Richard Blauvelt Coe  |  (Detail) Portrait of Mr. Lewis Wade Cairnes and Mrs. Margaret Ellen Coe Cairnes, 1963, oil on canvas, 42 x 31 inches | Gift of Christiana Cairnes and Jeffrey Cairnes in memory of their mother Margaret Coe Cairnes | RBC-2024.AW.0012

Richard Blauvelt Coe  |  (Detail) Portrait of Mr. Lewis Wade Cairnes and Mrs. Margaret Ellen Coe Cairnes, 1963, oil on canvas, 42 x 31 inches | Gift of Christiana Cairnes and Jeffrey Cairnes in memory of their mother Margaret Coe Cairnes | RBC-2024.AW.0012

The two-story red brick building was built in the Greek Revival style from 1857–1859. The sanctuary and a mezzanine level are located on the upper floor. On May 28, 1976, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places due to its architectural significance. The Valley Creek Presbyterian congregation was established in 1816 by eight families from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, making it the oldest Presbyterian congregation in Dallas County and one of the first established in what later became the State of Alabama. The church congregation initially met in a wooden frame structure, which was replaced in the mid-1850s by the current brick structure.

Mr. Lewis Wade Cairnes and Mrs. Margaret Ellen Coe Cairnes, 1961 | Photograph taken at Valley Creek Presbyterian Church, Valley Grand, Alabama.  |  RBC-2024.PH.0006

Valley Creek Presbyterian Church, 2024  |  The church congregation initially met in a wooden structure, which was replaced in the mid-1850s by the current brick structure.  |  Photograph by Mark A. Harris

The couple held their wedding reception at Selma's historic Sturdivant Hall—construction of what is now referred to as Sturdivant Hall began in 1852 and completed in 1856. Following the completion of the house, Edward Watts and his family lived in the house until 1864, when the family sold the house.

Richard Blauvelt Coe  |  Sturdivant Hall, n.d., drypoint etching, 15 x 12 inches | Gift of Christiana Cairnes and Jeffrey Cairnes in memory of their mother Margaret Coe Cairnes | RBC-2024.AW.0013

Sturdivant Hall, 2024  |  Construction began in 1852 and was completed in 1856. The Gillman family owned the house in 1957, when it was sold to the City of Selma.  |  Photograph by Mark A. Harris

Following the end of the American Civil War, Parkman became president of the First National Bank of Selma. The bank engaged in cotton speculation and accumulated huge losses. The military governor of Alabama, Wager Swayne, had his Reconstruction authorities take possession of the bank and arrest Parkman. He was imprisoned at the county jail at Cahaba. Parkman was killed during an attempted escape on May 23, 1867.

The house was sold at auction in January 1870 to Emile Gillman, a prominent Selma merchant. The Gillman family owned the house until 1957, when it was sold to the City of Selma. A large share of the money for buying the house came from the estate of Robert Daniel Sturdivant, with a provision for setting up a museum in the city. The mansion was turned into a house museum after the purchase and named in honor of Sturdivant. The City of Selma, Dallas County, and the Sturdivant Museum Association maintain the property.