In northeast Alabama, near Lookout Mountin, sits a church that was founded in 1907. Edna Hill Methodist Church served this rural congregation until the 1950s.
Edna Hill Methodist Church-DeKalb County, Alabama
Category Archives: -Alabama
International Style House-Gadsden, Alabama
Built in 1935, this international-style house is located near downtown Gadsden, Alabama. I don’t often see modern homes built from this time period in this part of the country. I believe this home was specifically built for someone because it does not look like any other home in the neighborhood. I love how the curves of the house and sidewalk complement the curve of the fence and roadway.
Colonel O. R. Hood House-Gadsden, Alabama
Built in 1904 for Colonel Oliver Roland Hood, the Classical Revival home was designed by architect James Crisman. There are also Victorian and American Foursquare elements. The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Congregation Beth Israel-Gadsden, Alabama
Congregation Beth Israel built their synagogue in 1922. This was 12 years after the congregation was founded in 1910. It was an active synagogue until 2010 when the doors were closed after decades of declining membership.
On March 25, 1960, the synagogue was firebombed by a Nazi sympathizer. Amazingly, only two people were injured, and it was the two men who ran out of the Temple to catch the perpetrator.
Horace King-The Master Bridge Builder
Horace King, 1807-1885, was considered the preeminent bridge builder in the South. It is believed he built over 100 bridges, most of them being in Alabama and Georgia. King was born into slavery in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. His enslaver, John Godwin, earned a bid to build a bridge over the Chattahoochee River. King moved with Godwin to Girard, Alabama, to begin the project.
In 1846, Godwin decided to no longer hold King in bondage. I have also read that King purchased his freedom. At this point, King’s services were in high demand to build bridges. He moved freely throughout the South. He is credited with building bridges at many points over the Chattahoochee River and other rivers. Outside of bridges, he built homes and warehouses. He also built the freestanding spiral staircase in the Alabama State Capitol.
In 1839, he married free woman, Frances Gould Thomas. They had four boys and one girl. For whatever reason, the grave markers for the four boys have the birthdate of 1844. Based on census records, which can be incorrect, I believe Washington King was born in 1840, Marshall in 1842, John in 1846, and George in 1850. All of the children were involved in the construction company that they called the King Brothers Bridge Company.
He also built homes. There is at least one surviving example in Opelika.
Oak Grove School and Church-Hale County, Alabama
The Oak Grove Church and School sit at the end of a dirt road in Prairieville, Alabama. The school was built in 1925 for the local Black community. Built as a two-teacher school at $3000, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.