The building was originally used as a U.S. post office. It remained as such until the 1960s when it became the federal courthouse. Unfortunately, in 2012 it was one of six federal courthouse buildings in the South to close due to funding cuts. In January 2017, a local development company bought it to convert it into office space.

The former Federal Building & Courthouse, originally a U.S. Post Office, was built in 1909. It will become office space in the near future as of 2017.

The Federal Building & Courthouse was constructed in 1909 and is the most striking building on Broad Street. It was designed in by architect James Knox Taylor in the Beaux-Arts style. He included many personal touches, adding to its architectural significance. The interior features a marble staircase and a mural painted by artist Gilbert White in the main courtroom. As of 2017, the building is undergoing renovation into office space. It was added to National Register of Historic Places 1976. 

Federal Building & Courthouse

This short walk through Gadsden starts at the Mort Glosser Amphitheater which was constructed during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal's investment in infrastructure and public works. The tour continues on to the Gadsden Museum of Art and the city's federal courthouse before three stops at historic homes from the late 19th and early 20th century. 

The American Legion owned the amphitheater and held meetings there in the attached clubhouse beginning in 1935. The original constructers of the theater were the Works Progress Administration. Before it even became a theater, the Battle of Lookout Mountain of 1863 took place here on location during the American Civil War. Also on location, it also featured a dispute between native tribes in the battle dubbed “Last Battle of the Cherokees.” During WWII, the amphitheater became a center for the United Service Organization providing entertainment for service members from the nearby Camp Sibert. Afterwards, boxing matches, concerts, political rallies, plays, and other events began to be held at the theater.The stage is located on the northern end with the seating area being shaped like a half-hexagon. The entrances to the theater can be found behind the seating area. The totals number of seats in the amphitheater is 1,600 and it has a club room with a lower entrance to theater near it. Public events continued being shown there until the 1970s when the structure itself began to show signs of age. The City of Gadsden purchased the theater in 1986 in order to do some restoration work on it to keep it from falling apart.The theater would be placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on September 28, 1988. It was built alongside the Gadsden Municipal Auditorium that is along the Coosa River. The Mort Glosser Amphitheater has seen much more use during the pandemic. For example, the Downtown Dance Conservatory’s production of “The Nutcracker Princess” took place here. The theater allows more open space for social distancing requirements and is outside for much-needed fresh air.

Built in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration, this theater was one of the New Deal programs created by the federal government to put people to work. The Mort Glosser Amphitheater is a 1,600- seat outdoor theater designed by Paul Hofferbert. It was designed as builders used stone that was originally from Lookout Mountain, a mountain range located between Alabama and Georgia. It is still used today for concerts, plays, and other events. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it was added there in 1988.

Mort Glosser Amphitheater

The Gadsden Museum of Art, located directly adjacent to the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, was founded in 1963. It officially opened in 1965. Its mission is to inform, inspire, and educate the public about art. 

Gadsden Museum of Art

William Luther Sibert was the son of William J. and Marietta Ward Sibert. Sibert’s father shortly fought for the Confederate Amy, for whom he fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run. In this battle Sibert’s father attained a wound that would cause the family to move, because he no longer could provide for his family by farming. Sibert’s family moved into their home in Gadsden in 1867. In 1880 Sibert went to the U.S. Military Academy where he graduated as one of the top cadets in the class of 1884.Sibert went to many places in his career and started in 1887 when he became a second lieutenant. He was first sent to supervise the improvements to the Green and Breen Rivers lock and dam system. In 1891 he was appointed to create a new lock in a lock-and-damn system in Michigan. This lock allowed ships to go between Lake Superior to the lower portion of the Great Lakes. For the part of the lock and damn that stretched lower end of Lake Huron to the higher end of Lake Erie Sibert was the main assistant on the development. In e received his own independent command from his outstanding work. This put him in charge of the River and Harbor District at Little Rock, Arkansas. Sibert became the chief engineer of the Eighth Army Corps during the Philippine-American War, where his duty was to restore the main Manila-Dagupan Railroad.         In 1900 upon Siberts return he was put in Louisville District in Kentucky in control of the rivers and harbors. Shortly after he was moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he oversaw the enhancements on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. During his time at Pittsburgh he constructed multiple locks and dams, and even destroyed a dam on the Allegheny River. By destroying the damn on Allegheny River stopped the flood of Pittsburgh in 1905, for this he received a commendation from Congress.                By 1907 Sibert had become a major and Theodore Roosevelt was looking at him to be in the Isthmian Canal Commission. This commission was put in command of constructing a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. Sibert was head engineer and put in charge of the Gatun Lock and Gatun Damn. While working on the Gatun Lock and Gatun Damn he also worked in Colón Harbor where he guided the building of breakwater, and helped create a channel from Gautn to the Caribbean Sea.               After Siberts return to the United States in 1914 he started working the Red Cross in China on flood preparedness. The next year he was given the title of brigadier general. During World War I he became the first commanding general of the First Infantry Division. Sibert and his troops went to France in 1917, but he returned to the United States 1918. He went to Charleston, South Carolina where he became commanding general of the Southeastern Department of the Army.               The same year Sibert was given the title of major general and became the chief officer of the Chemical Warfare Service. The Chemical Warfare Service was created because of the use of chemical warfare that was used in World War I. Sibert supervised the trainings, research, and development of chemical warfare and weapons. This was to be able to keep U.S. soldiers safe and to help them use the new weapons. For his work with the Chemical Warfare Services Sibert was awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Medal. He was also awarded the Legion of Honor from the French. In 1920 the Army considered cutting the CWS, and that same year Sibert resigned from active duty.               In 1923, Sibert went to Alabama to oversee the Alabama State Docks project. He spent five years directing the Alabama State Docks Commission. In 1928 Sibert was employed by Congress to examine and report back on the building of Boulder Dam. He then returned back to retirement, and finished his carrier. He later passed away October 16, 1935.

