Visiting Eufaula

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

One doesn't have to be in Barbour County long before they begin hearing stories of the past. Founding fathers and war heroes, Southern belles and daring heroines, they all left their mark. Some people consider these stories tall tales, fact woven with imagination. Others hear their heels click beneath them on the hardwood as they tour the homes and take in the sights, slipping into nostalgia like you'd slip into a cool stream in mid July. These visitors can travel back in time and spend a lazy afternoon on the veranda watching the river roll by. To insightful travelers, Eufaula is more than pretty houses with magical allure, to these, Eufaula is legendary.

Shorter Mansion

Open for tours Monday–Saturday from 10 AM–4 PM.

Admission: $5.00 adults and $3.00 children
children under 6 are free.
Group rates are available.
340 North Eufaula Avenue
Eufaula | ALabama | 36027
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.eufaulapilgrimage.com
334.687.3793

*Admission prices are subject to change
Constructed in 1884, this imposing house took on its present Neoclassical Revival appearance after extensive remodeling in 1906 at a cost estimated to be $100,000. Formerly known as "The Columns," Shorter Mansion is the centerpiece of the Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District which has over 700 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is noteworthy for its 17 free standing Corinthian columns.

The purchase of Shorter Mansion in 1965 sparked the formation of the Eufaula Heritage Association and helped launch the preservation movement in Eufaula. The mansion now serves as the headquarters for the Association which annually sponsors Alabama's oldest tour of homes, the Eufaula Pilgrimage.

Beautifully furnished with antiques, it houses the Eufaula Historical Museum which contains artifacts and displays that focus on Eufaula's storied past. In addition, the museum has a section that honors the eight Alabama governors from Barbour County, as well as Admiral Thomas M. Moorer, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Visited by more than 10,000 people annually, Shorter Mansion is also available for weddings, teas, meetings, parties, luncheons, receptions and other public events. Each year it is the focal point of the Eufaula Pilgrimage which is held the first weekend in April.

Fendall Hall

This antebellum Italianate home was built circa 1860 by one of Eufaula's leading citizens, E.B. Young. Fendall Hall served as home for five generations of the Young family and their descendants. The house is now owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and is open to the public year round. It is restored and interpreted to the 1880-1916 occupancy of the home.

This historic house museum contains everything one would hope for in a Southern, suburban mansion, from towering columns, an imported marble entranceway, heart pine flooring and a blooming landscape. There are also exquisite features that may be found only at Fendall Hall, such as period furnishings that are original to the home and three rooms of the finest Victorian era murals, painted in 1884, found in any house in America. Visit Eufaula and discover the landscaped lawn and the crowning cupola.

Fendall Hall may be rented for everything from board meetings to weddings. The home has been selected for bridesmaid luncheons, club meetings, teas, intimate indoor events, large outdoor parties; group Picnics on the Porch, holiday parties, family dinners and corporate events. The staff welcomes your inquiries regarding your special affair.
Open for tours Monday–Saturday 10 am–4 pm
Open After hours by appointment

Admission: $5.00 adults & $3.00 Children
Children under 6 free
Group rates are available.
917 West Barbour Street
Eufaula | ALabama | 36027
www.preserveala.org
334.687.8469
*admission prices are subject to change.

James S. Clark Interpretive Center

Open for tours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Admission is free
Eufaula Barbour COunty
Chamber of Commerce
333 East Broad Street  
Eufaula | ALabama | 36027
334.687.6664
www.eufaulachamber.com
Now the home of the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, this building was originally constructed around 1892 as a railroad freight depot. It served Eufaula and the surrounding area in that capacity until the late 1980s when it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. A two-year renovation project was completed in 2002 and, in addition to the Chamber, the building also serves as the Eufaula Welcome Center and is home to an historic Interpretive Center under the direction of the Eufaula Barbour County Historic Foundation.

The building's namesake, the late James S. Clark, served as the Mayor of the City of Eufaula from 1976 to 1978, and served four consecutive terms in the Senate of Alabama from 1959 to 1975. He was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1983, and subsequently was reelected by the residents of his district for three additional terms. Clark was entrusted by the members of the House with the Office of Speaker in 1987, 1991, and an unprecedented third term in 1995.

Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District

The Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District remains the largest historic district in east Alabama, as well as the second largest in the state. Encompassing over 700 structures on the National Register of Historic Places, the district stretches throughout the oldest part of town.

Stop by the Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce to obtain a Walking/Driving Tour Guide.

Fairview & Shorter Cemetaries

A delicate iron fence that once surrounded Eufaula's Union Female College encloses Fairview Cemetery. Hidden behind the entrance foliage is the old Jewish section, the graves of European settlers and Confederate soldiers, as well as burial grounds for slaves.
723 North Randolph Avenue
Eufaula | ALabama | 36027
334.687.8031
Alabama's Civil War Governor, John Gill Shorter, was laid to rest, along with the Governor's father, the famous Indian fighter General Reuben Clark Shorter, in Shorter Cemetery. The cemetery's graves date back to 1840.

