A former Greenvillian’s beautiful historic home—one that narrowly escaped destruction in the final days of the Civil War–will be featured in next weekend’s Selma Pilgrimage. A Masonic pin would help spare it from the Union Army; another military man’s visit a century later will provide “the rest of the story” for Pilgrimage visitors.

Shannon Stabler Linden, a Greenville native who would eventually earn the nickname “the silver lady from Atlanta,” is a relative newcomer to the city.  Linden says she “fell in love” with the Platt-Gayle-Linden House’s gracious Italianate charm during a prior Pilgrimage in which she participated in the antiques show.

Its carved eaves and cornice brackets are original to the 1849 house, with a charming octagonal Victorian addition built around 1900.

The home, lovingly restored by previous owners Cecil Gayle and the late Ken Parker, now serves as the perfect showcase for Linden’s elegant period furnishings.

Using her own family heirlooms combined with a few Oriental decorative pieces, Linden has created a colorful and inviting interior.

In the living room hangs a small, leaded-glass window from her grandmother’s historic Mobile home, catching the sunlight.

Although her grandmother’s house was torn down, she was able to save some of the house’s carved wainscoting, which can be found throughout her Selma home, displayed as wall hangings. Linden also used it to frame a portion of her intricately embossed cathedral wedding veil.

Upstairs, Linden’s art collections include a wall display of rare Japanese Imari porcelain fish plates. On another wall, visitors will discover views of her beloved childhood home in Greenville.

Her favorite piece of the many treasures on display? A bronze sign that was original to the Camellia City’s Stabler Infirmary. The daughter and granddaughter of Greenville physicians, L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital was named for her grandfather. 

In the home’s guest bedroom, visitors will discover an elegant four-poster bed of cherry wood, featuring Victorian mahogany bed steps, an unusual “rocking rooster” baby rocker, a rope baby bed, and her parents’ invitation from President Franklin Roosevelt to a White House reception in the 1930s.

The Selma Pilgrimage is scheduled for Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17. Six additional homes and a historic church will all be featured on the tour, along with four museums, two art shows, an evening reception and an 1860’s grist mill. Tickets are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. during Pilgrimage at the headquarters located at 109 Union Street. For more information, call 1-800-45-SELMA or visit their website at SelmaPilgrimage.com.