Sweetwater Mansion, also known as the Governor Robert Patton House, is a historic plantation house located in Florence, Alabama. Completed in 1835, the mansion is known for its architectural elegance and its association with various paranormal legends.

Sweetwater Mansion was designed by General John Brahan of the Alabama Militia, a veteran of the War of 1812. Brahan, who owned over 4,000 acres in eastern Lauderdale County, constructed the mansion using bricks made on the site of Sweetwater Creek, which runs below the house. The mansion was named after the creek.

The house was initially occupied by Robert M. Patton, Brahan’s son-in-law. Patton, who became a post-Civil War governor of Alabama, completed the construction of Sweetwater Mansion in 1835.

In recognition of its historical significance, Sweetwater Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1976.

Sweetwater Mansion is a classic example of Southern plantation architecture. Key architectural features include:

• Structure: The mansion is built from bricks made on-site and features an elegant, symmetrical design typical of the period.
• Design: The house is designed with a central hallway flanked by rooms, a common feature in plantation homes.
• Setting: The mansion is situated on an 8.84-acre property, providing expansive grounds that enhance its historical ambiance.

The design reflects the grandeur and style of early 19th-century Southern homes, contributing to its historical importance and aesthetic appeal.

Sweetwater Mansion is reputed to be haunted, with numerous stories of paranormal activity associated with the property:

• Apparitions: Over the years, visitors and paranormal investigators have reported seeing various apparitions within and around the mansion.
• Investigations: The mansion has been the subject of paranormal investigations by local groups and teams from television shows. It was featured in an episode of A&E's *Paranormal State* on April 25, 2011, and was also highlighted on the Travel Channel's *Most Terrifying Places* in 2019.
• Publications: Ghost stories about Sweetwater Mansion have been detailed in local books, including *Haunted North Alabama* by Jessica Penot and *Skeletons In The Closet* by Debra Johnston.

These accounts contribute to the mansion's reputation as a site of paranormal interest.

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lauderdale County, Alabama
• Reportedly haunted locations in Alabama

• “National Register Information System”. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
• Delinski, Bernie (October 30, 2011). “Sweetwater Mansion site of paranormal activity hunters”. *Times Daily*.
• Penot, Jessica (2010). *Haunted North Alabama*. History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-990-0.
• Johnston, Debra (2003). *Skeletons In The Closet: More True Ghost Stories of the Shoals Area*. Self-Published. ISBN 978-0-9752767-1-6.

• [Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. AL-333, “Sweetwater, Sweetwater Avenue & Florence Boulevard, Florence, Lauderdale County, AL”](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/al0502/) — 12 photos
• [Sweetwater Mansion on IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1894106/) — Episode details from *Paranormal State*