The Magnolia Springs Community Association will bring back one of the town’s most anticipated traditions with the Triennial Magnolia Springs Tour of Homes on Sunday, March 22, using the event as …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
The Magnolia Springs Community Association will bring back one of the town’s most anticipated traditions with the Triennial Magnolia Springs Tour of Homes on Sunday, March 22, using the event as the official launch of a capital campaign to preserve the historic Magnolia Springs Community Hall, built in 1894.
The tour is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. and will feature six homes that reflect Magnolia Springs’ architectural evolution, pairing historic residences with newer construction designed to honor the town’s character. Four of the homes are located in the main village area, with two in The Commons. All properties will be accessed by golf cart from a central parking area near the Magnolia Springs Fire Station.
Proceeds will benefit a Magnolia Springs historic building, one which has hosted many events over the years, according to Cathy Henris, co-chair of the Magnolia Springs Community Association Home Tour 2026.
“Proceeds will benefit the Community Hall, which has been the heart of town life for more than 130 years — hosting potlucks, meetings, weddings and celebrations across generations,” she told Gulf Coast Media.
Tickets, on sale now, are $40 in advance and $50 at the door, with online purchasing available. New for 2026 is a Friday evening kickoff event, the Southern Charm Soirée, scheduled for March 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Governor’s Club in Magnolia Springs. Tickets for the soirée are $130 per person and include admission to the Sunday Tour of Homes. The event will officially launch the capital campaign and set the tone for the weekend’s festivities.
An art show featuring local artists will be held in the Community Hall during the Sunday tour, further highlighting the building that stands at the center of the preservation effort.
Much of the early history of the Magnolia Springs Community Hall is documented in the “Magnolia Springs Cookbook: River Breezes and Salty Air,” published in 2017. Scans of the cookbook were obtained by Gulf Coast Media with the help of Kathryn McFadden and Linda Ingram. The book details how residents joined forces to create a shared civic space. According to the book, the hall was built in 1894 by F. N. Allen on land “given by Otis S. Lyman in 1893,” using heart pine “brought by sailboat and unloaded at the head of the river.” Early contributors included the Otis Lymans, Fred Babcocks, F. N. Allens, William Howes, Frank Brunnels, Horace Dunbars, Daisy Thompson, Will Dowty, Gertrude Smith and Mrs. Ida Gates.
A planned celebration nearly unraveled when Allen refused to hand over the key to the finished building. As recorded in the cookbook, “a community dance was planned upon completion of the hall, but was threatened when Allen refused to turn over the key until the balance of $50.00 due him was paid.” Gertrude Smith paid the balance, and “the dance was held as scheduled,” with music provided by “two black fiddlers” and later William Thomas and Maude Armantrout played music on piano and violin for the dances. Later after that, a town orchestra was formed.
The hall quickly became central to everyday life in Magnolia Springs. The cookbook notes that church services were held there until St. Paul’s Chapel was built in 1902 and that the building “served as the first schoolhouse,” first educating children of winter visitors before becoming a full-time school. Over time, it also functioned as “a milk station,” a center for Red Cross activities, war bond drives and a gathering place for social events.
The structure endured repeated storms. “Twice, during the hurricanes of 1906 and 1916, the hall was blown from its foundation blocks,” the cookbook states. A bell in the belfry served as a fire alarm, reinforcing the hall’s role as a center for community response during emergencies. Many of the azaleas surrounding the building were planted in the 1950s by residents including Emma Holk and Marge Yoemans, funded by money raised “by selling doughnuts and coffee.”
The Magnolia Springs Improvement Association was formed in 1927 and incorporated in 1953 as the Magnolia Springs Community Association, a nonprofit organization. A Baldwin County Circuit Court decree dated Jan. 3, 2001, affirmed that the Community Hall property is owned by the people of Magnolia Springs, with the association appointed as trustee to oversee its care and use.
Between 2010 and 2015, the Community Hall underwent an extensive rehabilitation project under the guidelines of the Town of Magnolia Springs Historic Preservation Commission. Funded through community fundraising and donations from residents, the Magnolia Springs Garden Club, local businesses, the town and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the project restored both the exterior and interior of the building. Work included foundation repairs, new windows, a new kitchen and bathrooms and the exposure of original heart pine walls.
Association leaders say the 2026 Tour of Homes marks the beginning of a new chapter in preserving the Community Hall. Sustained for more than a century through volunteer service, membership dues and local fundraising, the hall’s future continues to depend on community support, a tradition organizers hope the upcoming events will carry forward.
