The historic watercolors and “Southland Sketches” by the late Walter Overton are now on display through June 28 at the Swift-Coles Historic Home in Bon Secour.

The exhibit displays a variety of pieces from the Overton Collection, including elaborate watercolors and Overton’s “Southland Sketches,” which were published exclusively in the Press Register for 37 years.

The Swift-Coles Historic Home is located at 17424 Swift Coles Lane, Bon Secour and is open every Tuesday and Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (last tour is held at 3 p.m.). Admission is $5 per person, children 6 and under free. Special group tours and event reservations may be made at the Home by calling 251-580-1897.

About the Artist-

Walter Overton was born in Texas and studied at the Art Students League in New York and privately in Boston, Mass., Italy and France. In the 1930s, Overton, a newspaper man and artist, traveled with his nephew on a grand tour adventure of the southern coastline.

After crossing Perdido Bay on a wooden bridge at Seminole, Overton traveled through Summerdale and made camp in Fairhope. Overton loved South Baldwin County and he and his nephew spent more than 40 years publicizing the area. Overton’s first publication was a map of South Baldwin County which was followed by a guide book to Baldwin County that included updated editions each year. Each map and guidebook was created with Overton’s original drawings of the area.

In the late 1930s, Overton began selling a weekly sketch of little known facts about the history of the area. He then sold this series the “Southerland Sketches” exclusively to The Mobile Press Register where it was published for 37 years.

Sketches and publications were not the only talent Overton had; he painted watercolors for Swift and Company of Chicago that depicted farming activities of Baldwin County that occurred throughout the year. He also painted an array of other watercolors depicting his love for Baldwin County and the activities that take place here.

Overton died in 1976, at age 83, at a Foley hospital and his final internment wishes were for his ashes to be scattered over Mobile Bay.

About Swift-Coles Historic Home-

The Swift-Coles Historic Home is a beautiful, 16 room historic tidewater mansion and grounds that overlook the Bon Secour River.

The historic home was originally built around 1882 as a 4 room dog trot home; in 1898 the Charles A. Swift family moved into the home. As the Swift family grew in size the home was expanded to its current 6,000 square feet which includes 16 rooms, 10 fireplaces and 3,500 square feet of porches that look out onto the homes grounds. In 1976, Nicholas Coles purchased the home and began a lengthy and thorough restoration. Upon his death, the Swift-Coles Home was willed to the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission.

For more information regarding the Swift-Coles Home, contact the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History at 251-580-1897.