Burritt on the Mountain is one of the first places I visited when I started visiting Alabama.
In 1869, William Burritt was born. He, just as his father was, became a physician. In 1900 he moved to St. Louis, Missouri with his second wife. In addition to being a physician, he became an entrepreneur and investor in industries such as mining, farming and other industrial production.
After his wife passed away, he moved back to Huntsville, Alabama in 1934 where he built a mansion on the property of this mountain. Having lots of money, he was able to go beyond standard building procedures and prepped his house with electrical wiring, even though electricity was not yet available in the area.
Luckily for Mr. Burritt, electricity soon became available in his area of Huntsville. However, one major oversight, lead to the mansion burning down. That oversight- hay insulation. And electrical fire was rapidly spread throughout the mansion burning it to the ground before any help could arrive.
He rebuilt the mansion and lived in it until 1955.
His end goal was to create the first museum in the Huntsville area. So after his death, his property and mansion were willed to the city. The city started moving in and relocating historic log homes, a church and schoolhouse and spread them around the property. These structures have been completely restored and conserved for the public to tour. There are a total of twelve buildings to visit.
Burritt on the Mountain also plays host to school trips, guided tours, weddings and more.
-Mike
