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Open house to feature unveiling of restored 1895 Spring Mountain Park plat

 

COLUMBUS—On Sunday, October 20, the Polk County Historical Association will host an open house at the museum in downtown Columbus to celebrate the successful preservation of the beautifully restored 1895 Spring Mountain Park plat. The restored plat will be officially unveiled at the event. 

The proposed development and plat were the brainchild of entrepreneur Frank M. Stearns.

Stearns had a broad vision for developing White Oak Mountain, including housing and a site near Houston Road for a university. The Spring Mountain Park plat indicates where the various

projects were to be located.  

The projects never materialized due to Stearns’ unexpected and untimely death. 

The restoration of the 129-year-old document was made possible due to a grant from the

American Historical Print Collectors Society for $3,075, plus generous donations from local

citizens Mrs. Earl Taylor and Susan Mathers. It’s the only known 19th-century example of a plat where half-tone photographs are embedded in large-format prints. The oldest known image of the 1859 Polk County Courthouse is embedded in the document, as well as waterfalls and other natural features on the mountain. 

The celebration on Sunday will be held inside the Polk County Historical Museum from 3

to 5 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and the event will include a special appearance by Helen Stearns (Susan Speight), dressed in period clothing, who will share stories about her family.

The Historical Museum is located at 60 Walker Street. Admission is free, and everyone in the community is invited.