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Nostalgiaville |
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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA |
| HISTORY OF TUSCALOOSA |
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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA Second State Capital 1826 - 1846. This stone commemorates the city of Tuscaloosa as the second State Capital, January 1826 to January 1846. Erected by the Alabama Centennial Commission and the citizens of Tuscaloosa and dedicated December 14, 1919, on the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of Alabama's admission to the Union of States. |
| Nestled in the boundaries of the
Appalachian Plateau, the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Gulf Coastal
Plain, Tuscaloosa is strategically located in West Central Alabama.
Tuscaloosa, the county seat is situated on the Black Warrior River, and is
55 miles southwest of Birmingham, 104 miles northwest of Montgomery, and 100
miles northeast of Meridian, Mississippi.
Tuscaloosa was named after the Choctaw Indian Chief Tushkaluse ("tushka" means warrior and "lusa" means black). The Choctaws, who had settlements in the area now known as Tuscaloosa, were visited in 1540 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. The first white settlers to the area came from South Carolina in 1816. Tuscaloosa was incorporated in 1819 and in 1826 became the state capitol, a distinction held until 1846. During this period, more than 30 antebellum homes were built, many of which still add to the grace and charm of the city today. Many majestic druid oaks growing in the city have caused Tuscaloosa to be given the name, "The Druid City". Tuscaloosa is the home to The University of Alabama and the "Crimson Tide" In addition, the Tuscaloosa area is home to Stillman College and Shelton State Community College |
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THE ARCHITECT The Capitol in Tuscaloosa was designed by English born architect, William Nichols, who served as State Architect from 1826 - 1832. Nichols also designed and built the campus of The University of Alabama. Before coming to Alabama he had remodeled the North Carolina Capitol and Governor's Palace in Raleigh. He also designed and built several structures at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After leaving Alabama, Nichols served as assistant state engineer for Louisiana where he designed a temporary State house in New Orleans. Later, as State Architect of Mississippi Capitol and Governor's Mansion in Jackson. He also designed and built the University of Mississippi in Oxford. |
| ELEGANT AND HISTORIC HOMES OF TUSCALOOSA |
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COLLIER - GRIM HOUSE |
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COLLIER - GRIM HOUSE |
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DRISH HOUSE 2300 17th Street. This historic house was built in 1837 by Dr John R Drish, a prominent early settler, as the focal point for a plantation that bordered the city limits of Tuscaloosa. Drish remodeled the mansion in the 1850's with the addition of the distinctive Italianate tower. The house remained one of the finest residences in the city until 1906, when it was converted into a public school. In later years it deteriorated and was used as a garage. Walker Evans, one of America's most famous photographers, photographed the once grand mansion in the 1930's. "Tuscaloosa Wrecking Company" is one of his best known photographs. The house was purchased by the Southside Baptist Church in the 1940's. To save the building from demolition, the Heritage Commission of Tuscaloosa County leased the building in 1997. |
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DRISH HOUSE |
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THE FRIEDMAN HOME Built 1835 by Alfred Battle. Purchased 1875 by Bernard Friedman. Willed to the city of Tuscaloosa 1865 by Hugo Friedman. Traditionally a social and cultural center in Tuscaloosa. It was the residence of Virginia Tunstall Clay Copton, author of "Belle of the Fifties" and of the poet Robert Loveman. |
| 1010 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa. The Battle - Friedman House was built about 1835 by Alfred Battle, a North Carolina native who had come to Tuscaloosa in 1821. The house and its out-buildings occupied the entire city block. Originally the house consisted of the two front parlors, central hallway and the rooms above. The columned porch and rooms at the back of the house were added at various times before the Civil War. Bernard Friedman, a local merchant who had immigrated from Hungary, bought the home in 1875. It remained in the Friedman family until 1965 when it was willed to the city of Tuscaloosa by Hugo Friedman. The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society operates the home. |
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THE FRIEDMAN HOME |
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THE JEMISON HOME Built by Robert Jemison Jr. Completed 1862, the 26 room Italian Villa style mansion is distinguished by its octagonal cupola and delicate carved fretwork. Jemison, a member of Alabama Legislature for 20 years (1840 - 1863), 1861 Secession Convention (he voted against secession), Confederate States Senate (1863 - 1865), helped establish Alabama Insane Hospital. Boyhood home Robert Jemison Van de Graaff, inventor of generator used in splitting the atom and of William "Bully" Van de Graaff, first All American Athlete from University of Alabama. |
