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One of the children at The Lucas Tavern

Old Alabama Town
      Photos and article by Kathleen Walls

Old Alabama Town depicts Montgomery's early history with more than 40 buildings salvaged around the area and moved to a downtown location to present a view of what it was like to live in Montgomery over a century ago. When I visited, there were two of the docent's children in period costume dashing about much as their counterparts did a hundred years age. It made it so much more authentic than just an adult guide ever could.

 

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Two "students" read from the old schoolbooks

I was able to visualize myself back in the 1800s as I walked through this village. There is a church, one-room schoolhouse, cotton gin, gristmill and blacksmith's shed. The earliest era depicted is the 1820s with a small log cabin. The 1850s Ordeman Townhouse stands on its original site with its dependencies buildings, including kitchens and slave quarters. It gives a glimpse of upper-class life in the mid-19th century. You can even have lunch in the past at the Blue Sky Restaurant in the Young House, a small 1850s Greek revival.

 

 

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A little docent plays at being the tavern's hostess

But the centerpiece for anyone interested in the paranormal is the Lucas Tavern. Lucas Tavern was originally located about 15 miles east of Montgomery on a stage line.  Walter and Eliza Lucas raised their children there and welcomed weary travelers. The most illustrious traveler to partake of the tavern's welcome was the Marques de Lafayette, who stayed there in 1825.

Apparently, Eliza is still doing what she enjoyed in life. Many visitors have seen her, and she has made her presence felt at staff meetings. She is most frequently glimpsed in the tavern doorway as a small woman dressed in Victorian clothing. She has also been known to act as a docent and pose for photographs for visitors in other buildings as well. One gentleman who was taking pictures in the old schoolhouse after hours was pleased to find what he assumed was a guide posing with a McGuffy Reader there. The woman was about 5'3" and smiled but did not speak to him. He snapped several pictures and was astounded when the "guide" vanished into thin air. When the pictures were developed, there was a bright light in the area where the "guide" had stood.

Eliza was always a gracious Southern hostess and believed in settling disagreements in an amicable manner. She once reacted in a staff meeting when she felt one member was acting too hostile. A sudden puff of smoke blasted out of the fireplace covering the offending member with soot and ashes.

On another occasion, two members of the staff were discussing the historical district critically. The door to the room where they were seated flew off its hinges and fell to the floor. Yes, Eliza may be a small friendly phantom, but she believes good manners should be observed at all times.

If you liked this article you would enjoy reading my new book, Hosts With Ghosts: Historic Haunted Hotels in the Southeast. Click here for more about the book.

 

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