When Tonia and Todd Ayers first looked at the historic antebellum home on Mansion Street in Wetumpka, the front parlor was a bamboo forest.
“When I opened the door, there was bamboo growing where there should have been a floor,” Tonia said.
kAm%96J 3@F89E E96 9@FD6 2?JH2J]k^Am
kAm%92E H2D `hhe[ 2?5 7@C ?62C=J a_ J62CD[ E96 4@FA=6 92D 2=>@DE 4@?DE2?E=J 925 2 C64@?DECF4E:@? @C C6?@G2E:@? AC@;64E :? AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm“(6 3F7765 @FE E96 A=2DE6C[ 4@>A=6E6=J C6H:C65 2?5 C6A=F>365 E96 H9@=6 9@FD6[” %@55 D2:5] “(6 <6AE E96 @C:8:?2= H:?5@HD 2?5 7:C6A=246D 2?5 E96 @C:8:?2= 7C@?E 5@@C]”k^Am
kAm%96 9@>6[ 56D:8?65 3J s2?:6= !C2EE :? `gc`[ :D D2:5 E@ 36 E96 7:CDE :? (6EF>A<2 H:E9 6=64EC:4:EJ] }@H >@C6 E92? `f_ J62CD @=5[ :E :D @?6 @7 E96 4:EJ’D @=56DE 3F:=5:?8D 2?5 2 E6DE2>6?E E@ $@FE96C? 2C49:E64EFC2= DEJ=6]k^Am
kAm%96 pJ6CD[ H9:=6 FA52E:?8 E96 9@>6 2?5 >2<:?8 :E 2 =:G23=6 C6D:56?46 7@C E96 a`DE 46?EFCJ[ 92G6 9@?@C65 E96 9@>6’D :?E68C:EJ H96C6G6C A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2?E=6D 2C6 2== @C:8:?2=[ 3FE H6 5:5 >@G6 D@>6 @7 E96> 2C@F?5 E@ 5:776C6?E C@@>D[” %@?:2 6IA=2:?65] “(6 <6AE E96 46C2>:4 962CE9D 2?5 :C@? 7:C63@I6D H96C6 H6 4@F=5[ 3FE D@>6 @7 E96> 4C24<65 2?5 3C@<6 H96? H6 925 E@ ;24< FA E96 7C@?E @7 E96 9@FD6 3J `_ :?496D]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@FA=6 C6>@G65 2 5:=2A:52E65 A@C49 @? E96 324< @7 E96 9@FD6 2?5 7@F?5 2 <:E496? 7:C6A=246 369:?5 2 H2==] t?=2C8:?8 E96 <:E496?[ E96J FD65 962CE\A:?6 H@@5 7C@> 46:=:?8D 2?5 H2==D E9C@F89@FE E96 @C:8:?2= 9@>6 7@C E96 7=@@C:?8] (9:=6 E96 ?6H <:E496? :?4=F56D >@56C? DE2:?=6DD 2AA=:2?46D[ >2C3=6 4@F?E6CD 2?5 $92<6C\DEJ=6 423:?6ED[ E96J :?4@CA@C2E65 E96 5:D4@G6C65 7:C6A=246 :?E@ 2 <:E496?\D:56 56? 2?5 3=6?565 E96 C@@>’D 9:DE@C:4 @C:8:?D H:E9 >@56C? 2CE 2?5 4@?E6>A@C2CJ D62E:?8]k^Am
kAmpE D@>6 A@:?E :? E96 9@>6’D 9:DE@CJ[ E96J 56E6C>:?65[ 2 32E9C@@> H2D 25565 E@H2C5 E96 324< @7 E96 9@FD6] %96:C C6?@G2E:@? @7 E96 DA246 :?4=F565 2 =2F?5CJ 2?5 D6H:?8 C@@>[ 2=@?8 H:E9 2 3=24< 2?5 H9:E6 96I E:=6 32E9C@@> C6>@56= E92E C6E2:?D E96 9@>6’D 9:DE@C:4 7=2:C]k^Am
