Our History

The Springville Historic District is a historic district in Springville, Alabama. The area around the "Big Spring" remained sparsely populated from 1814, when the land was ceded to the United States by the Creek Nation, until after the Civil War. A post office was established in 1834, and a sawmill was founded in 1861, but development did not begin in earnest until the coming of the Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad in 1870. Now connected to Atlanta and Columbus, Mississippi, business and industry began to center in Springville, and the town was a center for moving ore from the surrounding hills to industrial centers in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.

The town was incorporated in 1881, and it is from this period that the district's oldest buildings date. Several high-style Victorian houses, including some Queen Anne, are spread throughout the town, including the town's first school. Many commercial buildings from this time were destroyed in a fire in 1897. The commercial core was rebuilt and expanded over the next few decades, mostly in simple brick styles, but some (including the Presley Store built in 1902) with more elaborate details. Later houses were mostly bungalows and cottages with Victorian elements, although some Craftsman houses were built as well. In addition, several churches, a cotton mill, and a Masonic temple are still in existence.

The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

These are just some of the things that make Springville such a great place.

It is impossible to put into words or pictures the warmth and beauty of our City.

Come visit and make Springville your City too.

Notable People

There are a few notable people that call Springville home.

• Casey Mize, MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

• Hank Patterson, who played Mr. Fred Ziffel, on Green Acres.

• Aubrey Willis Williams, head of the National Youth Administration during the New Deal.

• Artie Wilson, former Major League Baseball player.