Old Cahawba

06/06/2026

What a great way to kick off Alabama’s 100-Mile Challenge!

This morning, we teamed up with Alabama Audubon for a bird walk at Old Cahawba, where participants enjoyed a morning of fresh air, exercise, and birdwatching while exploring one of Alabama’s most historic landscapes. From experienced birders to first-time participants, everyone had the chance to slow down, look up, and appreciate the wildlife that surrounds us.

A special thank you to Tim Higgins and Andrew Lydeard from Alabama Audubon for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with our group. We appreciate them helping participants learn more about the birds and habitats that make Old Cahawba such a special place. We love opportunities to highlight the fact that Old Cahawba is not only an archaeological park, but also a vibrant natural habitat filled with birds, plants, and other wildlife.

Missed today's walk? Don't worry! We'll be hosting another birdwatching event on July 11, 2026.

Have you started logging miles for the 100-Mile Challenge yet? Let us know how you're participating in the comments! For more information, please visit https://100alabamamiles.org/

06/05/2026

Soft, fuzzy, and deceptively harmless-looking, the Puss Caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) is often found crawling along the leaves and branches of oak, pecan, and elm trees. It’s frequently mistaken for a tiny tuft of cotton or a scrap of fur rather than a living insect. Its name comes from this unusual appearance—“puss” is an old term for a cat, and the caterpillar’s thick, silky hairs closely resemble cat fur, giving it an almost pet-like look.

Beneath that plush exterior lies a serious defense. The Puss Caterpillar is covered in venomous spines hidden under its soft hairs. Contact with these spines can cause intense pain, swelling, nausea, and in some cases reactions severe enough to require medical attention. The pain has been compared to a wasp sting—or worse—and can last for hours.

Despite its dangerous sting, the Puss Caterpillar is not aggressive and stings only when touched or brushed against. It plays a role in the local ecosystem and will eventually transform into the Southern Flannel Moth, which is harmless in its adult form. As always, the best rule in nature is simple: look, don’t touch—especially when something looks this soft.

Since we are hosting our CRM Professional Training Program at Old Cahawba, we've reminded our students to keep a lookout for these little guys. Although we're an archaeological park focused on the past, the landscape around us is very much alive today. Nature is all around us, and discoveries aren't limited to artifacts—sometimes they're crawling right up the trunk of an oak tree!

👀 Have you ever spotted one? This is a perfect reminder that in nature, appearances can be deceiving.

06/01/2026

Today marks the beginning of our Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Training Program at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park!

Before the program officially got underway, participants spent last week taking part in three intensive workshops focused on key tools used in cultural resource management: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and Photogrammetry. These hands-on sessions provided valuable training in documenting, mapping, and interpreting cultural resources.

We are excited to welcome students from Alabama and across the country as they begin the next phase of their CRM training. Throughout the coming weeks, we'll be sharing highlights from the program, along with photos and hopefully some interesting artifacts.

So today as part of our weekly Cahawba Unearthed post, we're kicking things off with a group photo of our students and instructors along with some photos from last week. Join us as we follow their journey through this summer's Cultural Resource Management Training Program!

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

This week, we kicked off our Cultural Resource Management workshops here at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, and one thing has become very clear — sometimes visitors help us see familiar places with fresh eyes.

We have students attending from outside of Alabama, and they have been busy photographing plants, landscapes, insects, wildlife, historic features, and quiet details that many of us who live here might pass by every day without a second thought. These students and volunteers are reminding us just how unique and beautiful Alabama’s natural and cultural landscapes truly are.

Their photos capture something important: the ordinary can become extraordinary when viewed through new eyes.

We thought we would share a few of their discoveries from around the park this week!

05/25/2026

On a spring afternoon on May 23, 1856, violence erupted on the streets of Cahawba in one of the town’s most infamous confrontations.

John A. Bell rounded the corner carrying a large hickory stick. He passed the fine brick store of Edward Perine and continued south down the sidewalk. Hidden beneath his coat were two pistols and a knife. Bell was not in town on ordinary business.

Nearby, Dr. Matthew Troy sat beneath the shade of a chinaberry tree in front of his office, quietly reading the newspaper. Troy had recently filed a civil suit against Bell, and tensions had reached a breaking point.

When Bell reached Troy, he struck him repeatedly until the hickory stick shattered. Bruised and battered, Dr. Troy rolled into the street. Almost immediately, three members of the Bell family closed in around him with pistols drawn. Fortunately for Troy, two of his brothers-in-law rushed to his defense.

Shots rang out.

When the smoke cleared, John A. Bell lay dead in the street, and his father, John R. Bell, had been mortally wounded. Dr. Troy survived the attack, recovered from his injuries, and ultimately won his suit against Bell’s estate.

Today, visitors can still stand near the site of Edward Perine’s New Brick Store and reflect on this extraordinary moment in Cahawba’s history. An interpretive sign titled "Death in the Street" marks the location where this fatal encounter unfolded, allowing visitors to stand where one of Cahawba’s most notorious events took place. Nearby, the Bell family obelisk in New Cemetery remains as a lasting reminder of a conflict that turned deadly on the streets of Alabama’s first capital.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor three veterans laid to rest at Old Cahawba. Sam Arthur and Edward Craig are buried in the Burial Ground at the north end of the park, while John Lightning rests just outside of the Old Cemetery near our entrance gate. Their service and sacrifice are remembered today and always.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to an anonymous donor and Kreations Floral and Gift Shop for providing these beautiful floral arrangements in tribute to these veterans.

And if you are looking for something meaningful to do today—we are open! The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the Visitor Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Come spend part of your Memorial Day with us at Old Cahawba. Admission is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children.

