Fort Payne’s historic places provide plenty of glimpses into the past
Let’s take a look at the three districts that are listed with the National Register of Historic Places:
- Fort Payne Boom Town Historic District
- Fort Payne Main Street Historic District
- Fort Payne Residential Historic District
The Boom Town Historic District features fine remnants from a development surge that took place from 1888 to 1891
When word got out that iron and coal had been discovered, Fort Payne’s population quickly expanded from about 500 in 1888 to almost 2,700 by 1890. Most of the new residents were investors from New England or New York. The boom was rather short lived — iron and coal deposits were not as great as hoped for — and the population dropped below 1,100 by 1897.
Pictured above: This boom period house was built in 1889 on Forest Avenue by Edward and Cora Anderson of Buffalo, New York. The boom was short lived, and the Andersons never moved in.
Accepted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, the Boom Town Historic District includes buildings and a city park that were built between 1879 and 1891.
The district contains the railroad depot, the c. 1878 Sawyer Building, the opera house, the building that housed the Fort Payne Iron and Coal Company during the boom days and the other buildings that make up what locals call the Opera Block. All are in great condition.
The depot and the opera house are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Their National Register applications provide a good deal of historical details:
Alabama Great Southern Railroad Passenger Depot
The depot and some of the spaces of the Opera Block now house small museums. The first story of the Sawyer Building is presently home to Boom Town Makers Market which features over 40 local artists. The Opera House is conserved by Landmarks of DeKalb and is used for plays, musical events and other activities.
The park is a nice, shady green space between the busy street and railroad track. The Iron and Coal Building is operated by the city as an event venue. The depot is an example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The Opera Block and Sawyer Building have some Victorian architectural details. A large hotel and the park were central features of the original planned commercial district. The hotel burned in 1918.
For more photos, go to Galleries: More Fort Payne historic district photos.
The Main Street Historic District showcases the town’s 1920s to 1940s growth
Less than three blocks south of the Boom Town district, this district contains 19 buildings, most of which were constructed between the 1920s and early 1940s. Seventeen of them are considered contributing properties on the district’s 1989 National Register application. Several of them are typical early 20th-century one-story commercial buildings. But a few two- and three-story buildings are found at the intersection of Gault Avenue and 1st Street.
In the early 20th century, 1st Street was known as Main Street, and the old courthouse was on top of the hill at Grand Avenue facing Lookout Mountain. Gault Avenue later became the town’s primary street as it is today. The c.1914 building that is now the home of a coffee and sandwich shop known as The Spot, the old post office (c.1936), a c.1889 two-story building, and a bank with a distinct appearance (c.1923) are a few of the more interesting buildings. The c. 1920 yellow two-story Killian Building is another.
Don’t miss other historic structures between the Boom Town and Main Street districts
Many of the buildings between and near the two historic commercial districts are quite interesting, too, including the DeKalb Theatre, the Strand and surrounding structures. There’s also the old Coca-Cola bottling building now known as “The Building.”
The Fort Payne Residential Historic District features an engaging variety of houses and churches
Found on a gently sloped ridge on the west side of the downtown, this district includes some houses built during the boom days of 1889-1891, and others built between 1909 and 1938. There are 61 contributing structures in the district as listed on its application to the National Register of Historic Places.
Some of the late 19th-century houses feature Victorian style elements. Each of the early 20th-century houses feature either American Foursquare-, Tudor Revival- or Craftsman-inspired Bungalow-style elements. The finest historic house are scattered about. You’ll fine a couple on Grand Ave and a few on Alabama Avenue. Some large Victorians can be found on higher ground along Forest Avenue between 2nd and 6th Street North.
The First Presbyterian Church, built in 1875, and the c.1920s First Methodist Church are in the district.
Fort Payne’s other historical places
The building now known as the Old Mill is another building that has survived since the boom days of 1889-1891. It was originally home to the Alabama Builders Hardware Company. The Florence Hosiery Mill began making socks there in 1913. In 1915, the name was changed to W. B. Davis and Son Hosiery Mill and it would grow to be the town’s largest industrial entity of that era.
The Old Mill
FUN FACT: Sock manufacturing continually expanded in the city through the 1980s and Fort Payne became known as the Sock Capital of the World.
Other 100-plus year old structures are scattered about the city.
Shown, from top left, Saint Paul United Methodist Church, St. Philips Episcopal Church and a scene from 1st Ave. East.
Two blocks south of the Main Street Historic District, the Fort Cabin Historic Site was designated as a Certified Site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in 2012. There are markers on the site that tell about the stockade's role during the Cherokee removal in 1838. You’ll see a sign pointing you to the site at the corner of Gault Avenue and 4th Street South.
Pictured above: The Fort Cabin historic site
More historic places on the outskirts of the city
The historic home known as Cherokee Plantation, or the Andrew Ross Home, is 4 miles northeast of the Boom Days Historic District near Fort Payne High School. It features a c.1790 cabin that was enclosed when the house was expanded in the 1830s.
Andrew Ross Home; Photo: Alabama Historical Commission, 1981
The cabin is not visible, but it is historically significant in regard to the Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears. Andrew Ross was a member of the Cherokee Supreme Court. His brother, John, was the Cherokee principal chief.
The Lebanon Courthouse is an interesting mid-1800s structure that is found about 8 miles from downtown. Lebanon preceeded Fort Payne as the county seaty of DeKalb County, and what is now a private residence served as the county courthouse from 1840 to 1878.
Summary
When I think of this city of 14,000, I think of Lookout Mountain’s Little River Canyon, DeSoto State Park and bluff views. Fort Payne is also the hometown of the country music supergroup Alabama.
Check out these articles featuring places of interest near Fort Payne:
- A hiker’s guide to DeSoto State Park’s best trails
- Collinsville: The small town with the big vintage vibe
- Little River Canyon: A first-time visitor’s sightseeing guide
See also ...