Centreville is a city and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Bibb County, Alabama
Bibb County is a county in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. The county is a part of the Birmingham, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is included in the ARC's definition of Appalachia. As of the 24th decennial 2020 ce ...
, United States. At the
2020 census, the population was 2,800.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, Centreville has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.52%, is water.
The city is bordered to the west by the city of
Brent by the
Cahaba River.
The city is located in the central part of the state along
U.S. Route 82, which runs from southeast to northwest to the north of the city, leading southeast to
Montgomery, the state capital, and northwest to
Tuscaloosa. Alabama State Routes
25 and
219 both run through the center of the city from south to north. AL-25 leads northeast to
Montevallo and southwest to
Greensboro
Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...
. AL-219 leads north to
Alabama State Route 5 north of Brent and south to
Selma.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Centreville has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated ''Cfa'' on climate maps.
Centreville is the site of the highest recorded temperature in the state of Alabama, when on September 6, 1925, the temperature reached . The data below are for the years 1916 to 1974.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,800 people, 947 households, and 599 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 2,778 people, 1,066 households, and 729 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,178 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 23.7%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.4%
Asian, 2.4% from
other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. 3.0% of the population were
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 1,066 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.07
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,642, and the median income for a family was $58,000. Males had a median income of $37,614 versus $17,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,172. About 13.5% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
The
Cahaba River falls near Centreville, which made the town a strategic location for transportation through the region. The first post office in Bibb County was established in Centreville in 1821. Sarah Willis Chotard obtained a patent for land in this area in 1823 and began moving squatters off the land and laid out a plot for the new town of Centreville.
In 1829, Centreville became the permanent seat for Bibb County after several years of debate and different locations of the county courthouse, and the town was incorporated in 1832.
[ Centreville's ]historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
On May 27, 1973, a violent tornado struck the city, causing major damage across the area.
On March 25, 2021, a violent tornado hit the southern and eastern portions of Centreville, causing significant damage to the area and rendering the Bibb County Airport a total loss.
1910 lynching
In 1910, a white woman by the name of Mrs. Crow gave birth to a child of "doubtful color", who was thought by many to be the product of a relationship between Crow and an African American, and she was accused of having such a relationship. At first she vigorously denied it, but then – under intense peer pressure – she confessed to the baby's origin but claimed that she had been raped. When asked if she knew who raped her, Crow gave them the name of Grant Richardson, an African American who lived near the Braehead Slope Mine Camp, northeast of Centreville. The miners and other local residents were so incensed at the affair that they decided to apply " summary vengeance" to Richardson as soon as they knew that the sheriff had apprehended him.
Deputy Sheriff Cam Riley apprehended Richardson on October 12, 1910, and was returning him to the jail at Centreville for processing and trial, but was waylaid by a lynch mob. The mob took Richardson from Riley and shot the suspect. Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Oakley investigated the scene as soon as word of the incident reached him, but other than the body, the shells, and the blood, there was little usable evidence to be found, much less witnesses. A coroner's inquest was held as soon as a special coroner was appointed, but there is no known result of that inquest. This was the first recorded lynching to take place in Bibb County.
It is unknown whether charges of either filing false charges resulting in a murder or miscegenation
Miscegenation ( ) is marriage or admixture between people who are members of different races or ethnicities. It has occurred many times throughout history, in many places. It has occasionally been controversial or illegal. Adjectives describin ...
were filed against Crow, but it is known by those aware of Richardson that he had lived in the area for a number of years with a fair reputation prior to the incident.
Education
Centreville is served by the Bibb County Public School District. Schools in Centreville include Bibb County High School (grades 9 through 12) and Centreville Middle School (grades 5 through 8). Cahawba Christian Academy is a private school serving grades pre-K to 12.
Media
* WBIB 1110 AM (Southern Gospel)
* The Bibb Voice BibbVoice.com (Online News Publication)
* Centreville Press (Local News Paper)
Notable people
* Henry Damon Davidson, educator and church elder
* Matt Downs, former Major League Baseball player, current Marion Military Institute
Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a Public college, public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state mi ...
baseball coach
* Franklin Potts Glass Sr., newspaper publisher and U.S. Senator-designate
* Henry James
Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
, former NBA player
* Ben Jones, offensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
for the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
* Zac Stacy
Zachary Latrell Stacy (born April 9, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores and was selected by the St. Lo ...
, former Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
football player and running back for the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
* Fresco Thompson, major league baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player and executive
References
Further reading
''Bibb County, Alabama: The First Hundred Years''
by Rhoda C. Ellison
"Bibb County"
by Vicky Clemmons, David Daniel, Centreville Historic Preservation Commission
* ''Bloody Bibb'', by Verrell Donald Elam. Elam Enterprises, 1985. 192 pages
External links
City of Centreville official website
Bibb County Public School District
Bibb County High School
Bibb County Chamber of Commerce
Cahawba Christian Academy
The Bibb Voice
*
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Populated places established in 1823
Cities in Alabama
Cities in Bibb County, Alabama
County seats in Alabama
Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama