Preserving the Pat at the Magee Farm with Living History part of Albama’s Past

In 1848 Mr. Jacob built a farmhouse and related building constructed with black slave labor for his family. The construction of the house and buildings was of such high quality that from that date to the present day the house has needed little help or repair from that day to the present. The 2 story house was the home of 4 different families over the decades before being designated a living history and museum site for the city of Kushla. The Magee Farm is one of those attractions that you will want to include on your Alabama travel guide schedule.

Besides the main house there was also a commissary; post office, bath house and school house on the grounds. Although the only buildings still remaining are the house and the schoolroom - the history of those times lives on with the exhibits that are presented for you to see. It was the largest private residence for several miles when it was completed.

The main house was designed with some interesting plans. There is a front porch that has 2 sleeping room entrances leading onto it. One of these bedrooms has a door on the porch but no entrance into the main area of the house. It was built to offer travelers and guests that were non members of the family a safe place to reside without them being able to enter the family’s private home. The other bedroom has a door on the porch but also one that opens into the formal living room. Of course this extra bedroom was used by family members that came to visit or friends that the family wanted to have access to the rest of the house.

There is another parlor room that could be closed off with either a drape or by shuting the sliding pocket doors. The foyer of the house opened onto both the front and the front porch. The school room was attached to the rear veranada. This room is now the museum of the property. Up on the second floor are two large bed chambers, each including their own fireplace. For heat, the house has a total of 5 fireplaces. Imagine chopping enough firewood to keep 5 fireplaces running all winter!!

The kitchen was out back but attached to the remainder of the house by the rear porch. It was typical to have the kitchen removed from the house proper to keep the heat out of the main house. Behind the cookhouse was the outhouse so when the facilities needed to be used it could be quite a run in the dark or cold to get to the outhouse when nature called.

Today, it is on the most popular Alabama attractions. The farmstead is also the location of the Living History and Battle Reenactment - both in the spring and the fall.