Ambling across the Shelby Springs property, history buffs can discover a treasure trove of remnants from the past. Those who simply love a beautifully restored home can savor the décor.

Come Dec. 5, the home of Carolyn and Joe Dorris will serve as one of five stops along the Columbiana Tour of Homes.

“We are pleased to be showcasing an outstanding variety of homes this year,” said 2009 Tour of Homes Co-Chair Stancil Handley. “From Shelby Springs with all its history to the Moores’ newly-constructed log home, and from the sprawling Ellis farm to the smartly-downsized Dudley residence, we really will have something for everyone.”

Historic Shelby Springs once served as home to a Confederate hospital and later as the site of a posh resort. The site still includes bricked up springs and remnants of walls from various buildings that once stood there.

Carolyn Dorris and husband Joe purchased the home in 1998, moving there from Hoover. Carolyn said she fell in love with the home because it reminded her of the old Southern antebellum homes dotting the landscape where she grew up.

“There are a lot of different periods of history represented here,” Carolyn said.

Tom and Becky Moore recently relocated to Shelby County as well.

They completed their beautiful log home in December 2007. The Moores didn’t simply pick the model they wanted from a catalog. The couple traveled to seven states looking at homes to get a feel for what they wanted.

“We just hope we can show them the beauty of a log home,” Tom Moore said. “Plus, my wife also decorated each bedroom differently to give it its own flavor, which should be enjoyable for a lot of people.”

Tour co-chair Ouida Mayfield said visitors should expect to see some beautifully decorated homes. She said the Columbiana Beautification Board hopes to draw new people to the area.

“We want to bring people into the community from outside Columbiana,” Mayfield said.

This year’s tour will also feature the home of George and Judy Dudley on Pine Hill Circle, the home of Butch and Diane Ellis on Ellis Farm Road, and a stop by the Shelby County Arts Council’s Christmas Artist Market. The tour will run Dec. 5 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tour tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door of any of the tour locations on the day of the tour. Tickets are on sale now at Busy Hands Framing and Gifts, Calera Dance Academy, Dr. Stancil Handley’s office and Seventh Heaven Salon.

The Columbiana Christmas Parade will follow the tour at 3:30 p.m. in downtown Columbiana. For more information, call Mayfield at 669-7813 or Handley at 669-4131.