1. Furman Schoolhouse - This school was built in the 1920's and served 
the Furman and Snow Hill areas as an elementary and junior high school 
into the 1950's. It was deeded to the Furman Civic Club in 1961 and has 
served as a community center ever since. 

2. “Wakefield” Plantation - This beautiful antebellum home is built 
in a one-of-a-kind Steamboat Gothic style. The nearly 6,000 sq. ft. of 
living area consists of 12 rooms and 12 fireplaces, and unique porches 
on all sides. It was named “Wakefield” by the Gulley family which 
owned the home from its construction in the 1840's until it was sold to 
Dr. E.G. Burson in 1943. John Gulley started construction around 
1840 and depleted his financial resources by the time it was completed 
7 years later. The construction cost was $12,000. John Gulley then 
sold the home to his brother Henry Gulley, who bequeathed it to his 
daughter Laura Gulley. She left it to her half sisters who sold to Dr. 
Elkanah G. Burson. The home is now owned by Sylvia Burson 
Rushing, granddaughter of Dr. Elkanah G. Burson, and her husband 
Tom Rushing. They are only the fourth family to own this home, 
which is featured in the historic book “Silent in the Land”. 

3. Moore-Burson-Rushing Home -This 1 ½ story gabled central 
passage house is of the coastal cottage type, and is located across the 
street from “Wakefield”. It served as the home place of Dr. and Mrs. 
Elkanah G. Burson until they purchased “Wakefield” in 1943. It has 
remained in the Burson family and Tom and Sylvia Rushing (current 
owners) are presently restoring it. The builder of this home was Leonard Moore.

4. Palmer-Barlow-Britt Home - This “coastal cottage” is thought to 
have been built in the 1830's by Stephen and Juliet Palmer and possibly 
modified by Dabney Palmer around 1860. It is a classic 1 ½ story 
“Carolina” cottage featuring a central passage with rooms to each side, 
including a unique prayer room with gothic arched windows. The front 
porch is an integral recessed porch constructed on brick bases connected 
directly to the earth (Carolina Porch Style). The home also features a 
wrap-around rear shed porch flanked by the kitchen. There are two large 
bedrooms upstairs. It was owned by the Barlow family for many years 
until purchased by Mitchell and Jennifer Britt of Huntsville several years 
ago. They are continuing to restore the home at this time. 

5. Palmer Cemetery - This cemetery was started in 1831 when Oscar 
Palmer, the 10-year old son of Stephen and Juliet Palmer, passed away. 
He was buried in the family garden just south of the Palmer home 
which still stands and is now owned by Jennifer and Mitchell Britt of 
Huntsville. You may view the names of all those persons buried in this 
cemetery and other cemeteries on tour by logging onto 
www.wilcoxwebworks.com and checking out the cemetery links. 

7. McCondichie-Stabler Home -This home was built by Herbert and 
Emma Farrior McCondichie, members of one of the pioneer families of 
Furman. The home was built in the 1870's and features heart pine lumber, 
and is typical of those area homes built after the War Between the 
States. The home was purchased by Lamar and Miriam Stabler in 1928, 
and has remained in the family since that time. It originally consisted of 
four duplicate rooms in front, separated by a large hallway extending 
through the house. A dining room and kitchen were attached to the rear. 
Extensive remodeling was done in the early 1920's to “modernize” the 
home, including enlarging the parlor, placement of French doors between 
the living and dining room, and the addition of the carport. 

10. Perdue-Williams-Estes Home -This home was built around 1895 
by a lumber entrepreneur named Perdue. Its conservative building style 
belies the construction date, as it would appear that it should have been 
constructed much earlier. The home is a two-story frame end gabled 
central passage house two piles in depth, featuring a two-tiered wraparound 
porch on all four sides. It also features four brick exterior 
chimneys, flush board siding, balustered railing and jigsaw work 
brackets on the upper porch tier, decorative latticework arches on the 
first floor elevation, double front and rear doors with sidelights and 
transoms on both stories, with a one room kitchen wing which abuts the 
rear porch. The home was owned by the Williams family for many 
years, and is now owned by Jim and Dora Estes. 

13. Trails End -This beautiful home was built in 1876 by Elkanah and 
Elafore Barge Burson on land inherited from his grandfather Joseph 
Burson who obtained the land through a land grant signed by Andrew 
Jackson. Elkanah served as an officer in the Confedarate Army and was 
with General Lee at Appomattox (see previous account). After the 
deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Burson, the home was deeded to their 
granddaughter Elliece Burson Williams Tucker who lived here with her 
family for her entire life. The home was sold to John and Kathy Estes 
in 1999 who have modernized the interior but left the exterior in its 
original form. The home is a 1 1/2 story frame and gabled central 
passage house of the costal cottage style, featuring a recessed porch on 
piers resting on a wood plank porch floor. The front door features 
sidelights and transom, and there are nine –over-nine windows 
throughout. 

14. Purifoy-Lee-McCoy Home -This splendid antebellum home, known 
as “Patience Plantation”, built in simple Federal style, with Greek 
Revival elements, encompasses around 4,000 square feet of living space. 
The usual Doric boxed columns are seen across the front, with the 
original double portico having been removed in the late 1960's during the 
restoration work done by George and Ruth Carlin who had purchased the 
home in 1966. Ruth Cunningham Carlin was a native of Furman, and 
grew up in “Fox Hill” described previously. The Carlins did extensive 
work on the home between 1966-1978. .Frank Purifoy, the fifth son of 
John Purifoy, chose this homesite and began construction around 1841. 
He wed Nancy Thigpen in the Spring of 1841, and the newly married 
couple moved in just before the birth of their son John in 1842. Nancy 
gave birth to three more sons before her death in July 1846, with the 
youngest son being only a few months old. Frank married Penelope 
Moore a few months later, and they had four sons together. Frank died in 
1858 at the age of 40 years. Penelope sold the home and 822 acres of 
land to Frank’s youngest sister Patience Caroline and her husband John 
Allen Lee in 1859. .Reverend Lee died in 1863, and Patience and the 
11children continued to live in the house until she sold it and 160 acres to 
Lizzie Cox in 1887. Several families owned the home until the Carlins 
purchased it. The home is now owned by bill and Cindy McCoy. 

15. Cox-Robbins-Kennedy Home – This one-story frame end gabled 
Greek Revival house features double front doors with sidelights and 
transom, nine-over-nine sash windows, front pedimented portioco type 
porch over central bay piers r4esting on wooden plank porch floor, and 
stuccoed brick chimneys. This house is one of five double pile central 
passage end gabled houses in Furman, and is believed to be the oldest, 
having been constructed circa 1855. This home is currently owned by 
Elton and Anne Kennedy. 

16. Old Snow Hill Cemetery -Many of the founders of Furman - the 
Gulleys, McCondichies, Purifoys, etc. -are buried in this cemetery 
located on the original Furman town site - a high hill located north of 
present-day Furman. The builders and original owners of many of the 
buildings on tour today rest on this picturesque hill, with the earliest 
recorded burial being 1825. As noted on the map, turn right on the 
county gravel road across the highway from “Patience Plantation” and 
follow the signs to get to this site. 

17. Purifoy Cemetery -This was the family cemetery of the Purifoy 
family. Their home was located directly across the road, and was moved 
to Pine Apple in 1935. As noted earlier, John Purifoy served in the 
Confederate Army with distinction. Subsequently, he was Judge of 
Probate for Wilcox County , State Auditor, State Treasurer, and 
Secretary of State.