LaFayette ( , ) is the county seat of

Chambers County, Alabama Chambers County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 34,772. Its county seat is LaFayette. Its largest city is Valley. Its name is in honor of Henry H. Chamb ...

, United States, northwest of

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 3,003.

History

Chambers County was formed in 1832. The newly elected county officials opted to locate the county seat as near as possible to the center of the county. Lots for the new town were auctioned in October 1833, with proceeds from the sale financing the construction of a courthouse and jail. The town was first called "Chambersville", but by the time of incorporation on January 7, 1835, the town name had been changed to "Lafayette", named after the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

; its spelling was changed to "LaFayette" due to the influence of newspaper editor Johnson J. Hooper, who created a fictional character called Captain Simon Suggs, a backwoods southerner who pronounced the town's name as "La Fait". The city's newspaper, ''The LaFayette Sun'', was founded under the name ''The Alabama Standard'' in April 1841 and adopted its current name on August 3, 1881. In 1898 John Anderson, a black man, was quickly hanged in LaFayette by a mob for a murder he did not commit. Scenes from the movie '' Mississippi Burning'' were filmed at the Chambers County Courthouse and in downtown LaFayette. LaFayette is the birthplace of heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis. An bronze statue, executed by sculptor Casey Downing Jr. of Mobile, Alabama, was erected in Louis' honor in front of the Chambers County courthouse. It is also the hometown of

Hoyt L. Sherman Hoyt L. Sherman (1903–1981) was an American artist and professor. He is widely credited with having a serious influence on the work of Roy Lichtenstein, who was a student of his during the forties. Hoyt Leon Sherman was born in Lafayette, Alab ...

, one of artist Roy Lichtenstein's principal art professor/mentors at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

Geography

LaFayette is located at 32°53'54.859" North, 85°24'2.822" West (32.898572, -85.400784). The city is located in east central Alabama along

U.S. Route 431 U.S. Route 431 (US 431) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently travels for approximately from US 231/Alabama State Route 210 and US 231 Business (US 231 Bus.) and US 431 Bus. in Dothan, Alabama, to Owensboro, ...

, which is the main north-south route through the city. U.S. 431 leads north 21 mi (34 km) to Roanoke and south 23 mi (37 km) to

Opelika Opelika (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Opelika is ...

Alabama State Route 50 State Route 50 (SR 50) is a state highway in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The western terminus of the highway is at an intersection with SR 229 near Lake Martin in northeastern Elmore County. The eastern termi ...

also runs through the city as a southern bypass, leading east 14 mi (23 km) to Lanett on the Alabama-

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

state line, and southwest 18 mi (29 km) to Camp Hill. Alabama State Route 77 begins in the northern part of the city and connects LaFayette to the town of Wadley, 20 mi (32 km) to the northwest. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.31%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,684 people, 1,017 households, and 610 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 3,003 people, 1,129 households, and 749 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,299 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.8%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 29.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.8% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.7% from two or more races. 1.9% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 1,129 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.6% were married couples living together, 30.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 22.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,319, and the median income for a family was $31,629. Males had a median income of $31,842 versus $27,833 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $12,149. About 28.5% of families and 36.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 43.2% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Chambers County School District provides public education for LaFayette. Within the city limits are two high schools (Lafayette High School and the Chambers County Career Technical School), one middle school (JP Powell Middle School), and one elementary school (Eastside Elementary School). Chambers Academy (grades pre-K through 12) is a private school in LaFayette.

Notable people

Catharine Webb Barber Catharine Webb Barber (, Barber; after first marriage, Towles or Towle; after second marriage, McCoy; October 25, 1823 - November 15, 1893) was an American teacher, newspaper editor, and author. She was born in Massachusetts, but came South, settl ...

, attended the Lafayette Female Seminary, at Chambers Court House; afterwards taught in the same institution * William B. Bowling, U.S. Representative from 1920 to 1928 *

Dave Butz David Roy Butz (June 23, 1950 – November 4, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Redskins in a 16-year career from 1 ...