| Hugo Friedman in 1933, acquired this mansion for Tuscaloosa County as a library.1305 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa. This Italianate house was built in 1859 - 1862 by Senator Robert Jemison Jr, to serve as his own house. Most of the building materials came from Jemison's extensive plantations, and the majority of construction was performed by skilled slaves under the supervision of Philadelphia craftsmen. The house was ahead of its time technologically. It was the first in Tuscaloosa to have a fully plumbed bathroom and even had its own gas plant for illumination. The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society and the Heritage Commission of Tuscaloosa acquired it in the late 1970's and began restoration. |
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THE MERCURY STATUE (On Display in
the Jemison House) Giovanni Bologna: The Medici Mercury, 1580. Bronze. Florence, Musgo Nationale del Gargello. Bologna made three versions of Mercury. This one, his most famous is believed to have been a gift to the Emperor Maximillan II. Today it stands in the Musgo Nationale in Florence, Italy. |
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| In Human mythology, Mercury was the god of merchants and commerce, of science and astronomy, of thieves, travelers, and vagabonds, and of cleverness and eloquence. The messenger of the gods, he was represented in art as a young man with winged hat and sandals. he was identified with the Greek god Hermes. |
| A longtime Tuscaloosa landmark, the
Mercury statue, has found a new place of honor: the entrance lobby of the
new Duckworth - Morris building.
Dating back more than 100 years, the Mercury statue came into the Duckworth - Morris family in 1922 with the purchase of the building at 2312 Broad Street (now University Boulevard). In 1963, Duckworth - Morris moved into the new First Federal Savings and Loan Building (now Alabama Federal), where the Mercury statue graced the lobby for the past 22 years. The Mercury statue came to Tuscaloosa in the 1870's, when it was set on top of the old J H Fitts and Company Bank (a forerunner of the City National/First Alabama Bank). The J H Fitts and Company Bank had at that time just moved into a new building located at 2312 Broad Street, which is the present University Boulevard location of South Trust Bank. The building was purchased in 1922 by J A Duckworth and Charles Morris to house Duckworth - Morris, and later became the birthplace of First Federal Saving and Loan Association (now Alabama Federal). The Mercury statue is a reproduction of a 16th century sculpture by Giovanni de Bologna, and is one of the most famous of all representations of Mercury. Poised on one winged foot, with his right hand gracefully aloft, he carries the caduceus in his left hand. He stands on the North Wind. Originally the North Wind blew from the mouth of a Cherub which formed the base of the statue. Over the years and the moves around Tuscaloosa, however, the cherub has been lost, but the puff of wind remains. The lobby of an institution like Duckworth - Morris is a particularly appropriate spot for this glittering, fleet footed fellow, for in Roman mythology Mercury was the god of commerce and travel. The son of Jupiter, he was the swift messenger of the gods and the patron of athletes and of anyone with physical prowess. He also offers protection to thieves, gamblers, and ambassadors. The caduceus he carries was the gift of Apollo, and with it he could control the living and the dead or turn anything into gold. Statues made from the original de Bologna casting stand in the Louver in Paris and in the National Gallery in Washington, DC. The Duckworth - Morris Mercury stands 5 feet, 2 inches tall and is made of Babbitt, an alloyed metal consisting of about 90% tin, combined with copper, antimony and lead. The metal is soft and melts at a low temperature, therefore it molds easily. The original Mercury (or Hermes, as he was known in Greek mythology) was nude. During the mid 19th century, puritanical Americans began clothing statues in drapes or fig leaves. Most of the older works in America have had these coverings added. Such is the case with this particular Mercury. He wears a fig leaf which was present at the time of casting. Many years ago... and for many years... the Duckworth - Morris building on Broad Street was identified as the building with the "Little Man" on top. The "Little Man" has come home and resumed his place in the heritage of Duckworth - Morris J Clemson Duckworth |
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THE JEMISON HOME |
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MARMADUKE WILLIAMS HOUSE 907 17th Avenue. The Marmaduke Williams Home, located in the heart of the Druid City Historic District, is one of the oldest homes in the city and it is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the historic district. One of the best examples of early Federal style architecture left in Tuscaloosa, it contains many interesting architectural features. The house was once owned by Marmaduke Williams, the runner up in Alabama's first governor's race. In 1995, the Heritage Commission of Tuscaloosa bought the house to save it from demolition. After careful mechanical and historical research, the commission restored the house. Just as it was nearing completion, arsonists set the house ablaze, destroying much of the interior. The Heritage Commission stabilized the structure and is currently seeking a purchaser who will be willing to restore the house. |
