Mooresville Was the First Town in the State of Alabama

The town of Mooresville Alabama is the oldest town by date in the entire state and it is also one of the most interesting for one very unusual reason.

The size: its entire population as of the year 2019 is a whopping 59 people.

Moorseville Alabama Post Office

It was also the first town to be incorporated by the Alabama Territorial Legislature, on November 16, 1818.

The History of Mooresville

The Entrance to The Town of Moorseville

It also has one other very unique characteristic; the entire town is in the National Register of Historic places.

Mooresville was also one of the state’s most important as well as most intact villages.

Going to this small and historic southern town is like stepping back into time.

Located in Limestone County, it is located southeast of the intersections of Interstate 565 and 65, just north of Wheeler Lake and is about 7 miles just northeast of Decatur.

The town is part of the Huntsville-Decatur combined statistical area, but that does not change its whooping population of 59.

Even though the town has a per-capital income that exceeds $50,000, it is within the area that is covered by the charter of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Mooresville also has a very distinctive achievement; it was the primary location for Walt Disney’s Tom and Huck Movie in 1995.

It was named for its early settlers, Robert and William Moore, who located on land which later became the site of the town of Mooresville.

However, the distinctions of this small town are still not finished, as the 17^th President of the United States lived there.

He trained as an apprentice tailor when he was young, before he moved on in life.

It also has some history with the Civil War, as the Union Army occupied it several times.

The Maim Intersection in Moorseville Alabama

The Main Intersection in Mooresville

However, while there were some small skirmishes near the town, there was never any real activity in the town.

There was another U. S. President that has some history with Mooresville, as a future U.S President James Garfield camped in the area.

He was a General in the Union Army, and he actually delivered a sermon at the Mooresville Church of Christ in 1863.

The town thrived as a cotton farming hub in the early 20^th century, until disaster hit the area.

The entire immediate area was hit with a boll weevil infestation that basically ruined the entire cotton industry.

There is yet another very interesting fact about Mooresville; the residents of the town maintain and own most of the older public buildings.

The Historic Sites in Mooresville

The Historic Post Office in Moorseville Alabama

There are four major historic buildings in the town, and they include the following.

The Stagecoach Inn and Tavern
The Mooresville Post Office
The Brick Church
The Church of Christ

The Stagecoach Inn and Tavern was one of the first structures in the town, and it was built in the year 1820.

It is a served as both an Inn as well as a Post Office in the early days.

It has been documented by the Historic America Building Survey in the 1930’s, and it went under extensive restorations in the 1990’s.

The Mooresville Post Office is perhaps the most historic of the buildings, and it is located at the corner of Lauderdale and High Street.

It is the oldest operating post office in the State of Alabama.

Built in 1840, it actually had call boxes that dated before the Civil War

Some of the office furnishings at the building as well the calls boxes were actually located in the Stagecoach Inn and Tavern.

These call boxes have also been owned by the same families since before the Civil War.

The Brick Church is a Greek revival style Church that was built by handmade bricks.

These bricks are unusually symmetrical to be handmade, they are made that good.

When it was first built, it was a Presbyterian church and also later served as a Methodist church.

It has also served as a Baptist mission.

The Church of Christ is a white clapboard structure that was originally a meeting house for the Disciples of Christ.

There was an addition made where a rear wing and entry were added in the year 1937.

It is often referred to as the “Williamsburg” of Alabama, referencing to the Williamsburg of Virginia.

If you want a nice and quaint setting to visit, Mooresville is a must see on your list of Alabama backroads day trips.

References

http://www.mooresvilleal.com/

Mooresville Was the First Town in the State of Alabama

The History of Mooresville

The Historic Sites in Mooresville

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