New Gaineswood director has big plans; county residents get discount

“You can’t visit Gaineswood without finding something to connect with.”

Nancy Lindsey hit the floor running when she took over as site director of Gaineswood in January. With the approval of her board, she already has scheduled events, determined priorities and set goals.

Top on the list of things of importance is attracting more visitors, especially who may never have toured the historic Greek Revival home.

“We want to involve everyone in Demopolis and Marengo County. Many have lived here all their lives and never been in Gaineswood,” she said.

“We want to reach more people,” Lindsey continued. “We’re going to really try to get the word out.”

In order to encourage more people to visit, all during the year of 2020 any resident of the county will get a $1 discount on the $7 price of admission in order to encourage people to visit.

On Feb. 13, weather permitting, the Mid-Alabama Corvette Club from Birmingham will display more than a dozen cars on the Gaineswood grounds. Admission to see the cars is $5, and for another $2, visitors can tour the home.

Now being planned for the spring is a quilt show to be set up in the house. Handmade quilts will be displayed on the beds and in quilt stands.

Arts shows, educational garden presentations and other special events will add to Lindsey’s determined efforts to draw people to one of the jewels of Demopolis.

The second priority is beautification of the grounds. The Demopolis Beautification Department has plans to trim the cedars surrounding the property so people can see the house.

“We are very glad about this and believe it will make a better impression of Demopolis as well as the home.”

Much more is needed to return the gardens to their former glory, however. Lindsey hopes that volunteers will pitch in to do some of the work around the home.

The third, and most challenging, of Lindsey’s goals is to repaint the exterior of Gaineswood. The Alabama Historical Commission, which owns the home, has agreed to match whatever is raised toward the work, but Gaineswood has a long way to go to reach its goal.

“As you can imagine, this is an expensive undertaking,” she said. “While we do have financial support …, we are significantly short on funding the entire project.”

Gaineswood also is available for groups who wish to rent the elaborate drawing room, also known as the ballroom.

Lindsey is hoping to draw plenty of outside help to reach the lofty goals set for 2020. She has five “wonderful” tour guides who wear many hats when they volunteer. Gaineswood is looking for a few more who can fill in when needed.

A marketing student from the University of West Alabama is redesigning the home’s website, designing a logo and working to brand Gaineswood “so that we are connected with the Alabama Historical Commission as well as Friends of Gaineswood.”

She added that the home’s Facebook page “is a fun way to share GW. We will post pictures of our guests as well as announce upcoming events.”

The Friends group is made up of local residents, descendants of Gaineswood’s builder, Gen. Nathan Bryan Whitfield, and people interested in historic preservation from around the country.

One of those people is the site director of a historic home in Pennsylvania who toured Gaineswood last month. He told Lindsey that he had visited homes throughout the United States, but Gaineswood ranked among the most magnificent he has ever seen.

Another visitor was fascinated by an antique surveyor’s tool on display. He said the site is extremely fortunate to have such a rare item and promised to let all the surveyors he knows about the instrument and encourage them to see it for themselves.

The Alabama Historical Commission funds Gaineswood just enough “to keep the doors open,” said Lindsey. The commission’s contributions cover insurance and utilities. Anything other than the basics is paid for through donations, tours, events and the Friends of Gaineswood.

Lindsey readily admits that she loves meeting visitors to the site and watching every visitor make those connections with the home. Many share their own stories.

She invites all those interested in volunteering or donating to contact Gaineswood through its email address, gaineswd@bellsouth.net, for more information or to receive the Gaineswood newsletter.