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 ...
or 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 ...
or 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 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 ...
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 in the 1960s and '70s
* 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 ...
, 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 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 ...
January 21, 1974.
File:Vines Funeral Home and Ambulance Service Lafayette, Alabama.JPG, Vines Funeral Home and Ambulance Service 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 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