National Register of Historic Places

Bank Street Historic District

Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama
Listed
March 26, 1980
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80000731

About this property

The Bank Street–Old Decatur Historic District is a historic district in Decatur, Alabama. The district encompasses the original commercial and residential portion of Decatur along the Tennessee River. In 1832, Decatur was selected over the larger Huntsville as the site of the northern branch of the state bank. Bank Street became the commercial hub of the town, as it was the only place in the Tennessee Valley were riverboat, wagon, and rail transportation converged. Due to its strategic location, the town suffered heavy damage in the Civil War; the Todd House on Lafayette Street is one of only four buildings in Decatur to survive the war (the others being the Old State Bank, the Rhea-McEntire House, and the Dancy-Polk House, all outside the district). As the town was rebuilding from the war, a fire in 1877 destroyed most of the buildings along Bank Street. The rebuilt structures were all of brick, and represent Italianate, Victorian, and Commercial styles popular from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. Houses in the district are primarily modest, and styles include vernacular Victorian, Shingle-style, and Craftsman bungalows. The portion along Bank Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, while the remainder, including all of the residential portion, was added to the district in 1985.

Location

Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama
34.61140, -86.98519

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Bank Street Historic District

This page lists Bank Street Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Bank Street-Old Decatur Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.1 mi
Southern Railway Depot
Industrial
0.2 mi
Dancy, Col. Francis, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
State Bank Building, Decatur Branch
Industrial
0.2 mi
New Decatur-Albany Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bank Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Bank Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Bank Street Historic District?

Bank Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bank Street Historic District?

The period of significance for Bank Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Bank Street Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bank Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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