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The Wilcox Historical Society’s annual Tour of Homes will feature appearances by Luke and Julie Montagu, the 12th Earl and Countess of Sandwich.
This 2025 Tour of Homes, set for March 21-22 in Camden, includes visits to seven beautiful, historic homes, a church and the law office of Benjamin Meek Miller, who served as an Alabama Supreme Court Justice from 1921-28 and Alabama’s governor from 1931-35.
The event’s star attraction will be the appearance of the 12th Earl and Countess of Sandwich, with both scheduled to speak on Friday, March 21, at Wakefield Plantation.
The weekend kicks off with a luncheon on Friday, March 21 with the Earl and Countess, and guests will have the opportunity to have a commemorative photograph taken with them. The Montagues will speak Friday evening about the “great houses of England,” including Mapperton, their own estate. Heavy hor d’oeuvres will be served and the musical guest will be the Tommy Ward Band.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Right Honorable Earl and Countess of Sandwich to Alabama and to Wilcox County,” said Lance Britt, president of the Wilcox Historical Society. “To have members of the British aristocracy share stories from not only their home, Mapperton, but other great houses of England, will be truly fascinating. We are honored they are joining us.”
Tickets for the Tour of Homes can be purchased online through Eventbrite, with packages ranging from $50 per person to $400. All proceeds from the Tour of Homes funds preservation efforts for historic buildings throughout Wilcox County.
“This year’s Tour of Homes includes seven beautiful antebellum homes, several of which have never left the original families that built them,” Britt said. “Our guests will see unique architecture, fabulous antiques and will hear the stories of the people that lived in these wonderful homes. Every dollar raised will go to restore and preserve historic structures in Wilcox County.”
Julie Montagu is a historian known for starring in “An American Aristocrat’s Guide to Great Estates” on the Smithsonian Channel, and she hosts the YouTube series “American Viscountess,” sharing insights into the historic houses in the United Kingdom.
Luke Montagu, an entrepreneur who has founded a series of technology, education, and media businesses, currently serves as chairman of trustees for West Dorset Wilding, a charity that promotes rewilding and nature recovery.
“The Wilcox Historical Society’s Tour of Homes brings people from all over the country to Camden, and those visitors immerse themselves in the architecture and southern culture of the Black Belt,” said Pam Swanner, director of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association. “It will be a fantastic weekend hosted by the Wilcox Historical Society. Alabama’s Black Belt offers amazing experiences, and this is a perfect example.”
The Black Belt includes the following 23 counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox.
