Henderson Brandon was born about 1835 in Kentucky. He was one of Huntsville's earliest brick masons and builders, arriving around 1810 (10 years before Alabama became a state). He founded a highly successful brick masonry business that his son, Daniel, later joined. Mr. Brandon was involved in politics, being elected as an alternate delegate to Alabama's Constitutional Convention held in 1875.

Henderson Brandon and his wife, Dottie Williams Brandon, were born in Elkton, Kentucky. Based on U.S. Census records and his obituary, Henderson, a mulatto, was born into slavery around 1835. His enslaver, William Brandon, passed away in 1848. William Brandon and his brother, Thomas, were among Huntsville’s earliest brick masons and builders, arriving in the area around 1810. They were responsible for constructing many of Huntsville's first homes and the commercial buildings along what was then known as Commercial Row on Southside Square.

Henderson likely learned the masonry trade from his enslaver. Over time, he earned enough money to buy his freedom. By 1870, the census listed Henderson as a brick mason, married to a woman named Katie, with seven children. His sixth child, Daniel, was born around 1865 and would later join Henderson as a business partner. Henderson, a Republican and successful businessman, registered to vote in 1867 and became actively engaged in the community.

In 1875, Henderson Brandon was elected as an alternate delegate to Alabama's Constitutional Convention, a gathering that would end the Reconstruction period in the state. This new Constitution effectively dismantled federal protections for Black citizens’ rights and laid the groundwork for Jim Crow laws, which institutionalized racial segregation and disenfranchisement in Alabama.

In the 1880s, Henderson’s son, Daniel, joined the family business, which then became known as Henderson Brandon & Son. Together, they operated Huntsville’s most successful Black-owned business from the post-Reconstruction era through the early 20th century. Their masonry firm was responsible for constructing many of Huntsville and Madison County’s landmark buildings, contributing to the region’s transformation from a small agricultural town into a manufacturing and commercial center. Beyond their contributions as builders, Henderson and Daniel Brandon were advocates for the Black community, a courageous role in the face of the harsh restrictions of the Jim Crow era.

Historical newspaper archives, particularly The Huntsville Gazette and The Journal, credit Henderson Brandon & Son with constructing 11 significant buildings. Of these, three still stand today: the Baker-Helms Building at 101 Washington Street, the Humphrey Bros. Building at 112 Main Street in Madison, and the Harrison Brothers Building at 124 Southside Square. Other projects, such as the Halsey Block on Jefferson Street, the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office at Greene Street and Eustis Avenue, the Dallas Textile Mill, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, no longer exist, but each was once an important part of Huntsville’s architectural landscape.

Henderson also formed a business partnership with James Hutchens, a white man, as recorded in a newspaper announcement of their partnership’s dissolution in 1873. The relationship between the two families remained strong, and James Hutchens' son, William, later served as a witness for Henderson’s will.

Henderson Brandon passed away on January 7, 1901, and was laid to rest in Glenwood Cemetery. His legacy endures in the structures he built and in his role as a community leader who set a foundation for future generations in Huntsville.

Honoring Henderson and Daniel Brandon: A Black Masonry Construction Firm That Built Huntsville, Gus Wintzell, February 16, 2023, https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/lead/2023/02/16/honoring-henderson-and-daniel-brandon-a-black-masonry-construction-firm-that-built-huntsville/.

Brick By Brick: The Legacy of Henderson & Daniel Brandon, Historic Huntsville Foundation, Donna Castellano, https://www.historichuntsville.org/events/brick-by-brick/.

Daniel Brandon’s death certificate, Madison County, AL, 30 Dec 1943.

1870 U.S. Census, Henderson Brandon, Huntsville, Madison Co, AL, age 35, Ancestry.com.

“Gives Perfect Satisfaction,” Huntsville Gazette, Huntsville, AL, Sat, Apr 5, 1890, p. 3.

Probate record, Madison Co., AL, Henderson Brandon, 11 Jan 1901.