"[This book] explores the history of seventeen of the finest plantation homes in Alabama's Black Belt. [It] chronicles the original owners and slaves of the homes and traces their descendants, who have continued to call these plantations home for the past two centuries. Discover why the families of an Indian chief and a chief justice feuded for over a century about the land on which Belvoir stands. Follow Gaineswood's progress as it grew from a humble log cabin into an opulent mansion. Learn how the original builder and subsequent owners of the Kirkwood Mansion are linked by a legacy of exceptional and dedicated preservation. [This book] recounts the elegant past and hopeful future of a well-loved region of the South."--Cover, p. [4].