Birmingham's only surviving antebellum plantation house, built around 1850, before the city itself was founded in 1871. The Greek Revival structure contains a collection of 19th-century decorative arts and period furniture. The surrounding gardens are carefully maintained and pleasant to walk through.
Arlington is a quiet counterpoint to Birmingham's civil rights and industrial heritage. It is also, as a plantation house, a reminder that the city's history is more layered than its post-Civil War founding date might suggest. Guided tours run on a set schedule; the house can be booked for private events.