest place of recognition achieved by a native-born Alabama Methodist Minister. On January 9th, 1946 the Purell family sold the house to the Killingsworth’s who then took on the task of restoring the mansion. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 16th, 1982, and in 1989 a historical marker was added by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Purcell Family. In 2005 the house was bought by Gary and Diane Norman, refurbished, and converted into the Garden Path Inn.

2. Columbia Baptist Church

After a disagreement amongst the Omussee Baptist Church over what the role of missions was, six members withdrew from the church and founded the Columbia Baptist Church. The church was organized with the help of Pastor Edmund Talbot who donated the land for the new church and had it built at his own expense. Not long after the Omussee Baptist Church dissolved from a lack of membership thanks in part to the disagreement. In 1859 a new building was constructed by Nathaniel Ferris Oakley just south of the church, however, this building was replaced in use by the current building red brick auditorium building which was constructed in 1885. On November 7, 1885, the church participated in the organizing meeting of the Columbia Baptist Association which was held at Bluff Spring Church in Henry County AL. In 1990 a historical marker was erected by the Columbia Baptist Church and the Historic Chattahoochee Commission.

3. Columbia Methodist Episcopal Church, South

When Columbia was founded in 1821, the towns and settlements of Alabama at the time had yet to build churches and have established religious communities across the state. During these formative years, congregations in the South would be served by circuit riders, pastors who traveled between communities to give sermons. Through their efforts, a small Methodist preaching house was founded here in 1832, with the community eventually growing and building this church in 1891. Today the Columbia Methodist Episcopal Church, South continues to serve the local community.

4. Old Columbia Jail

Columbia is one of the oldest towns in the Wiregrass region and one of the largest Civil War towns. As a prominent Chattahoochee river port-of-call, it was a major trading center for the region, prompting the need for a local jail. This building erected sometime during the early 1860s, likely when Columbia was a Confederate military post and commissary. The building originally contained 2 cells, each measuring at 10x15 feet. The walls are studded every two inches with iron spikes to prevent escape, and the door is reinforced with a metal frame. In 1978 a historical marker was placed by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission.

5. Columbia Cemetery

This historic cemetery in Houston County dates back to the late 1830s and serves as the final resting place of some of Columbia’s first settlers and pioneers as well as residents from the first two centuries of the town's history. The first burial in the cemetery was William J. McGriff, an infant who died on June 10th, 1839. The cemetery also includes the graves of Confederate soldiers and many U.S. veterans from various conflicts. Among the notable burials is that of Captain Callie French Tomlinson, one of the first women to serve as a steamboat captain in the United States. In 2015 a historical marker was erected by the Friends of Columbia and the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, just the sixth historical marker in Houston County to be dedicated.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Historic Locations of Columbia Alabama Walking Tour

Created by Izzy Bennett on December 7th 2020, 7:03:42 pm.

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Columbia has a rich history dating back to the early 1800s, and this short walk through the small community includes several landmarks relates to the town's earliest history. Starting at the Columbia Cemetery which features notable graves such as that of Captain Callie French Tomlinson, this tour ends at the Purcell-Killingsworth House, a beautiful and modest Victorian-style home.

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Historic Locations of Columbia Alabama Walking Tour

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