The Old Town Historic District was the second historic district in
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...
. It was added to 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 July 18, 1978. Roughly bounded by Dement and Lincoln Sts., and Randolph and Walker Avenues, it features homes in a variety of styles including Victorian,
Federal,
Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...
,
Queen Anne,
American Craftsman
American Craftsman is an American domestic architectural style, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts, beginning in the last years of the 19th century. ...
, and even
Prairie School
Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...
with homes dating from the late 1820s through the early 20th century.
The Old Town Historic District had its beginnings in 1973, when local architect Harvie Jones suggested to home owners Charles E. and Frances J. Rice that they create another district to include the 19th century homes that remained outside of the
Twickenham Historic District
Twickenham Historic District was the first historic district designated in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 1973, with a boundary increase on May 26, 2015. The name derives from a ...
. The Rices accordingly began obtaining the necessary petitions and documents to gain first local, then state and finally national recognition for the Old Town Historic District. They were supported in their efforts by then Huntsville mayor
Joe W. Davis, Madison County Commissioner Tilman Hill, and Alabama U. S. Senator
John Sparkman
John Jackson Sparkman (December 20, 1899 – November 16, 1985) was an American jurist and politician from the state of Alabama. A Southern Democrat, Sparkman served in the United States House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946 and the United ...
. The Rices were later honored by the Alabama Historical Commission for their contributions to historic preservation, and in 2009 a small park in Old Town was named after them.
Notable contributing properties
*
Temple B'nai Sholom (Huntsville, Alabama)
Temple B'nai Sholom (translated from Hebrew as "Children of Peace") is an historic Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 103 Lincoln Street SE, in Huntsville, Alabama, in the United States. Founded as a congregation on July 30, ...
See also
*
References
External links
Rice Park dedicationAmerican Memory's Built in America Collection
which has drawings, photographs, and descriptions of old homes and buildings.
Huntsville Pilgrimage Association
Has annual tour of historic homes.
{{National Register of Historic Places
Historic districts in Huntsville, Alabama
National Register of Historic Places in Huntsville, Alabama
Greek Revival architecture in Alabama
American Craftsman architecture in Alabama
Federal architecture in Alabama