Dunn-Fairley-Bonner-Field Home

The Dunn-Fairley-Bonner-Field Home is reputedly the oldest surviving structure in Camden and stands as one of Wilcox County’s most significant historic residences. Built around 1825 by early settler Thomas Dunn and his wife, Martha Hobbs Dunn, the home predates much of the town itself. Dunn is believed to have donated the land upon which present-day Camden—known as Barboursville until 1841—was established. Thomas Dunn died in 1836 and is buried in Camden Cemetery.

According to The Alabama Catalog, A Guide to the Early Architecture of the State by Robert Gamble, the house was originally constructed as a two-story log dogtrot around 1825, making it an exceptionally rare surviving example of early frontier architecture in Alabama’s Black Belt. Between approximately 1835 and 1840, a substantial two-story frame addition was added, transforming the residence into a larger and more refined home suitable for one of the area’s prominent early families.

In the 1890s, the house underwent significant modifications under the ownership of W. J. Bonner, who updated the structure to its present appearance by adding a full facade, double-tiered portico, and extended eaves. These alterations gave the home much of the graceful Victorian-era character it retains today while preserving elements of its earlier nineteenth-century construction. The residence later became associated with Major Fairley and remained in the Bonner family for many years.

Recognized for its architectural and historical importance, the home was once listed among Alabama’s “Places in Peril.” In June 2001, the Bonner family donated the property to the Wilcox Historical Society to ensure its preservation. The Society subsequently secured an architectural grant from the Alabama Historical Commission, which funded detailed drawings and preservation plans for the structure. Initial stabilization and preservation work began under the Society’s stewardship and was completed in 2004.

The home was later sold to Blake and Bettie Field with the stipulation that restoration follow the approved preservation plans. Their careful restoration, completed in 2005, returned the house to prominence while preserving its remarkable architectural evolution spanning nearly two centuries. Today, the Dunn-Fairley-Bonner-Field Home remains one of Camden’s most treasured historic landmarks and an enduring link to the earliest days of Wilcox County settlement.