Lyon Hall, also known as the Lyon-Lamar House, is a historic
Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...
mansion in
Demopolis
Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the 2020 census.
The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and Tombigbee River. It is situated atop a cliff composed of th ...
,
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It was built over a period of three years by George Gaines Lyon and his wife, Anne Glover Lyon. Lyon was an
attorney and the nephew of
Francis Strother Lyon, who maintained a residence nearby at
Bluff Hall.
[Marengo County Heritage Book Committee: ''The heritage of Marengo County, Alabama'', pages 21-22. Clanton, Alabama: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000. ]
History
George Lyon began construction on the house in 1850, it would continue until 1853. Upon completion of the house, they traveled to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to furnish it.
Lyon descendants lived in the house until the death of George Gaines Lyon Lamar in 1996. The house was donated to the Marengo County Historical Society in May 1997.
Description
The house is a two-story wooden frame structure, sided with
clapboard
Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of those terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping.
''Clapboard'', in modern Am ...
. The front
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
features six two-story square columns, constructed in brick with a
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...
finish. These columns are very similar to Bluff Hall. The upper balcony spans the entire width of the house and is attached to the columns. The roof is
hipped and features a small
belvedere
Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
Africa
* Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco
* Belvedere, Harare, Zi ...
at the summit.
References
External links
{{National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in Marengo County, Alabama
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
Houses in Demopolis, Alabama
Greek Revival houses in Alabama
Houses completed in 1853