BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH
KENDYLH@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA —
Whether you have lived in Opelika for years or are visiting for the first time, the Opelika Historic Preservation Society (OHPS) is offering a chance to learn something new about the old railroad town.
OHPS hosts free walking tours in south Opelika. The tours are by appointment only and are available for individuals and groups of up to about 20 people at a time.
“This is a great way for us to have outreach to people,” said Shane Dickerson, a member and former president of OHPS. “… There’s a lot of really amazing history around here.”
The tours mainly cover what Dickerson calls “old Opelika” or “original Opelika.” That includes the southern part of the city, in and around the downtown area — especially the courthouse.
Walking tours are also available around North 8th Street, following a similar route as the Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour, which Dickerson said he already has some experience doing.
“Everything north of Second Avenue is new, so to speak,” he said.
The tours can even be customized to the interests of those participate in them.
“They can be sort of streamlined to whatever,” Dickerson said. “… Let’s say they’re primarily interested in Civil War-era Opelika. Then there are things that we can concentrate on that will reflect that.”
According to Dickerson, the idea to host walking tours came about more than three years ago.
“I had sort of come up with this idea because I walk a lot … about three to five miles just about every day,” he said. “I covered different parts of Opelika, and it was interesting how often I would run into people … from out of town.
“… I would speak with them, welcome them to Opelika. I would end up walking a block or so with them, telling them some things about the history of downtown and this part of Opelika. They would be really intrigued with it. I’ve met people who are from other countries; it’s very interesting who you run into, especially on the weekend. And so that’s where the idea sort of came from because I thought, well, this might be something people would enjoy.”
Although he hails from Chatom, a town in southwest Alabama, Dickerson moved to Lee County about 23 years ago and resides in one of Opelika’s historic homes, built in the 1890s.
Since joining OHPS, Dickerson said he made it a point to learn as much as he could about the community and its history. Still, he said he doesn’t consider himself an “authority” on Opelika history and will reach out to other community experts for more information, or even invite them to come lead a tour about certain areas or structures that they know better.
OHPS has a “vast network” of local experts and native Opelikans within the group and outside of it, Dickerson added. He said he likes to take walkers by the Museum of East Alabama in downtown Opelika, as well as the historic Brownfield House, where OHPS is headquartered.
Sometimes, he will even invite walkers to take a look inside his home as he talks about its history and architecture.
For those interested in setting up a tour, Dickerson said the best way is to send a message to the Opelika Historic Preservation Society page on Facebook. Dickerson will then respond with more details, or a call can be set up.
“It’s a fascinating, fascinating state for history,” he said.
