…at 221 South Court Street is typical ante-bellum Greek Revival. It was built in 1845 by the same John Figh as is mentioned as contractor for several other buildings covered herein, for his personal residence. But Figh sold it even before he moved in for the princely sum of $5,800. Note First Baptist Church in the background on the right, and the former First Pres beyond on the left. Early in the last century the house was painted white, but the paint has been removed and the house returned ti its original look. After a number of tragic owner deaths, the house became the property of planter Tennent Lomax, who was killed in 1862 at Seven Pines Virginia while in command of the 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. Col Lomax had in his pocket an unopened order promoting him to brigadier general. All that notwithstanding, the house was the center of Montgomery social and political life for 60 years. In 1932 the structure became the home office of Preferred Life Ins Co, and was so for another 60 years. Spencer Longshore was president, and his grandson is the football prognosticator John Longshore of WAKA-TV. I used to carpool little “John-John” in days long ago. My friend Hazel McLain was onetime secretary to Spencer Longshore in this house.

Colonel Lomax was considered to be Montgomery’s hero of the Civil War, and when the U.V.C. Montgomery chapter was organized circa 1890, it was named Camp Lomax in his honor.

The Lomax Memorial Arch . . . About 250-feet east down the Upper Wetumpka Road from the main Oakwood Cemetery entrance there is this granite double arch inscribed “Camp Lomax 1861 – 1865”, and it stands at the head of a monumental stair which leads up into Oakwood. The words refer to the Montgomery Chapter of the U.C.V. (United Confederate Veterans), which held its last meeting in 1921, at which was read tributes to the nine members who had died that year. At its peak the national UCV had almost 2000 such camps. The Montgomery Camp was named for Colonel Tennent Lomax, Montgomery’s hero of the War Between the States, who was killed in battle in 1862, while carrying unopened orders promoting him to brigadier general.

Camp Lomax Chapter of the UCV as it proudly assembled beneath the arches for one of its final conclaves, circa 1920.

-Charles Humphries