James Jackson, (25 October 1782 - 17 Aug 1840) an Irishman who loved horses, built the "Forks of Cypress" in 1820.
The mansion was built on a rolling farm of over 3000 acres about five miles from Florence.
It was built in a Greek Temple design with a supporting colonnade of twenty-four columns that completely encircled the building.
The columns were made of brick covered with a stucco of sand, molasses, horsehair and charcoal.
Jackson who was married to Sally Moore (10 July 1790 - 24 December 1879), came to Lauderdale County from Nashville
and was one of the founders of the city of Florence. James Jackson, General John Coffee and Judge John McKinley organized the Cypress Land Company.
The Cypress Land Company purchased the original site of Florence.
James Jackson's greatest interest was in breeding and racing fine horses. In 1845, five years after his death, one of Jackson's horses won over $62,000 at an intersectional match at Long Island
Jackson served in both houses of the state General Assembly.
His widow lived in the mansion until she died at the age of 89.
Jackson died in 1840 following a brief illness. The Jackson's graveyard is located on a hillside across the road from where the house stood.
On June 6, 1966, a bolt of lightning struck the end of the long metal roof and ignited the timbers in a matter of seconds.
The house was owned by R. B. Dowdy of Birmingham who had opened it as a tourist attraction when it was destroyed.
