Demolished buildings, abandoned communities, lost landmarks.
Long before downtown Florence became the center of business activity that we know today, much of the commerce of the young town took place below the bluff, along the Tennessee River. And it wasn’t limited to the Florence side. During…
What many locals refer to as Sheffield, Alabama’s Spring Creek Lighthouse is actually a Malaria Control base that was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority to combat the malaria outbreak plaguing 30 percent of the nearby population in the mid-late…
Notice in the above 1863 map shows a “South Florence” in Colbert County across the river from Florence. Also, below in an 1896 map of Colbert County, there is a “South Florence” on the other side of the river near the current TVA Nature…
Thousands of people in Florence cross Cypress Creek every day. Its name appears on road signs, maps, businesses and neighborhoods throughout the city. If you’re from Florence, you’ve heard of it, but more than two centuries ago, the creek was…
John A. Pruitt John A. Pruitt began a fascination with moving pictures during his time with the Woodmen of the World insurance fraternity. He bought the local Florence chapter a stereopticon, or what was often called a “magic lantern”. It…
Gravelly Springs, Alabama, near Waterloo, was the site of an extraordinary gathering during the final weeks of the Civil War. In the spring of 1865, Major General James Harrison Wilson assembled approximately 22,000 cavalrymen in the area between Gravelly Springs…
The Commercial Hotel was a historic building located in Florence, Alabama just a block from the courthouse. It had a rich history of over four decades and was an important landmark in the city. Opening for the first time in…
The Silver Moon Hotel in Florence, Alabama was built in 1890 by Jere McCluskey. The building was located where the current entrance to the downtown parking deck is on Tennessee Street. Room rates at the time were just $2 per day, and…
The Lauderdale Hotel was located approximately two and a half miles East of downtown Florence, Alabama, on a high hill with a commanding view of the Tennessee Valley. The hotel was built in 1889 and was one of the most…
The Sweetwater Opera House was an iconic landmark in the city of Florence, Alabama. Built by Thomas Hollingsworth in the late 1800s, the opera house stands as a testament to his success and entrepreneurial spirit. However, there is a dark…