Wood Avenue Historic District

Last updated
Wood Avenue Historic District
FRONT VIEW. - Lambeth House, 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, Lauderdale County, AL HABS ALA,39-FLO,4-1.tif
The Lambeth House, pictured in a 1930s HABS photo
USA Alabama location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationN. Wood Ave. roughly bounded by Tuscaloosa and Hawthorne Sts.; also roughly along E. Hawthorne, Meridian and Kendrick Sts.; also roughly along Kendrick Ave. and 633 Hermitage Dr., Florence, Alabama
Coordinates 34°48′26″N87°40′37″W / 34.80722°N 87.67694°W / 34.80722; -87.67694 Coordinates: 34°48′26″N87°40′37″W / 34.80722°N 87.67694°W / 34.80722; -87.67694
Area50 acres (20 ha)
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival
NRHP reference # 78000493 [1]  (original)
96000020  (increase 1)
97000656  (increase 2)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 10, 1978
Boundary increasesFebruary 16, 1996
July 3, 1997
Designated ARLHMay 9, 1978 [2]

The Wood Avenue Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. The residential neighborhood was primarily developed after Reconstruction, although five houses date from before the Civil War. By the time of Florence's economic boom of the 1880s, the most fashionable upper-class neighborhood in Florence, today known as the Sannoner Historic District, had already been filled in, leading development to move to Wood Avenue to the west. Most homes built during this time were large, Victorian structures, including many elaborate examples of Queen Anne architecture.

Historic districts in the United States group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated as historically or architecturally significant

Historic districts in the United States are designated historic districts recognizing a group of buildings, properties, or sites by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided into two categories, contributing and non-contributing. Districts greatly vary in size: some have hundreds of structures, while others have just a few.

Florence, Alabama City in Alabama, United States

Florence is a city in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwest corner.

American Civil War Internal war in the U.S. over slavery

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865, between the North and the South. The Civil War began primarily as a result of the long-standing controversy over the enslavement of black people. War broke out in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina shortly after Abraham Lincoln had been inaugurated as the President of the United States. The loyalists of the Union in the North, which also included some geographically western and southern states, proclaimed support for the Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States in the South, who advocated for states' rights in order to uphold slavery.

As the economy slowed in the 1910s, more modest homes were constructed, primarily bungalows. Although they now make up nearly half of the buildings in the district, the first bungalow in the area, the Wade-Ware House, met resistance from neighbors when it was built in 1916, arguing that its style was not up to the standards of the neighborhood. After the completion of Wilson Dam in 1926, Florence's economy quickened once more and larger homes began to be built in the district. Houses of this era tended to be Georgian Revival in style, although other revival styles, such as Spanish Colonial and Tudor are represented. As the neighborhood filled in, the focus of development shifted to the north and west, including in the Walnut Street Historic District. [3]

Bungalow Type of building, originally developed in the Bengal region in South Asia, but now found throughout the world

A bungalow is a type of building, originally developed in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. The meaning of the word bungalow varies internationally. Common features of many bungalows include verandas and being low-rise. In Australia, the California bungalow associated with the United States was popular after the First World War. In North America and the United Kingdom, a bungalow today is a dwelling, normally detached, that may contain a small loft. It is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof, usually with dormer windows.

Wilson Dam dam in Shoals Area, Alabama

Wilson Dam is a dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Colbert County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It impounds Wilson Lake. It is one of nine Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams on the Tennessee River. The dam was declared a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966.

The Spanish Colonial Revival Style is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

The district was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. [2] Its boundaries were increased in 1996 and 1997. [1]

The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These properties, which may be of national, state, and local significance, are designated by the Alabama Historical Commission. The designation is honorary and carries no direct restrictions or incentives. The register includes properties such as cemeteries, churches, moved properties, reconstructed properties, and properties at least 40 years old which may not normally qualify for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. There are approximately 1421 properties and districts listed on the Alabama Register. Of these, approximately 196 are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and 5 are designated as National Historic Landmarks.

National Register of Historic Places Federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.

Related Research Articles

Irving Park, Chicago Community area in Chicago

Irving Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located on the Northwest Side. It is bounded by the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north, west of Pulaski Road stretching to encompass the region between Belmont Avenue on the south and, roughly, Leland Avenue on the north. It is named after the American author Washington Irving.

Ghent (Norfolk) United States historic place

The Ghent District includes the various Ghent neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia. Its boundaries are roughly Brambleton Avenue/The Hague on the south, the Elizabeth River on west, Monticello Avenue on the east and the railroad crossing immediately north of 22nd Street. The area continues to spread eastward with newer developments. The main north/south thoroughfares are Hampton Boulevard, Colley Avenue, Colonial Avenue, Llewellyn Avenue, Granby Street, and Monticello Avenue. The main east/west thoroughfares are Olney Road, Princess Anne Road, and 21st Street. Brambleton Avenue acts as a connector from Ghent to Downtown and crosses the southern tip of Ghent briefly.

