Old Shelby County Courthouse

Last updated
Columbiana City Hall
OldShelbyCountyCourthouse.jpg
LocationMain St., Columbiana, Alabama
Coordinates 33°10′38″N86°36′26″W / 33.17722°N 86.60722°W / 33.17722; -86.60722 Coordinates: 33°10′38″N86°36′26″W / 33.17722°N 86.60722°W / 33.17722; -86.60722
Built1854
ArchitectMcCan & Williamson
NRHP reference # 74000437 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 29, 1974
Designated ARLHJanuary 25, 2011

The Old Shelby County Courthouse, also known as Columbiana City Hall, is a defunct courthouse in Columbiana, Alabama. It was built in 1854. It served as the courthouse for Shelby County until 1906 when a larger court facility was built. It also served as Columbiana's city hall. Since 1982, it has housed the Shelby County Museum and Archives and its operator, the Shelby County Historical Society. [2]

Columbiana, Alabama City in Alabama, United States

Columbiana is a city and the county seat of Shelby County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 4,197.

Shelby County, Alabama County in the United States

Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census the population was 195,085. The county seat is Columbiana. The county is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky from 1792 to 1796 and again from 1812 to 1816.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1974. [1] It was subsequently listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on January 25, 2011. [3]

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 preserving the property.

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.

Shelby County Courthouse Historical Marker Shelby County Courthouse.png
Shelby County Courthouse Historical Marker


In 1826, Columbiana, Alabama won an election against Montevallo, Alabama to house the courthouse. The people of Columbiana threw a huge celebration which involved the destruction of a tree sitting in the very spot they planned to move and build the courthouse. To destroy the tree, gunpowder was packed into holes that had been drilled into the tree. Once ignited, the blast was said to have been heard for miles. The wood building which was built following this celebration no longer stands and was replaced with the Old Shelby County Courthouse in 1854. [4]

Montevallo, Alabama City in Alabama, United States

Montevallo is a city in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. A college town, it is the home of the University of Montevallo, a public liberal arts university with approximately 3,000 students. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city of Montevallo is 6,323. Dr. Hollie Campbell Cost, a professor in the College of Education at the University of Montevallo, serves as Mayor.

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. "History". Shelby County Tourism. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  3. "The Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". preserveala.org. Alabama Historical Commission. September 17, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  4. The Heritage of Shelby County, Alabama. Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc. 1999. p. 9. ISBN   1891647210.

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