Right in front of you, you’ll see a classic brick mansion with a row of tall white columns and dark shutters, sitting proudly on a lush green lawn-just look for the grandest house perched up on the hill at the end of Court Street.
Welcome to the Sannoner Historic District, where every street corner feels like stepping onto the set of an old Southern drama-minus the horse-drawn carriages and dramatic duels (at least, on most days). This neighborhood blossomed nearly two centuries ago when folks with thick wallets and even thicker accents-merchants, planters, and lawyers-decided this was the place to build their dream homes. Imagine the clip-clop of horse hooves, elegant dresses rustling, and neighbors politely judging your choice in drapes.
Over there stands Wakefield, the very first brick house in Florence, built way back in 1825 by a guy who literally owned the brick yard. The district has seen high society: two Alabama governors-Edward and Emmet O’Neal-and folks like the son of Governor Hugh McVay called these shaded streets home. The crown jewel? Courtview, the Greek Revival mansion right before you, lording it over the hill and looking like it’s ready to host a ball at any minute.
After the Civil War, Florence found its groove again, and the streets here filled up with joyful Victorian houses, the dramatic Gothic Revival Trinity Episcopal Church, and all kinds of fanciful homes-bungalows, Tudors, Neoclassicals, even a splashy Spanish Colonial. So as you take in these grand façades, just picture the stories and scandals they’ve seen-though luckily, you won’t find any grumpy ghosts… at least during daylight!