Kenwood Historic District (St. Petersburg, Florida) United States historic place

The Kenwood Historic District is a U.S. historic district located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The district was designated on August 4, 2003 and is located immediately west of downtown, bounded by 9th Avenue North, 1st Avenue North, 19th Street North and 34th Street North. It contains 2,203 historic buildings, and Grand Central adjoins the district at its southern boundary.

Minne Lusa United States historic place

The Minne Lusa Residential Historic District is located in North Omaha, Nebraska. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the National Park Service, it is an "example of a substantial, affordable single-family residential development within the city limits that was platted, developed and constructed by a single firm between 1915 and 1941." The neighborhood is filled with bungalows, Craftsman, and other styles that were popular in the era. There are 540 properties in the neighborhood that contribute to the historic district, the other 167 do not. Minne Lusa Boulevard is a contributing structure.

Arden Park–East Boston Historic District United States historic place

The Arden Park–East Boston Historic District is a neighborhood in the City of Detroit, Michigan, bounded on the west by Woodward Avenue, on the north by East Boston Boulevard, on the east by Oakland Avenue, and on the south by Arden Park Boulevard. The area is immediately adjacent to the larger Boston-Edison Historic District, on the opposite side of Woodward Avenue, and is in close proximity to Atkinson Avenue. There are 92 homes in the district, all on East Boston and Arden Park Boulevards. Arden Park Boulevard and East Boston Boulevard feature prominent grassy medians with richly planted trees and flowers. The setbacks of the homes are deep, with oversized lots. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Prospect Hill, New Haven

Prospect Hill is a neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut located in the north central portion of the city, directly north of Downtown New Haven. The neighborhood contains residences, institutional buildings of Albertus Magnus University and a portion of the main campus of Yale University, including the Science Hill area, the Hillhouse Avenue area and the Yale Peabody Museum. The City of New Haven defines the neighborhood to be the region bounded by the town of Hamden in the north, Winchester Avenue in the west, Munson Street/Hillside Place/Prospect Street in the southwest, Trumbull Street in the south, and Whitney Avenue in the east. Prospect Street is the main thoroughfare through the neighborhood.

Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District United States historic place

The Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District is located adjacent to Drake Park near the historic downtown area in Bend, Oregon, United States. Because of the unique and varied architecture in the Drake Park neighborhood and its close association with the early development of the city of Bend, the area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena, California United States historic place

Bungalow Heaven is a neighborhood in Pasadena, California named for the more than 800 small craftsman homes built there from 1900 to 1930, most of which still stand. Much of the area became a landmark district in 1989 and annual historic home tours have been conducted in Bungalow Heaven every year since then.

Highland Heights–Stevens Subdivision Historic District United States historic place

Highland Heights–Stevens' Subdivision Historic District is a residential historic district located in Highland Park, Michigan along five east-west streets: Farrand Park, McLean Street, Colorado Street, Rhode Island Street, and Massachusetts Street, between Woodward Avenue on the west and Oakland Avenue on the east. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Medburys–Grove Lawn Subdivisions Historic District United States historic place

The Medbury's–Grove Lawn Subdivisions Historic District is a residential historic district located in Highland Park, Michigan. It runs along three east-west streets: Eason Street, Moss Street, and Putitan Street, from Hamilton Avenue on the west to Woodward Avenue on the east. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Catlin Wilson House United States historic place

The Catlin Wilson House, also known as the Murphy Dunlap House, is a historic Greek Revival style house in Eutaw, Alabama, United States. The one-story wood framed building was built in 1844. A pedimented front portico with four Doric columns covers the three central bays of the front facade. The house was recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936. It was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on November 5, 1976. It was subsequently added to the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Antebellum Homes in Eutaw Thematic Resource on April 2, 1982, due to its architectural significance.

College Hill Historic District (Scottsboro, Alabama) United States historic place

The College Hill Historic District is a historic district in Scottsboro, Alabama. The neighborhood was the first subdivision to be platted in Scottsboro. The area takes its name from the Scott Male and Female Academy, which was built in 1878. The site has been occupied by schools since; the present building was constructed in the 1930s and currently houses the administration offices of the Scottsboro Board of Education. The district contains 14 houses, 10 of which were built between 1890 and 1929, three in the 1930s, and one in the 1970s. The earlier houses are primarily Vernacular styles, although the later construction includes Bungalow and English Cottage-style houses popular at the time. The district was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1982 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

College Place Historic District United States historic place

The College Place Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. The area was the site of a Confederate fortification during the Civil War. In 1882 the land was purchased by Judge J. J. Mitchell and used as pasture land; Mitchell's house sits on Wood Avenue to the east of the district. The property began to be sold off in the 1900s, with the oldest house in the district dating to 1907. Construction in the district accelerated in the mid- to late-1920s, with many professionals including physicians, merchants, scientists, and attorneys building homes in the neighborhood. Styles represented include Mission Revival, Georgian Revival, and bungalows. The district rises on a slight slope above the campus of the University of North Alabama, and has vistas of the campus including Wesleyan Hall. The district was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1992 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1995; the boundaries were extended in 1998.

