Southern Historic Sites

Southern charm extends to these historic homes, museums, plantations, and hotels. A guide to some of our favorite Southern historic sites.

white clapboard façade of the Clifton Inn

Southern Historic Sites

Just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Clifton Inn captures the true spirit of Federal-era hospitality.

By Deborah Burst

Hotel Ponce de Leon (now part of Flagler College), designed by Thomas Hastings in 1887, historic places

Southern Historic Sites

Once upon a time, long before glittering Miami Vice skyscrapers and Disney fantasies scrawled their signature across the state, there was a whole other Florida.

Northeastern Historic Sites

On the water in historic St. Michaels, Maryland.

House Tours

Left for ruin this Kentucky villa became unfit for living until one couple restored it.

Southern Historic Sites

The history behind Strasburg, Virginia, homes.

An intact row of Creole cottages, newly painted, on Chartres Street in The Marigny.

Historic Neighborhoods

Filled with old-timers and artists, The Marigny is a bohemian neighborhood against a backdrop of pastel Shotgun houses and colorful Creole cottages.

The private, shady courtyard provides a quiet respite from the French Quarter.

Southern Historic Sites

A collection of charming cottages echoes the French Quarter’s blend of history and culture.

The War Between the States turned peaceful Strasburg into a bitterly contested battleground. This memorial obelisk, erected by Confederate veterans in 1896, sits in the Presbyterian cemetery in Strasburg.

Historic Neighborhoods

A historic streetscape in the village, with the Winston-Salem central business district in the background.

Southern Historic Sites

“We have a multi-generational neighborhood," say residents John and Candace Volz. "Young folks who grew up here come back to raise their families near their parents’ homes.”

Historic Neighborhoods

Bathhouse Row, with the Arlington Hotel behind.

Southern Historic Sites

The log Miksch House was covered in clapboards and painted yellow soon after its construction in 1771; like all early Salem houses, it was roofed in tiles made in the village.

Historic Neighborhoods

There are several Sears Old English-style designs, including this Cambridge, which was produced only in 1930 and ’31.

Historic Neighborhoods

Despite many changes of hands over the years, the façade of the Driskill Hotel still looks remarkably like it did in 1885.

Southern Historic Sites

The legendary Romanesque landmark brings a Lone Star brand of grandeur to Texas’ state capital.

As part of the restoration, Montpelier was stripped of its duPont-era pink stucco and returned to its original Federal-era brick façade.

Restoration Projects

A world-class sleuthing effort has gone into restoring James Madison's beloved house. The result is one of the best unmuddlings in recent history.

Get off the highway to see places like the ruins of the 1757 Old Sheldon Church in Yemassee, South Carolina, burned by Sherman and then gutted by locals rebuilding their homes.

Southern Historic Sites

Many buildings have risen along the Mississippi coast since Hurricane Katrina landed its punch in 2005. But very few embody the Spanish-moss-and-mint-julep spirit of the Old South quite like Grass Lawn, a stately Greek Revival home with an airy two-story galerie that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico.

The Grove Park Inn remains an Arts & Crafts icon and a mecca for the movement’s enthusiasts.

Southern Historic Sites

A local walks us through this gem of a city bursting with architectural treasures.

The hotel's first restoration, in the 1980s, uncovered the magnificent painted-glass skylight in the lobby.

Southern Historic Sites

Various Victorian styles are apparent in the handsome brick houses.

Southern Historic Sites

The Everglades Club was Mizner's first commission in Palm Beach.

Southern Historic Sites

In Savannah, houses, buildings, and lush landscapes of all periods blend uniquely together, as in this view of Chippewa Square.

Historic Neighborhoods

We take a closer look at Savannah, Georgia.

Afton Villa's formal boxwood parterre was inspired by the original owners' honeymoon tour of Europe. Photo courtesy of Afton Villa.

Garden Design

Take a look at 7 Antebellum gardens around the country.

Guild member Aaron Yakim demonstrates the art of making a split white-oak basket.

Southern Historic Sites

At the Antique Rose Emporium, display gardens are oriented around a restored late-19th-century farmhouse.

Southern Historic Sites

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Kitchen Cabinetry

Crown Point Cabinetry offers custom cabinets for period style kitchens, baths, offices, laundry rooms, home bars and more. Styles include Shaker, Arts & Crafts, Early American, Victorian and Transitional.

Radiators, Grilles & Registers

Acorn is the finest and largest manufacturer and distributor of forged iron builders hardware in the United States. Acorn's OverBoards division offers high-quality crafted classic upgrades for radiant baseboards.