The James Spullock Williamson House, also known as Merry Oaks, is a historic plantation house in the rural community of Sandy Ridge in Lowndes County, Alabama. The one-story Greek Revival-style house was completed circa 1860. ''See also:'' The house was built for James Spullock Williamson, a planter and state legislator. He had land holdings in excess of in 1860, with his real estate and personal property valued in excess of $150,000. He owned 98 slaves during this time. Williamson was a son of the first judge of the Lowndes County Court, Peter Williamson, who had emigrated from Wilkes County, Georgia around 1819. James Spullock Williamson was elected to the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency contai ...

for the 1857–58 session. He also served during the Alabama Constitutional Convention of 1861 that preceded the American Civil War. Williamson was killed in 1862, during the Battle of Glendale in

Henrico County, Virginia Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...

. He was serving as a captain in the

14th Regiment Alabama Infantry The 14th Alabama Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Service The 14th Alabama Infantry Regiment was mustered in at Richmond, Virginia, on August 1, 1861. Wilcox's Briga ...

. The house has remained the property of Williamson descendants since it was built. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on September 12, 1988, and to the National Register of Historic Places on January 5, 1989, due to its architectural significance.

References

National Register of Historic Places in Lowndes County, Alabama Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama Houses completed in 1860 Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage Houses in Lowndes County, Alabama Greek Revival houses in Alabama Plantation houses in Alabama {{Alabama-plantation-stub