Africatown, AL places on Smithsonian Magazine’s 15 Best Small Towns to Visit
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Each year, Smithsonian Magazine compiles a list of the nation’s best small towns to visit. This year, Alabama’s own Africatown made the list. Read on to find out why.
About Africatown, AL
Africatown, located just outside of Mobile, is where the survivors of the last slave ship, Clotilda, settled in the late 1800s. To commemorate their story, the town is building the Africatown Heritage House, which will be a museum. There you’ll find the last pieces of Clotilda and other historical elements of Africatown.
Many of Africatown’s original founders are buried in the Old Plateau Cemetery and their descendants still live in the town. The town is also the birthplace of Union Missionary Baptist Church.
Smithsonian Magazine’s 15 Best Small Towns to Visit List
Smithsonian Magazine comprises this list to celebrate America’s small towns and this tradition has become one of its favorites. The cities they feature on the list have to reach certain qualifications.
Africatown made the list by meeting the magazine’s qualifications of:
- A population of less than 25,000
- A high volume of cultural offerings.
- A high volume of natural beauty.
Africatown’s rich history made it a natural for the list.
Learn more about Africatown with these stories:
- Clotilda is now a part of National Register of Historic Places—why it matters
- Research and Construction Underway for Historic Africatown Site
- Clotilda shipwreck exploration reveals charred timbers and other artifacts—details here
Other towns on the list
Other towns on the list include:
Will another Alabama small town make the list?
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