Foster Mark Kirksey once dreamed of owning one of the most splendid plantation homes in the South. This is why he had the Kirkwood built in 1858. However, the construction overlapped with the outbreak of the Civil War, which forced the owner to press pause on the project. This has left the mansion incomplete.

Luckily, the couple Roy and Mary Swayze was able to acquire the home in the 1970s. They took on the responsibility of finishing the home, which led them to winning the prestigious National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor in 1982. They did a great job in restoring the place that folks can now enjoy the grandeur of the mansion.

The Kirkwood is currently functioning as an inn.