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MARMADUKE WILLIAMS HOUSE |
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MINOR - SEARCH - HOBSON - OWENS &
ALMOND HOUSE |
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MINOR - SEARCH - HOBSON - OWENS & ALMOND HOUSE |
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MURPHY - COLLINS HOUSE 2601 Bryant Drive. Tuscaloosa's first licensed black mortician built this two-story craftsman bungalow in the early 1920's as his private residence. Materials from the old state capitol building a few blocks away were salvaged and used in the home's construction. Today, the structure operates as a museum focusing on the lifestyle of affluent blacks during the early 1900's. |
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MURPHY - COLLINS HOUSE |
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THE SEARCY HOUSE 714 Greensboro Avenue. This neo-classical revival house was built in 1904 by George Search, a prominent Tuscaloosa banker and businessman. It features a massive portico with four large fluted Ionic columns across the front. Restored in 1968 for use as offices for the County Board of Education, it is the only surviving house on that part of the once predominantly residential Greensboro Avenue. |
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THE SEARCY HOUSE |
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THE MILDRED WARNER HOUSE Residence of many prominent Alabama families. Originally built by James Jenkins in 1822 as a two room "cabin," David Scott, prominent merchant and church leader, purchased the property in 1832 and added the four story brick structure. Occupied by the Burwell Boykin Lewis family in 1886. |
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Rose Garland Lewis was a daughter of the president of the University of Alabama and the widow of a U S Congressman who was the first alumnus of the University to become its president. Noted historian of Tuscaloosa. Dr George Little lived here with his family at the turn of the century. The Washington Moodys came into possession in 1919. Mrs Moody lived in the house, after her husband's death in 1924, until 1960. Listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1934, the first Tuscaloosa home to be so honored. Purchased and restored in 1976 by The David Warner Foundation under the direction of Jack W Warner and named for his mother, Mildred Westervell Warner. |
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THE MILDRED WARNER HOUSE |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES OF TUSCALOOSA |
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BAILEY TABERNACLE C M E CHURCH |
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BAILEY TABERNACLE C M E CHURCH |
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FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Organized November 1866 with 144 members. the Rev Prince Murrell first pastor served until 1885. A church building located at corner of 4th Street and 24th Avenue was purchased and became place of worship during pastorate of the Rev James Mason (1885 - 1891). Resolution passed in this church 1873 resulted in establishment of Selma University, Selma Alabama. |
| Present structure erected 1907 under leadership of the Rev J H Smith. Church annex completed and adjoining property purchased during pastorate of the Rev W B Shealey (1952 - 1957). Education building and new parsonage constructed during term of the Rev T Y Rogers Jr (1963 - 1971). |
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2621 Stillman Blvd, Tuscaloosa. The congregation was organized in November 1866 and met elsewhere until the present church was built in 1907. Built entirely by men of the church, the interior features many stained glass windows. Led by pastor T Y Rogers, the First African Baptist Church was the center of important civil rights activities in Tuscaloosa during the early 1960's. |
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FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH |
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Organized 1818, oldest church in Tuscaloosa County. First building was of logs. A brick structure completed 1830 and larger one at this site 1884. Educational building erected 1924 and present sanctuary 1958. Sunday School organized here 1830 influenced by leadership of the first two Presidents University of Alabama. |
| Dr Alva Wood, 1831. Dr Basil Manly, 1837, who often filled pulpit. A resolution from this church 1884, resulted in formation of Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions. Sponsored other churches: Hopewell, 1830. Southside, 1889. Holt, 1903. Calvary, 1910. Westend, 1910. Forest Lake, 1936. and Circlewood, 1948. |
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH |
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Tuscaloosa. Organized 1820. Moved to this site 1830. Present structure erected 1921. Under the leadership of Dr Charles A Stillman, (Minister, 1869 - 1895) it sponsored the founding of Stillman College in 1876. Its bell was the subject of a poem by Samuel Minturn Peck, poet laureate of Alabama. |
