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The Drish House (Gabrielle Van Hoet)

The Drish house, located at 2300 17th St., borders the city limits of Tuscaloosa. The building, built to be a plantation house, has had numerous identities throughout the years. The plantation house was just that for decades until being transformed into a public school. As the structure weakened, it was turned into a garage. The property, bought by a church, was then used as a meeting place until the church closed. Now, the building the property of the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society.

The house stands alone in a circular plot of land. To view the house, the road simply goes around the house. The plantation house was the focal point of the area. It still is today. Buildings from the present, however, surround this building of the past, making the structure seem out of place.

The structure is simple. The base of the building, constructed from numerous squares, come together to create a symmetric building. In the front, there is a porch with columns. Windows are incorporated throughout the building on every side, which lets in the light. This architecture dates the plantation house to the past.

The Drish House is worth going to, in my opinion. The building stands alone as a structure from the past, but there are things to learn from it. I was able to envision the living situation of a plantation owner just by going to this simple plot of land.