This site is the family home of Major General William Luther Sibert.  Sibert was a engineer that worked for the U.S. government building many locks and dams.  He also became the first commanding general of the First Infantry Division during World War I which he led to France.  Sibert was later appointed first commander over the U.S. Army's Chemical Warfare Service.  Sibert had also received several rearwards during his career. He retired but then came back to oversee the building of Alabama State Docks once he finish he finally retired for good.

Family Home of William Luther Sibert Major General U.S. Army

Colonel O.R. Hood Colonel O.R. Hood was born in 1867 in Asheville, Alabama and studied law at Peabody Normal College (what is now the University of Nashville, in Nashville, Tennessee). After graduating in 1889, he opened a law practice here in Gadsden. He also met and married his wife, Julie, at this time. Hood was elected alderman in 1893 and remained in that position until he became a member of the City Council in 1895. In that role, he also served on the council's education committee, where he proposed implementing a grading system. As noted above, in 1901, Hood attended the state constitutional convention.Gadsen is fortunate to be in an area with significant amounts of raw materials necessary to manufacture iron and steel production as well as next to the Coosa River. These factors prompted Hood, a local developer named William Lay, and Lay's son, Earl, to establish the Alabama Power Company in 1906. Willam Lay's goal was to build a <a href="http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1904" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hydroelectric dam</a> on the river. It was eventually built in 1913 after three years of construction and is named after him. Another accomplishment Hood achieved was convincing the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to select Gadsden as the location of its southern branch. In the 1930s, he became became president of the Gadsden Loan and Investment Company, vice president of Sanquoit Spinning Company of Alabama, and director of Gadsden's Chamber of Commerce. His law firm continued to be very successful (he added additional partners) and served as a legal advisor to many local companies. He died in 1951.Woman's ClubThe Woman's Club was founded in 1923 and originally called the Axis Club until 1929. Its mission was (and continues to be) to promote the social and educational development of the community. Over the years, the club has participated in a variety of activities such as organizing blood drives, awarding scholarships, sponsoring fund drives, planting trees, and promoting the expansion of the Gadsden Public Library. The club has also offered the Hood House as meeting space for other community groups.

Now occupied by a local women's organization called the Woman's Club, this historic home was built by in 1904 by its namesake Colonel O.R. Hood. Hood was a prominent figure in Gadsden during the early 20th century. He was a successful attorney and was active in local politics. Additionally, along with two others, Hood co-founded the Alabama Power Company and served as its first vice president (the company still exists today). He contributed to other industrial and commercial developments in Gadsden as well. In 1901, he was a delegate at the Alabama constitutional convention. The Woman's Club was established in 1923 and purchased the house in 1954. In terms of architecture, the house is primarily Classical Revival in appearance but incorporates some elements of the Victorian style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Colonel O.R. Hood House

Edward Tracy Hollingsworth's lineage goes back to Valentine Hollingsworth, who sailed in 1692&nbsp;with his family from Ireland&nbsp;to what was then the New World.

The Charles Gunn House is one of the few remaining Late Victorian houses in Gadsden. It was built by Edward Tracy Hollingsworth who was a successful merchant and banker. Upon advice from his doctor, he moved to Oklahoma for health reasons and sold the house to Charles Logan Dunn in 1901. Dunn's daughter was the last person in the family to live there and bequeathed it to the city in 1990. The city restored it with the help of donations from citizens and local organizations. It is available to rent for meetings, weddings, and other events.

Gadsden Walking Tour

Federal Building & Courthouse

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources