mccollum chidester house

If you want a quick history of Camden and have an hour to kill, stop by. Not too busy, in fact you will probably get a personal tour. Like history? Try it.

Since both my brother and I are American History buffs, we knew that we had to visit the McCollum Chidester House while in Camden, Arkansas. We had a wonderful and knowledgeable guide from the Ouachita County Historical Society who gave us insight into the McCollum-Chidester House and its history. Since it was a very fine house for its time, we were not too surprised to learn that during the Civil War, the house was used as headquarters at various times by Confederate General Sterling Price and Union General Frederick Steele during the Battle of Poison Springs, Arkansas in the spring of 1864. As a film buff, I also found it interesting to learn that a scene from the 1985 TV Miniseries, North and South, starring Patrick Swayze and based on the John Jakes trilogy was filmed in the parlor of the house.Admission to the McCollum-Chidester house which is purchased next door at the Ouachita County Historical Society is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students. It is suggested that you call ahead to the Historical Society if your group has 10 or more in the tour. .The house is open for tours from Wednesday - Saturday from 9 am - 4 pm. and is closed for major holidays.The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1975,

The Chidester House is the repository of a very interesting, historical significant collection. You'll be impressed by what you find here, and the warm atmosphere maintained by the volunteer staff. You'll not find a more Informative look into what life was like as the Deep South was settled.

We thoroughly enjoyed the house and the tour. This pre-Civil War house is well preserved, even including most of the furnishings. Be sure to ask to go upstairs and see the bullet holes in the wall. Park to the side of the museum and enjoy the history.

The McCollum Chidester house located in Camden, Arkansas was the headquarters of Federal General Frederick Steele while on what was called "The Camden Expedition." Outside of this there was only one thing that makes this house special. If you were a Patrick Swayze fan, this was where a portion of the tv movie "North and South" was filmed. There is a small fee for a tour of the house, but unless you have a deep interest in the Civil War in Arkansas you can bypass it.