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05/22/2026

One of the more striking butterflies you may encounter at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park is the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). With their velvety black wings shimmering in shades of iridescent blue, these butterflies are hard to miss as they glide through sunny clearings and woodland edges. Recently, a group of Pipevine Swallowtails was spotted clustered together here at the park, gathered on damp ground near standing moisture. This behavior, known as “puddling,” is most often observed in males, who gather on wet sand, mud, or shallow puddles to absorb minerals and nutrients that are scarce in nectar alone.

Like all butterflies, the Pipevine Swallowtail undergoes a complete life cycle consisting of egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult stages. Females lay clusters of reddish-orange eggs on pipevine plants, which hatch into dark caterpillars covered in orange tubercles. These caterpillars feed exclusively on pipevine leaves before forming a chrysalis, where they undergo metamorphosis into the beautiful adult butterfly. Because the caterpillars absorb toxic chemicals from the pipevine, both they and the adults are protected from many predators.

The Pipevine Swallowtail plays an important ecological role as both a pollinator and part of the food web. As adults move from flower to flower feeding on nectar, they help pollinate many native plants. Their toxicity and bold coloration also influence other butterfly species, several of which mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail’s appearance for protection from predators. This makes the species an important part of the balance and relationships found within healthy ecosystems.

If you happen to spot these beautiful butterflies during your next visit to Old Cahawba, take a moment to watch their graceful flight or see if you can find them gathered together near damp ground along the trails. Encounters like these are a reminder that even among the historic ruins and quiet landscapes of Cahawba, the natural world continues to thrive.

05/18/2026

On May 16, 1854, the people of Cahawba gathered for a significant moment in the town’s history as Bishop Nicholas Hamner Cobb formally consecrated St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Described in the May 19, 1854 edition of the Dallas Gazette, the ceremony drew clergy and visitors from across the region and marked the official dedication of the church as a sacred space for worship. At the time, Cahawba was still a thriving river town, and St. Luke’s stood as a reflection of the community’s growing prosperity and deep religious life.

The Dallas Gazette gave a vivid account of the consecration ceremony, describing the procession of clergy, the prayers of dedication, and the large congregation gathered within the newly completed church. The article praised both the beauty of the building and the significance of the occasion for the Episcopal community in Alabama. Although the church’s original stained glass windows no longer survive intact, fragments of the glass (shown below) were discovered hidden within the walls when St. Luke’s was moved back to Cahawba in 2007. These surviving pieces give us a glimpse of what the church looked like in its early years.

Although St. Luke’s no longer stands on its original site, its story did not end with Cahawba’s decline. In the 1880s, the church was carefully moved to Martin Station, helping preserve the building long after most of Old Cahawba had disappeared. In 2007, St. Luke’s returned home to Old Cahawba and was placed on higher ground to protect it from flooding. Visitors today can still see the wooden outline marking the church’s original location, while archaeological excavations conducted during the 1980s helped uncover evidence of the structure and its surrounding landscape. Together, these surviving traces tell the remarkable story of a church that has quite literally come full circle in Alabama history.

05/15/2026

One of Alabama’s most spectacular native wildflowers is now beginning to bloom — the Cahaba Lily (Hymenocallis coronaria). Known for its striking white blossoms and delicate spider-like petals, this rare plant grows only in shallow, fast-moving rivers and streams across parts of the southeastern United States. The largest remaining population is found in the Cahaba River near West Blocton, Alabama, where thousands of lilies bloom across the rocky shoals each May and June.

Although the Cahaba Lily does not grow at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, its absence here actually tells an interesting ecological story. Cahaba Lilies require swift, flowing water over exposed rock shoals in order to survive. At Old Cahawba, the waters of the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers are generally deeper and slower moving, lacking the rocky, shallow habitat these plants depend upon.

Visitors to the park may, however, notice a beautiful “look alike” species growing along our riverbanks — the Northern Spider Lily (Hymenocallis occidentalis). While similar in appearance, this species prefers moist soils and riverbanks rather than growing directly in flowing water like the Cahaba Lily. Its elegant white flowers are another reminder of the incredible diversity of native plants found throughout Alabama’s river systems.

Although the two species can appear similar at first glance, there are several important differences between them. The Cahaba Lily (Hymenocallis coronaria) is specially adapted to life in fast-moving water, anchoring itself to rocky shoals where its bulbs remain partially submerged. Its flowers are typically larger and bloom directly over the water. The Northern Spider Lily (Hymenocallis occidentalis), by contrast, grows in moist soils along riverbanks, floodplains, and wetlands rather than in the river itself. It often blooms slightly later in the season and tends to form colonies in shaded or partially shaded areas. Their differing habitats are one of the easiest ways to tell the two species apart.

Beyond their beauty, Cahaba Lilies play an important ecological role. Their blooms provide nectar and pollen for pollinators including bees, butterflies, and moths, while the rocky shoal habitats they occupy support fish, mussels, aquatic insects, and many other organisms. Because the lilies are so dependent on clean, flowing water, they are also considered an indicator of river health. Protecting these unique habitats helps preserve entire aquatic ecosystems.

If you would like to experience these remarkable flowers in bloom, the annual Cahaba Lily Festival will be held Saturday, May 16, in West Blocton, Alabama. The festival celebrates the natural and cultural heritage of the Cahaba River and offers one of the best opportunities to see these iconic flowers at peak bloom. Click here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/cahabalily/

While the Cahaba Lily itself may not grow at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, the park’s rivers, wetlands, and floodplain habitats support their own unique communities of native plants and wildlife. Exploring these landscapes reminds us how closely Alabama’s natural history and human history are connected through the waterways that shaped both the environment and the story of Cahawba.