Barton Hall, colbert, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/colbert/history/barton_hall.txt ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Fred Smoot Mary Hudson ================================================================================= May 1999 BARTON HALL by Fred Smoot BARTON HALL About 1840 Mr. Armstead Barton built his mansion down in the "Nation" on the Natchez Trace, near the town of Buzzard Roost. The old mansion still standing is two stories high with roof garden which was used as an observa- tory for watching the negros on the plantation. Underneath is a solid stone foundation. The porch is of solid stone with large columns extending to the second floor. The floors of the double parlors and hall are of solid black walnut, and at the time they were laid were two inches thick; but when the home passed out of the hands of the original owners these planks were remov- ed, sawed in two, the one inch planks replaced and the other half sold. The floors in these rooms were laid "log cabin style" and were very attractive. The windows for these rooms cost $100 each. The timber for the mansion was selected in Mississippi and was drawn by oxen for a distance of two hundred miles and sawed by hand. Around the walls of the double parlors was a molding of pure gold leaf, which also was removed long since. There was a double winding stairs leading to the roof garden.    In its original state, the home had a very large and beautiful lawn with box-bordered walks to the gate, a distance of a quarter mile, and drives on each side shaded with cedars. At the rear was a barn large enough to accom- modate fifty horses. The vegetable and flower gardens were in keeping with other surroundings. The orchard containing all kinds of luscious fruits cover- ed twenty acres of land. From: "Two Hundred Years at Muscle Shoals" by Nina Leftwich, 1935