kAm%96J H6C6 23=6 E@ <66A E96 @C:8:?2= 3625\3@2C5 A2?6=:?8 2?5 32??:DE6C :? E96 DE2E6=J DE2:CH6==[ 2D H6== 2D E96 H:56 EC25:E:@?2= FADE2:CD 92== E92E =625D E@ E96 4=2DD:4 7C@?E 32=4@?Jj 9@H6G6C[ E96J >256 2 ?F>36C @7 492?86D E@ E96 365C@@>D E@ 244@>>@52E6 E96:C 72>:=J’D ?665D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >2DE6C[ E96J 4@?G6CE65 2? 6I:DE:?8 32E9C@@> E92E D66>65 C625J E@ 72== @77 E96 324< @7 E96 9@FD6 :?E@ 2 H2=<\:? 4=@D6E 2?5 6?=2C865 2 AC6G:@FD=J 25565 32E9C@@>]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ :?4@CA@C2E65 A2CE @7 E96 9@>6’D @C:8:?2= `hE9 46?EFCJ “?2??J DF:E6” 2E E96 324< @7 E96 9@FD6 :?E@ E96:C D@?’D 365C@@> 2?5 4C62E65 DE@C286 DA246 :? E96 C6>2:?:?8 D64E:@? @7 E96 @=5 C@@>]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6=:>:?2CJ C6?@G2E:@?D E@@< EH@ J62CD[ 2?5 E96 pJ6CD 5:5 ?@E >@G6 :?E@ E96:C 9:DE@C:4 9@>6 F?E:= `hhgj 9@H6G6C[ 6G6? ?@H[ E96 H@C< 4@?E:?F6D] %9:D DF>>6C[ E96J 3682? 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 2 ?6H A@C49 @77 E96 <:E496? 2?5 2C6 >2<:?8 492?86D 2?5 A2:?E:?8 :? E96 5@H?DE2:CD A2C=@CD]k^Am
kAm~FED:56[ E96 pJ6CD 25565 2 82C56? E92E D9@H42D6D E96 362FEJ @7 E96 4=2DD:4 9@>6] pK2=62D[ 4C6A6 >JCE=6D[ C@D6D[ 9J5C2?862D 2?5 #@D6 @7 $92C@? :? 365D EC:>>65 H:E9 >@?<6J 8C2DD 255 4@=@C E@ 2 A:4<6E\76?465 J2C5 F?56C DAC2H=:?8 @2< EC66D[ 2?5 2 ;2D>:?6\4@G6C65 2C3@C @776CD 2 H2C> :?G:E2E:@? E@ E96 82C56?]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ <6AE 2? @C:8:?2= 3C:4< 4FC3 2=@?8 E96 DEC66E]k^Am
kAmx? E96 324<J2C5[ %@?:2 D2:5[ E96J 6?=:DE65 E96 96=A @7 ?6:893@C w@A6 qC2??@?]k^Am
kAmqC2??@?’D 56D:8? 4@?G6CE65 2 7=2E 2?5 F?:?E6C6DE:?8 =@E :?E@ 2? @FE5@@C =:G:?8 DA246 H:E9 2>6?23=6 @AE:@?D 2?5 7:?:D96D E92E :?4=F56 2 >@5:7:65 <:5?6J\D92A65 DH:>>:?8 A@@= DFCC@F?565 3J 2 7=28DE@?6 A2E:@j 2? 2EEC24E:G6 AF>A 9@FD6 2?5 82K63@j DE2EF2CJ 2?5 2 7@F?E2:?j 2 EC66 9@FD6j 2? 2C3@Cj 2?5 362FE:7F= 82C56? 