Downtown Florence Historic District, Florence

Name: Downtown Florence Historic District
Address: Florence, United States

#31 among attractions in Florence

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Facts and practical information

The Florence Downtown Historic District is a historic district in Florence, Alabama. Florence was founded in 1818 by the Cypress Land Company, who counted among its trustees Creek War General John Coffee, future Governor of Alabama Thomas Bibb, early Huntsville settler LeRoy Pope, and future United States Senator and Supreme Court Justice John McKinley. The company hired Italian surveyor Ferdinand Sannoner, who divided the land into over 400 lots and named the town after Florence, Italy. The first Lauderdale County Courthouse was completed in 1822, and the oldest extant building in the district, the Gothic Revival First Presbyterian Church, was completed two years later. Most of the early buildings was destroyed by a fire in 1866. Development resumed in earnest in the 1880s as Florence's industrial economy developed with the addition of several cotton mills, and the Florence Wagon Works, among others. Other booms occurred in the 1920s with the construction of Wilson Dam, the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s, and during World War II as metals and chemical plants were drawn to the area. ()

Coordinates: 34°47'60"N, 87°40'31"W

Address

Florence United States

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Day trips

Downtown Florence Historic District – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Rosenbaum House, Rogers Department Store, UNA Health Services, Shoals Community Theatre.

0.6 miSW
Museum, Historical place, History museum
Rosenbaum House, Florence
15 min walk • The Rosenbaum House is a single-family house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum in Florence, Alabama. A noted example of his Usonian house concept, it is the only Wright building in Alabama, and is one of only 26 pre-World War II Usonian houses.
~510 ftNW
Shopping, Department store
Rogers Department Store, Florence
3 min walk • Rogers Department Store was a department store chain based in Florence, Alabama. Founded in 1894, the company grew to include locations across the Tennessee Valley. The original building, constructed in 1910, was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1994 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
0.8 miNW
Observatories and planetariums
UNA Health Services, Florence
20 min walk • UNA Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of North Alabama. It is located in Florence, Alabama. It has 2 telescopes, a Celestron 0.35 m Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope. The UNA Planetarium is a 65-seat planetarium with a Spitz A3P projector and East Cost Control Systems controller.
~440 ftN
34°48'4"N • 87°40'31"W
Shoals Community Theatre, Florence
3 min walk • Concerts and shows, Non-profit, Music venue
0.6 miN
Gothic Revival architecture
Wesleyan Hall, Florence
17 min walk • Wesleyan Hall, constructed in 1856, is one of the oldest structures on the University of North Alabama campus, located in Florence, Alabama.
~1170 ftN
Park
Wilson Park, Florence
6 min walk • The Wilson Park Houses are a group of three historic homes in Florence, Alabama. Built as upper-class residences between 1890 and 1918, the houses are adjacent to Wilson Park, laid out as a public space upon the city's founding and later renamed for President Woodrow Wilson.
~1220 ftNW
34°48'10"N • 87°40'40"W
First Fridays Downtown Florence, Florence
6 min walk • Concerts and shows, City hall
0.6 miNW
Zoo
George H. Carroll Lion Habitat, Florence
15 min walk • The George H. Carroll Lion Habitat is a 12,764-square-foot, climate-controlled facility located on the campus the University of North Alabama that houses the only live lion mascot in the United States, Leo III.
~1460 ftS
Museum
George Coulter House, Florence
8 min walk • The George Coulter House is a historic house located at 420 South Pine Street in Florence, Alabama.
0.5 miNW
34°48'20"N • 87°40'50"W
Norton Auditorium, Florence
13 min walk • Concerts and shows, Concert hall, Theater
~1420 ftNW
34°48'9"N • 87°40'44"W
Trinity Episcopal Church Florence, Florence
7 min walk • Church

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which popular attractions are close to Downtown Florence Historic District?

Nearby attractions include Shoals Community Theatre, Florence (3 min walk), Wilson Park, Florence (6 min walk), First Fridays Downtown Florence, Florence (6 min walk), Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Florence (7 min walk).