A historic Gadsden home will open its doors to the community Sunday, Nov. 15, for a special open house honoring Carolyn King Gunn Bellenger, a longtime Gadsden High School English teacher.
The event, called the Bellenger Class Reunion, is intended to give former students who always wondered what Mrs. Bellenger’s home looked like an opportunity to see it for themselves. The open house is also open to the general public.
Visitors can tour the home, enjoy refreshments and hear stories about the house and the woman who called it home for nearly 90 years. Admission is free, and the event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m.
Built in 1886 by local merchant Edward Tracy Hollingsworth, the home was sold in 1901 to Dr. Charles Logan Gunn. His daughter, Carolyn, was born there that same year and spent most of her life in the house.
She married William Clinton Bellenger Jr. in 1925, but he died just nine months later following complications from an appendectomy. She never remarried and continued living in the home until her death in 1990.
Bellenger left the home and its contents to the City of Gadsden in her will, with instructions that it be used as a museum or cultural center. The city maintained the property for several years before selling it to its current owners in early 2023.
The current owners have worked to restore the historic property while preserving much of its original character. The home is listed on the Alabama and National Registers of Historic Places, requiring careful attention to its historic integrity.
Much of the original woodwork, fireplaces, tiles, windows and stained glass remains. The owners even researched old photographs and scraped layers of exterior paint to determine the home’s original colors, believed to be yellow, green and white with maroon accents.
Some of the home’s original furnishings and Bellenger’s personal belongings have also been returned, including books containing her handwritten notes.
The owners said they hope opening the home to the public will help fulfill Bellenger’s wish for the property to serve as a place for the community to gather and experience local history.
The home is also available for private events, including weddings, receptions, showers and holiday gatherings.
