The Huntsville Depot Museum is one of the oldest railroad depots in the United States. Located on the Norfolk Southern Railway line in downtown Huntsville, it is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama. Created by The Memphis & Charleston Railroad Company, the Huntsville Depot became the company's Eastern Division Headquarters in the 1860s. This made the depot instrumental in the development of rail travel and the growth of Huntsville itself.
Dedicated on Veterans Day in 2001, this memorial complex includes a variety of memorials that honor veterans from Huntsville and Madison County. The complex features monuments to veterans of specific conflicts, as well as general monuments that honor all veterans. The memorial park was created with the help of the city and county government and over $3 million in donations. The complex includes an eternal flame and fountains, a reflecting pool, a monument to men risking their lives to save a fallen comrade, and panels of polished Black granite that bear the names of over 365 soldiers from Madison County who died during their term of service. The memorial is surrounded by a brick pathway with over five thousand bricks placed by supporters who helped raise funds for the memorial complex.
St. Mary of The Visitation Catholic Church is a historic church located in Huntsville which is the largest city of Madison County, Alabama. This church was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Having a long heritage of faithfulness and generous service as well as being built up in Romanesque Revival Style, St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is not only an ideal place for Christian, but also for visitors.
In the 1960’s, Huntsville’s theaters included The Lyric, The Grand, The Tony (Martin), The Princess, The Central. The drive-ins were Whitesburg, 231, Parkway, Woody’s, and the 72. The Princess Theater specifically served African American moviegoers. During Huntsville's organized civil rights movement, African American protestors would stand in line to buy movie tickets at “white” theaters, be refused service when they got to the ticket window, then immediately go to the back of the line and try and try again. Eventually, African Americans were permitted to attend the previously all-white Lyric Theater, but were asked to sit in the balcony. Many young white people were upset because a courting place had been taken from them. They were told, “It is against the law for white people to sit in the balcony.” This was the same answer their parents had given them when they were children and had asked why they couldn’t drink out of the colored water fountains, “It is against the law and you will get arrested.”
This two story building is an excellent example of the Art Deco Style of architecture that was popular throughout America. The building initially burnt down in 1925. Photographs from after the reconstruction show that little of the exterior of the building has been changed. The storefront is from the 1970s.
Alabama Constitution Hall Park, also known as The Alabama Constitution Village, includes exhibits within sixteen structures that were built to reflect the period between 1805 and 1819, the year when delegates met here to debate and draft Alabama's first state constitution. This complex of reconstructed buildings and exhibits offer a chance to explore the day-to-day functions of life in 1819 as well as the events that shaped statehood. This hands-on, living history museum functions as a replica of life during the early years of Alabama, allowing visitors to learn about history in a unique way. Guides in period costumes will take visitors on a tour of the working village, showcasing the many aspects of early life in Alabama.
This marker commemorates the oldest African American congregation in Alabama. William Harris organized the congregation in 1820 and served as the minister despite his enslavement. After the Civil War, the congregation built a brick church at this location. The church stood from 1872 to 1964 when the congregation constructed a new church on Belafonte Avenue. During the Civil War, the congregation assisted many former slaves as they attempted to emancipate themselves. The church, like many other Huntsville buildings, was destroyed during the war during the Union occupation of the city. The church was eligible for assistance from the Southern Claims Commission which was established during the Civil War to compensate Southern Unionists for their losses during the war.
Major General Holger N. Toftoy was an instructor at West Point who became Chief of the Army's Ordnance Technical Intelligence team in Europe where he led efforts to discover and capture useful technologies developed by the Germans. His work allowed the United States to acquire a full report on Germany's V-2 rocket technology and employ several of the top German scientists working on the project by allowing them to defect to the United States. In 1952, Toftoy supervised America's top rocket scientists at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. Toftoy later became the commander of the arsenal, leading the team that developed the Jupiter-C rocket that launched America`s first satellite into space. Toftoy's work helped make the small cotton town of Huntsville the "rocket capital of the world." In honor of these achievements, this memorial stone was placed in Big Spring Park.
Councill High School was the first public school for African-Americans in the city of Huntsville when it opened in 1892. Councill High was the only high school available to African-American students until the integration of public high schools in 1965. The school was named for William Hooper Councill, founder of Alabama A&M University and noted African-American educator. Today, the City of Huntsville in cooperation with the William Hooper Councill Alumni Association is developing the school site as a community park.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour of Huntsville begins at the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama which now serves as a museum. Highlights of the tour include St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church, Alabama Constitution Hall Park, and sites related to the city's civil rights movement.