, former NFL player * James R. Dowdell, jurist and the 20th Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court from 1909 to 1914 *

Morris Finley Morris "Mo" Finley (born August 2, 1981) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez of the LNB Pro A. Standing at , he plays the point guard position. In 2023 he began a small modeling career by a ...

, professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. Graduated from LaFayette High School. * Hal Finney, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Lou Finney Louis Klopsche Finney (August 13, 1910 – April 22, 1966) was an American professional baseball player. He spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) playing for the Philadelphia Athletics (1931; 1933–1939), Boston Red Sox (1939–19 ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Perry Griggs Perry Griggs (born September 17, 1954) is a former professional American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven ...

, former Baltimore Colts player * James Thomas "Cotton Tom" Heflin, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and a leading proponent of white supremacy * Johnson J. Hooper, author and humorist * Jay Jacobs, athletic director at Auburn University * Joe Louis,

Heavyweight boxing Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wor ...

champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

* Leon Renfroe Meadows, president of East Carolina University from 1934 to 1944 *

Arthur W. Mitchell Arthur Wergs Mitchell, Sr. (December 22, 1883 – May 9, 1968), was a U.S. Representative from Illinois. For his entire congressional career from 1935 to 1943, he was the only African American in Congress. Mitchell was the first African American ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and first

to be elected to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Gertrude Morgan Sister Gertrude Morgan (April 7, 1900 – July 8, 1980) was a self-taught African-American artist, musician, poet and preacher. Born in LaFayette, Alabama, she relocated to New Orleans in 1939, where she lived and worked until her death in 1980. ...

, preacher, missionary, artist, musician, and poet who worked in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

in the 1960s and '70s *

, art professor and principal mentor to pop artist Roy Lichtenstein *

Jimmy Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

, former Major League Baseball player. Graduated from LaFayette High School in 1957. *

James Still James Still (July 16, 1906 – April 28, 2001) was an American poet, novelist and folklorist. He lived most of his life in a log house along the Dead Mare Branch of Little Carr Creek, Knott County, Kentucky. He was best known for the novel '' ...

, poet, novelist, and folklorist * Mike Williams, former

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Gallery

File:Chambers County, AL Courthouse (NRHP).JPG, The Chambers County Courthouse in LaFayette is featured prominently in the 1988 movie '' Mississippi Burning''. Chambers County Courthouse Square Historic District was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on March 27, 1980. File:LaFayette, AL City Hall and Police Dept.JPG, LaFayette City Hall and Police Department. File:LaFayette, AL Post Office (36862).JPG, LaFayette Post Office ( ZIP code:36862) File:LaFayette, AL High School.JPG, LaFayette High School File:Chambers County Museum (1908) (LaFayette, AL).JPG, The Chambers County Museum is located in the former Central of Georgia railway depot. The depot was built of masonry construction with a tile roof in 1908 after fire destroyed the original wood structure. File:2021-03-15_LaFayette,_AL_-_Ernest_McCarty_Oliver_House.jpg, The Ernest McCarty Oliver House was added to the

January 21, 1974. File:Vines Funeral Home and Ambulance Service Lafayette, Alabama.JPG, Vines Funeral Home and Ambulance Service was added to the

on October 15, 2008. File:LaFayette, AL Presbyterian Church (1836).JPG, Built by early settlers to the area, the LaFayette Presbyterian Church has stood since 1836. File:LaFayetteAlabama2.JPG, Downtown LaFayette, Alabama File:LaFayetteAlabama1.JPG, Downtown LaFayette, Alabama File:LaFayetteAlabama3.JPG, An old theatre in Downtown LaFayette most recently served as a church. File:LaFayetteAlabamaCourthouseStatue.JPG, Statue of

Lady Justice Lady Justice ( la, Iustitia) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the ...

which tops the courthouse File:LaFayetteAlabama5.JPG, The

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

of the courthouse, laid by Masons in 1899. File:LaFayette AL IMG 2982.JPG, Aerial photograph of downtown LaFayette (note courthouse at center of photograph)

References

External links

City of LaFayette official website

Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Chambers County, Alabama County seats in Alabama Populated places established in 1833 Lynching deaths in Alabama 1833 establishments in Alabama