National Register of Historic Places

Roanoke Downtown Historic District

Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama
Listed
February 3, 1993
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85003683

About this property

The Roanoke Downtown Historic District is a historic district in Roanoke, Alabama. Roanoke was settled in the 1830s, but became a major agricultural trading center in East Alabama following the Civil War. The Central of Georgia Railway extended its line to the town in 1887, soon followed by the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway, and a large cotton warehouse was founded the same year. The commercial district began growing from this time, mostly with one-story brick structures, some of which carry influences from Romanesque Revival, Italianate, and Beaux-Arts details. The W. A. Handley Company built a textile mill in Roanoke in 1901, which would remain the major employer in the town until its closing in the early 1980s. The district consists of 68 contributing properties, covering about 18 acres (7 ha) around the intersection of six streets at the town's center. Although most buildings are one story, notable multi-story buildings include the two-story Bank Building, built in Beaux-Arts style around 1909 in a wedge-shaped lot in the center of the district, and the three-story First National Bank building, built in 1920 in Neoclassical style. Also notable are the Romanesque Old City Hall (1890), the Victorian Gothic First Baptist Church (1901), and the Art Moderne City Hall (1935). The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Location

Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama
33.15012, -85.37464

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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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

McCosh Grist Mill
Pre Contact
8.6 mi
Wadley Railroad Depot
Industrial
11.1 mi
Oliver, Ernest McCarty, House
Industrial
14.8 mi
New Hope Rosenwald School
Industrial
15.2 mi
Chambers County Courthouse Square Historic District
Listed
17.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Roanoke Downtown Historic District listed on the National Register?

Roanoke Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 3, 1993.

What type of historic resource is Roanoke Downtown Historic District?

Roanoke Downtown Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Roanoke Downtown Historic District?

The period of significance for Roanoke Downtown Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Roanoke Downtown Historic District?

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