| Forks of Cypress | |
| Nearest City: | Florence, Alabama |
| Lat Degrees: | 34 |
| Lat Minutes: | 50 |
| Lat Seconds: | 42 |
| Lat Direction: | N |
| Long Degrees: | 87 |
| Long Minutes: | 43 |
| Long Seconds: | 32 |
| Long Direction: | W |
| Locmapin: | Alabama |
| Built: | 1830 |
| Architect: | Nichols, William |
| Architecture: | Other |
| Added: | October 10, 1997 |
| Governing Body: | Private |
| Refnum: | 97001166[1] |
Forks of Cypress, also known as Forks of the Cypress, was a Greek Revival plantation house near Florence in Lauderdale County, Alabama. It was built by James Jackson and his wife, Sally Moore Jackson, around 1830.[2] It was the only Greek Revival house in Alabama to feature a two-story colonnade around the entire house, composed of twenty-four Ionic columns. The name was derived from the fact that Big Cypress Creek and Little Cypress Creek border the plantation and converge near the site of the main house.[3]
James Jackson was born October 25, 1782 in Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland. Jackson moved to Alabama from Tennessee in 1821. From 1822 onward he was active in state politics and served in both houses of the Alabama Legislature. In 1839, Jackson was named president of the Alabama Senate.[4] He died on August 17, 1840 and was buried in the family cemetery, near the plantation house. His widow was the executor of his will and, on October 9, 1840, made bond in the amount of $400,000.
During the American Civil War invading Union forces used the lands of the Forks as a base camp. At this time the farm was owned by James' widow Sarah Jackson. Additionally, some of Alex Haley's ancestor's were slaves on this plantation, which provides a setting for much of his book, .[2] The house burned down after being struck by lightning on June 6, 1966. The columns from the main house and the Jackson family cemetery remain, however. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 1997.[1]