| 900 Greensboro Avenue. This neo-Gothic church was built in 1921 by Tuscaloosa's earliest Presbyterian congregation on the site of its original 1830 building. (The congregation had been formed in 1820). The church features a variety of antique European craftwork. Some of the unique items include a 15th century French pulpit, 15th century German and Flemish stained glass and a 16th century Italian baptismal font. |
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH |
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HUNTERS CHAPEL African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Organized 1866, the first Black Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa. First house of worship, a rented building, was located where Denny Stadium now stands. First structure built by the church completed 1878. |
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| Present structure erected 1881. Exterior brick added 1910. This church, often called the "Father" of Negro education in Tuscaloosa, included a school for children of freed slaves during Reconstruction days of 1870's. Church named for Rev E H Hunter who served with distinction as pastor during 1880's. Rev Felix Sylvester Anderson pastor 1933-1936, elected to office of Bishop A M E Zion Churches of America and served until retirement, 1972. |
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HUNTERS CHAPEL |
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ST PAUL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH |
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ST PAUL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH |
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TUSCALOOSA FIRST UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH Organized 1818 by Ebenezer Hearn. First building on this site erected in 1834 included a church bell molded in Boston by coppersmiths Paul Revere and Sons. Present structure with marble ionic columns was constructed 1922. Education Annex in 1953. Chitwood Hall in 1964. Edward Sims, a member and prominent local leader in 1826 built and donated to the church. Tuscaloosa Female College, |
| William W Brandon, Alabama Governor (1923 - 1927) was a member. Served by outstanding ministers: four became Methodist bishops: Robert Paine, John C Keener, James H McCoyu and Clare Purcell. This church has and continues to faithfully proclaim the compassion of Christ. |
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TUSCALOOSA FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH |
| HISTORIC CEMETERIES OF TUSCALOOSA |
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GREENWOOD CEMETERY Laid out in the original city plan, Greenwood is Tuscaloosa's oldest surviving cemetery. It has been in continuous use since prior to 1820. The earliest marked grave is dated 1821. Some of the ornate marble markers located in Greenwood were carved in New Orleans, however, many were carved from local sandstone by masons working on the state capitol once located three blocks north. |
| Only grass covers many of the older plots of African and Native American and white settlers. Greenwood is the final resting place of five veterans of the American Revolution, Confederate General Phillip Dale Roddy, Sattie Anne Swope, volunteer Civil War nurse, Jack and Jerry Winn who worked to buy their freedom from slavery and Solomon Perteet, a prominent antebellum "free man of color" as well as more than 2,300 other individuals in marked and unmarked graves. |
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| PREWITT SLAVE CEMETERY Old Byler Road, Northport. The cemetery is located just off Byler Road, the oldest public road in Alabama. The cemetery is on the site of the former plantation of the Prewitt family who settled the area in about 1820 and are said to have imported some of their slaves directly from Africa. After the Civil War many of the former Prewitt slaves continued to live in the area and buried their dead here. |
| HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF TUSCALOOSA |
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OLD FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE Downtown Tuscaloosa. Fire Station Number One was built in 1922 by noted Birmingham architect D O Wheldon. Empty for many years, the City of Tuscaloosa plans to demolish it despite vigorous efforts from the local and state preservation community. |
| Well folks... History lost again. The "all wise" city Fathers... and Mothers won this round with their wrecking balls and bulldozers. This is what the infamous site looks like now. |
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TUSCALOOSA CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION |
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| TUSCALOOSA COURTHOUSE | TUSCALOOSA COUNTY COURT HOUSE |
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TUSCALOOSA CITY HALL Constructed in 1909 as U S Post Office. First occupied April 1910 with Mrs Maggie Miller as Postmistress. Federal courtroom now City Council Chamber with magnificent design and detail on second floor. 1910 - 1968 Thomas A Jones first |
| Federal presiding judge. Acquired by City of Tuscaloosa in 1968 and renovated as City Hall with George M Van Tassel, Mayor C Snow Hinton and George K Ryan, Commissioner. |
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