Downtown Historical Attractions

Macmonnie's fountain

The three tiered wrought iron fountain is crowned by a cherub, and fits in perfectly with the character of downtown. It was purchased from the city of Dayton, Ohio, in 1880.
DOughboy statue

This image of a World War I doughboy, with his arm outstretched, honors five of the ten men from Eufaula who perished in WWI. It was erected and dedicated in 1920.
Reverend Morton
Bryan Wharton Statue

Appropriately located within the intersection of East Barbour and Randolph Avenue, is a marble statue memorializing Reverend Wharton, pastor of First Baptist church in 1867.
Monument to the Confederacy

Presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1904, and standing at 35 feet tall, the confederate monument towers over the intersection of Broad Street and Eufaula Avenue.
The old fire bell

Once a signal for fire rescues in its original post in the E. B. Young Fire Company fire house, this 1883 bell required a rescue of its own when the bell tower of the firehouse was deemed "unsafe" and was removed.
World War II Monument

The veterans of Eufaula's National Guard Unit, Battery D 104th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, formed in 1940 by Lt. Col. Robert McKenzie, created this marble monument, which is inscribed with the names of all those who served in Battery D in World War II.
ALabama bass trail

When anglers talk about bass fishing, Lake Eufaula (a.k.a Walter F. George Lake), Tom Mann's old stomping ground and "Big Bass Capital of the World," is sure to come up. This 45,181 acre impoundment on the Chattahoochee River is shared by Georgia and Alabama and a fishing license from either state may be used. In 2012, Lake Eufaula and ten other of Alabama's premier bass fishing lakes, stretching from the mountains of North Alabama south to the Mobile Delta, were christened as the Alabama Bass Trail.

With a mild climate, mineral rich reservoirs, affordable lodging and dining, as well as public access to boat ramps and marinas, Alabama is a year round destination for anglers from across the country and Eufaula is one of the featured lakes. Go to www.alabamabasstrail.org for information on the lakes including specifics in lake temperature, what's biting, pro tips and guide services.
Jefferson davis highway

This marker presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1927, can be found in Confederate Park near the Central of Georgia railroad tracks on East Broad Street.
Those Governors include:
John Gill Shorter
1861-1863
William Dorsey Jelks
1901-1907
Braxton Bragg Comer
1907-1911
Chauncey Sparks
1943-1947
George C. Wallace
1963-1967,
1971-1979,
1983-1987
Lurleen Burns Wallace
1967-1968
Governors' Trail

When the Alabama Legislature approved the Barbour County Governors' Trail it opened the door to untold potential for attracting tourists to this area. There is much more to this scenic designation than just giving the highways a new name.

Governors' Trail starts in Clio at Highway 51 and run north through Louisville and into Clayton. Where 51 bypasses downtown Clayton, Governors' Trail will continue along Highways 239 and 195 through downtown to the intersection with Highway 30. The Trail continues east along Highway 30 to Highway 431 and then north through Eufaula.

The Barbour County Governors' Trail will feature significant sites and structures linked to the Governors from Barbour County, which has a rich political tradition including eight* Alabama Governors who are from, or strongly associated with the county.
In addition, there are numerous other political figures of statewide significance, including Lt. Governors Jere Beasley, Charlie McDowell and Rueben Kolb.
*Lt. Governor Jere Beasley and Lt. Governor Charlie McDowell each served as Governor for a few days.

 Click or tap here for a map.
Yoholo Micco walking trail

In 2010, the 2nd Phase of the Rails to Trails Project was completed. The conversion of 3.2 miles of abandoned rail bed is now a beautiful walking trail with a gorgeous water view and many other hidden jewels along the way. 

The trail begins in the heart of historic downtown Eufaula, AL in front of the Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce. Winding along the beautiful scenery you will find squirrel & eagle crossings along with a completely restored railroad trestle that literally crosses over Lake Eufaula. The end of the trail eventually ends at Old Creek Town, a beautiful waterfront recreational area that houses the Playground of Dreams, public beach and boat launch.
interesting facts and finds along the trail are:
  • 3.2 miles of paved trail perfect for walking, running and bicycling. (mile markers on pavement)
  • Several nature trails along the way that are clearly marked.
  • Old hardwood forest that leads to a breathtaking waterfall.
  • "Treehugger Park" to enjoy an afternoon picnic.
  • Bird Watcher's Alley
  • Benches along the way just in case you need to relax and soak up the scenery!
  • "Passport to Fitness" site - one of the State of Alabama's 60 top places to hike or walk.

    Visit TrailLinks for more information.
Wiregrass Birding trail

Ten Wiregrass Counties came together in November 2012 to launch the Wiregrass Birding Trail. This trail of twenty sites is the last of eight organized trails, and 250 sites, covering Alabama. The ten counties that make up the Wiregrass Birding Trail are Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Crenshaw, Covington, Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston. Eufaula has four of the sites out of the total of twenty sites in the region. An ongoing project for over five years, trail development has coincided with birding becoming an increasingly important source of tourism revenue for Alabama.

The sites in Barbour County are the Eufaula Wildlife Refuge, Lakepoint State Park, Old Creektown Park, and Yoholo Micco Walking Trail.

In addition to the Eufaula sites, the Wehle Center in Midway provides excellent birding opportunities in nearby Bullock County.

Alabama has perhaps the most diverse habitat in the Southeast, with a tremendous range of birds that can be seen in the state and certainly on the Wiregrass Birding Trail.
Eufaula Barbour County
Chamber of Commerce
333 East Broad Street  
Eufaula | ALabama | 36027
334.687.6664