365D]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 9@FD6 ?6IE 5@@C 42>6 FA 7@C D2=6[ E96 pJ6CD AFC492D65 :E 2D H6==] %96J >2:?E2:? E96 9@FD6 2D 2 C6?E2= :?G6DE>6?E 2?5 AFE 2 82C56? :? A2CE @7 E96 324<J2C5] p? @FE3F:=5:?8 @? E96 6IEC2 =@E H2D 4@?G6CE65 :?E@ %@55’D @77:46]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= J62CD 28@[ E96J 2=D@ AFC492D65 E96 H@@5D 369:?5 E96 9@FD6[ 6IE6?5:?8 E96 AC@A6CEJ =:?6 E@ E96 r@@D2 #:G6C] sF3365 “r@@D2 #:42[” E96J 92G6[ @G6C E:>6[ 4C62E65 2 F?:BF6 C:G6CD:56 6?E6CE2:?>6?E DA246 2=@?8 E96 D92565 32?<[ DE2CE:?8 H:E9 2 e\7@@E 5:2>6E6C 7:C6 A:E DFCC@F?565 3J =@42= DE@?6 2?5 92?5>256 36?496D]k^Am
kAm%96 C:G6CD:56 42>A :?4=F56D 2 D4C66?65 D=66A:?8 423:? H:E9 =:>:E65 4@F?E6C DA246 E92E 42? 36 EFC?65 :?E@ 2 D>2== <:E496? H96? ?66565 2?5 2 =2C86C 4@G6C65 A@C49 E92E 244@>>@52E6D 8F6DED 2E D6G6C2= E23=6D] %@55 25565 2 92?5\96H? 32C[ 8C:== 2?5 D:?<D E@ E96 4@G6C65 A@C49 2C62[ D@ H62E96C 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ CF:? 2 H66<6?5k^Am
kAm4@@<@FE] %96 423:? 2E E96 6586 @7 E96 r@@D2 2=D@ 92D 2 C@@>J 564< H:E9 2 G:6H @7 E96 DE286 H96C6 32?5D 42? A=2J @? 2 DF>>6C 6G6?:?8 H9:=6 8F6DED 52?46 2?5 G:D:E @C D:E :? E96 C:G6C\724:?8 36?49\DH:?8 E@ H2G6 2E A2DD:?8 <2J2<6CD]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 D@>6 7C:6?5D H9@ >6E 96C6 2?5 DE2CE65 52E:?8j 2?5 E96?[ E96J 3642>6 6?82865 96C6[” %@?:2 D2:5] “%96J H2?E65 E@ 4@>A=6E6 E96 4:C4=6 2?5 36 >2CC:65 96C6[ D@ E96J 3F:=E 2 H655:?8 A=2E7@C> H:E9 2? 2C3@C @G6C :E] (6 =67E :E E96C6 7@C 7FEFC6 H655:?8D]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 C2:?J H66<6?5 EFC?65 E96 G6?F6 >F55J[ %@55 3C@F89E :? D6G6C2= =@25D @7 8C2G6= 7@C E96 A:4?:4 A2C<:?8 2C62]k^Am
kAmp?5 EF4<65 @77 E@ E96 D:56 369:?5 E96 423:? 3FE DE:== 4@?G6?:6?E[ 96 3F:=E 2 CFDE:4[ E9@F89 H6==\2AA@:?E65[ @FE9@FD6] %96 724:=:E:6D :?4=F56 A=F>365 32E9C@@> 7:IEFC6D 2?5 2? @FE5@@C D9@H6C H:E9 2 4@CCF82E65 >6E2= DFCC@F?5]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 25565 2 7:D9\4=62?:?8 DE2E:@? H:E9 CF??:?8 H2E6C]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 8C62E A=246 E@ DA6?5 E:>6 H:E9 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D[” %@55 D2:5 ;FDE 367@C6 96 DE2CE65 E2=<:?8 23@FE 7FEFC6 AC@;64ED 7@C E96 C:G6CD:56 42>A]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< H6’== 6G6C 36 7:?:D965[” %@?:2 25565 H:E9 2 D>:=6]k^Am
kAm k^Am