Locust Street Historic District (Florence, Alabama) United States historic place

The Locust Street Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. Situated to the northwest of downtown, the residential neighborhood began to develop during Florence's manufacturing-fueled economic boom of the late 1880s. Several large Victorian houses were built in the area around Thimbleton which was built before Tuscaloosa St.. was laid out in the design of Florence by Sannoner. In deference to Thimbleton, Tuscaloosa St. has less width than the other streets. Renowned historical architect, Harvey Jones described Thimbleton as having 3 well done restorations, the original structure being built between 1820-1825 with Federalist Architecture, facing Pine St..The last restoration was late 1800's with French Second Empire Period Architecture, adding 2 rooms, attaching the kitchen, and changing the mansion to face Tuscsloosa St. Other smaller Victorian cottages were also built, many by middle-class residents who moved to Florence looking for work or to take advantage of the city's schools.

Sannoner Historic District United States historic place

The Sannoner Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. The district lies between downtown Florence and the University of North Alabama and is named for Ferdinand Sannoner, who surveyed the new town in 1818. In the first half of the 19th century, many wealthy merchants, planters, and lawyers built their homes in the neighborhood. Wakefield, believed to be the first brick house in Florence, was built in 1825 in Federal style by an operator of a brick yard. Governors Edward A. O'Neal and Emmet O'Neal, as well as the son of Governor Hugh McVay all made their homes in the district. Emmet O'Neal's house, Courtview, is the centerpiece of the district; the Greek Revival mansion is situated on a hill at the end of Court Street.

Seminary–ONeal Historic District United States historic place

The Seminary–O'Neal Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. The district runs along parts of North Seminary Street and East Irvine Avenue near the University of North Alabama campus. The 12 contributing properties are Vernacular cottages, bungalows, and Sears Roebuck-sourced American Foursquares. These were the styles most common in middle-class homes between 1908 and 1943, when Florence underwent a period of large growth driven by manufacturing and, later, the Tennessee Valley Authority. The two Foursquares, built in 1908 and 1926, sit next to each other on Seminary Street. The remaining structures on Seminary are bungalows. The three cottages, two of brick and one of wood, and one bungalow line Irving Avenue. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Walnut Street Historic District (Florence, Alabama) United States historic place

The Walnut Street Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. Development of the neighborhood began in earnest in the 1890s, although the oldest house in the district dates from 1870. Florence's first economic boom after the Civil War began in the 1880s, and the newly minted upper-middle class began building homes to the east of older residential sections, such as Wood Avenue and the Sannoner District. The economy cooled in the 1900s and 1910s, only to pick up again in the 1920s with the construction of Wilson Dam and several textile mills.

Tracy Park Historic District United States historic place

Tracy Park is a historic neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a relatively small neighborhood consisting primarily of single-family houses that were built in the Riverview Addition during the early 1920s. The Tracy Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1982 with the NRIS number 820003707. The district is bounded on the north by 11th Street, on the east by Peoria Avenue, and on the south and west by the Inner Dispersal Loop. It was the first area in Tulsa to be nominated as a district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Center Avenue Neighborhood Residential District United States historic place

The Center Avenue Neighborhood Residential District is a residential historic district located in Bay City, Michigan, running primarily along Center, Fifth, and Sixth Avenues between Monroe and Green Avenues, with additional portions of the district along Fourth between Madison and Johnson, down to Tenth Avenue between Madison and Lincoln, along Green to Ridge, and around Carroll Park. The original section, along Center and portions of Fifth and Sixth, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. A boundary increase including the other sections of the neighborhood was listed in 2012.

Lincoln Park Historic District (Pomona, California) United States historic place

The Lincoln Park Historic District in Pomona, California is a 45-block, 230-acre residential neighborhood. The district consists of 821 structures—primarily single family homes built between the 1890's through the 1940's—featuring a wide variety of architectural styles from late Victorian and National Folk homes, Craftsman and Craftsman-influenced homes, and a wide variety of late 19th and 20th Century Revival architectural styles including Colonial, Mission/Spanish, Tudor and Classical Revival.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "The Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". preserveala.org. Alabama Historical Commission. June 13, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  3. Warren, Billy Ray; Trina Binkley; W. Warner Floyd (January 15, 1997). "Wood Avenue Historic District (2nd Boundary Expansion)". National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.See also: "Accompanying photos". Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.