As I keep repeating over and over again, I feel an overwhelming desire to visit all 67 counties of our beloved state of Alabama.
On one of my recent trips out I had the pleasure of visiting a little town in Barbour County named Clayton.
According to Encyclopedia of Alabama https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/clayton/
Clayton has been the county seat of Barbour County since 1834. Barbour County was created from parts of Pike County and Louisville was chosen as the county seat. One year later an 11-member commission was formed to determine a new site for the county seat. After selecting a site in the geographic center of the county in 1834, county leaders christened the town Clayton in honor of Judge Augustine Smith Clayton, a U.S. representative from Athens, Georgia. The town was incorporated by an act of the Alabama Legislature on December 21, 1841.
Like I do on almost every little town I have had opportunity to visit I drove into town and passed through looking to see where I wanted to start. I do this because there are normally so many options to look at and I am normally limited. I normally leave home and try to take a swath across the state from wherever on I-65 East to the Georgia State Line. I have on the past three trips across spent a night in a campground in the area. Then I covered more area the next day and then went home. On this particular afternoon, I arrived in Clayton around 1:30 PM. Knowing I had a lot to see and a short time to see it I parked my van and hit the streets with my camera.
I had seen pictures of things in Clayton and had people on my Social Media group that had shared about it.
I had also read that it had once been a flourishing town with many stores and various other businesses over the decades past.
One of the first and more impressive things I saw as I walked along was an impressive mural. It clearly depicted much of the beauty and history of Clayton. It was, in my opinion well thought out. The designers and artist involved did a great job making a positive influence on this historic little Southern Town.
Another interesting sight was the Octagon House.
According to the historical marker beside the house, between 1859-1861. It was built by Benjamin Franklin Petty who was a carriage and furniture merchant. Mr. Petty was a native of New York and was a pioneer settler of Clayton. The Octagon House was patterned after the design made popular by Orson S. Fowler’s Book, A Home For All.
This is indeed a beautiful house that has stood the test of time. It is beautiful and definitely a show piece. Thankfully it appears to be well preserved and can be admired by future generations.
Another interesting find in Clayton was the Clayton Presbyterian Church. The sign out front stated that it was built in 1871. This is indeed a beautiful old building that has stood the test of time. It appears to be fairly well, maintained outside. I am sure that when it was built that it was a marvel of its time in this part of the world. As I stood in front of it, questions came to mind. I wondered how long it had been active? I wondered how many people had attended church services there when it was in its prime? I wondered how many years it had been since it was filled? I also wondered if it was active in some way even to this date?
One more treasure of the past of this like thousands of others in small towns in America struggling to just survive from being reclaimed by nature, wondering how many more generations will care to keep it maintained and standing.
As I always do I search for old churches, particularly those built either pre-1900 or early 1900’s. There is just something about then that intrigues me. I see them all over the Southland as I travel.
Another beautiful one is in Clayton. It is the Grace Episcopal Church. This old church according to the historical marker out front was completed on February 26, 1876. It is a Gothic Revival Style building
There are numerous other buildings left in Clayton that are kept up better or should I say have been freshly had a face lift of some sort. Such as the blue building here. I was told on social media that the right side of this one was the Ford Tractor Dealer.
Now as to every other small town I have been in on this journey across our beautiful state I want to bring this to attention. Actually, for me any ways it is the most important. It is one of the primary purposes of this endeavor. This part is not to bring shame or bring condemnation on Clayton nor any other small town I visit. It is to bring front and center the plight that Rural America is in.
Clayton, like all that I have been in has suffered. It has lost so much. Like every small town I know of there are empty buildings that are literally deteriorating around us. They all have a story. Many served for decades. Many were dreams that lived a lifetime and the proprietors’ retired or passed away. They all tell a story.
As with many of the small towns that I visit and share photos of on social media, Clayton has had and I hope continues to have many others that reminisce of times past. It warms my heart to see people share their stories of growing up there and of the thigns of the past the bring good memories to them. It does sadden me however many times when others that have not been to these towns see photos of them and it hurts them like it does me to see what has happened to the small towns of our childhoods.
As always, thank you for reading and following my ramblings and please feel free to leave comments.
Jackson