Born into slavery, King was granted special rights by the Alabama Legislature in 1858 and was a successful engineer and architect of bridges in the American South.

[2] The home's cellars were used during the American Civil War for a meat packing operation to feed Confederate soldiers, and ground were used as for the slaughter of thousands of cows, hogs and sheep that were pickled in barrels.

Tift hired artists from New York to decorate the hall's walls and ceilings with ornate frescoes.

The room was used to host actors, hold dances, stage plays, and was also used for Ku Klux Klan meetings.

The Bridge House was meticulously restored under the direction of David Maschke, a local architect, and reopened as the Albany Welcome Center in August 2008.