NEW: 5 Alabama spots join National Register of Historic Places—in the Black Belt, Mobile + more

It seems that in every nook and cranny of Alabama, you can find spots rich with history. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) has recognized five new (old) spots to add to their list. Here’s where you can find them.

The 5 new (but historic) spots

To be added to the NRHP, a spot must be over 50+ years old and deserving of preservation efforts. These five spots in Alabama certainly fit the bill.

• Noojin House (326 Bellevue Drive, Gadsden)—According to the Alabama Historical Association, the gorgeous white Noojin House is built on the site of the old 100-room Bellevue Hotel on Lookout Mountain. Before being burned in 1912, the hotel was known as “The Cliff” by Confederate soldiers who would stay there. B. L. Noojin, owner of Noojin Supply Company, built the current home on the site. (Visit Paseur Park nearby for a great view of Gadsden.)

• Selma University (1501 Lapsley Street, Selma)—Selma University opened its doors on New Years Day in 1878. According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, this historically black college (HBCU) enrolled just four students its first year and met in the St. Phillips Street Baptist Church. Fast-forwarding to 2023, Selma University is a religious-focused university with six satellite campuses.

• Automobile Alley Boundary Increase (St. Louis Street, Mobile)—The name “Automobile Alley” was inspired by—you guessed it—cars. In the 1920s, Mobile developed St. Louis Street to be fit for the automobile revolution, with wide lanes and car dealerships. About 100 years later, it’s being revitalized and is even home to a cheese shop featured by Food & Wine.

• Campsite 3: The Gardner Farm (Lake Berry Road, Lowndes County)—One of the spots on the Selma to Montgomery trail, Campsite 3 was where marchers spent the night after their third day of travels on March 23, 1965, according to the National Park Service. Tuskegee Institute students provided dinner, and Robert Gardner’s farm provided a place to sleep.

• St. Paul Baptist Church and Armstrong School (14650 County Road 2, Tuskegee)—Not only has this site received attention from the NRHP, but also from Tuskegee University and the University of Pennsylvania. According to the Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites, “The wooden building located south of the St. Paul Baptist Church, now known as The Armstrong School, is the earliest known remaining one-room schoolhouse designed by Robert R. Taylor, the first known Black architecture school graduate, and built by a Tuskegee trained teacher from Macon County, John T. Hollis.”

Visit the new historic sites in Alabama

If you’re looking to take a step back in time, these five spots are a good place to start. Here’s where they’re located:

Want updates like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter today.