The Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center Has a Very Unique Feature

The Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center is one of the best of the Alabama small museums as it offers something very unique.

In fact, the local family history research that they offer is something that smaller town museums should all offer.

Located in Scottsboro Alabama, it helps to tell not only the history of the town, it also helps to tell the story of Jackson County and its rich history.

It major objectives are to show its visitors the story of the early settlers in the area, that include both Native Americans as well as the Pioneers.

It is located at 208 South Houston Street and is open daily Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 4:00 PM.

The Exhibits at the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center

The Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center In Scottsboro Alabama

The exhibits as well as the information that is so unique about this museum will show visitors the local history, traditions, customs, as well as the local art of the county.

While there are technically three major exhibits with this unique museum, it is best served to highlight all of it features.

They include the following

The Brown-Proctor House
The Sage Town Pioneer Village
The Little Courthouse
The Museum and the Local Art Exhibits
The Library of History

The Brown-Proctor House

The first major exhibit at the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center is the location where it is centered, the Brown-Proctor House.

Built in the year 1881 by John Brown, it was purchased by General John Coffey in the year 1884 for his daughter Sarah and her husband, Charles Brown.

In the year 1991, it was bought by Mr. John Proctor, who made numerous and very extensive renovations on the house.

The combination of these owners’ names is how the name Brown-Proctor came about.

Mr. Proctor was an attorney who also served in the Alabama House of representative, as well as the State Senate.

He was the court appointed attorney in what is known as the biggest trial in the county’s history, the Scottsdale Trials.

He was the lawyer for the defendants in their first trial in the year 1931, and he and his family lived in this famous home until the 1980’s.

This beautiful home is a two-story home that is masonry and is fronted by a gorgeous two-story portico.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the year 1982.

One year prior to this listing, the Jackson County Historical Association as well as several members of the community, convinced the city to buy the property.

After a couple of years of restorations, it officially opened in 1985 as the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center.

The Sage Town Pioneer Village

The next exhibit at the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center is the Sage Town Pioneer Village.

It is made up of houses that will show the visitor what life was like in a typical North Alabama pioneer village.

It includes several log homes, a schoolhouse, as well as blacksmith shop.

It tells you the history of how Jackson County was established on December 13, 1819, and the growth of the towns in the county.

It all shows the history of the Memphis-Charleston railroad and its construction in the area, as well as the role Jackson County played in the Civil War.

The Little Courthouse

The Little Courthouse is the next exhibit, and it served as the Jackson County Courthouse from 1868 until 1871.

This exhibit will walk the visitor through the various “battles” that were taking place to achieve the distinction of serving as the county seat.

The Sage Town Pioneer Village At The Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center

The Museum

The Museum, located in the Brown-Proctor House, helps to show how Jackson County evolved, and it starts with the Native Americans.

It goes back over thousands of years, and there are several artifacts on display that show this history.

It details the various tribes that lived in this area, and how they first came into contact with white men.

It then shows the history of the early settlers and goes through the founding of Jackson County in 1819.

The museum also has exhibits that help to promote local artists.

Some of these events include the Heritage Center School Art Show, which is a neat event that showcases student art from all age groups in the area.

Other events include the Celebrating Ladies Exhibit and the Christmas Open House.

The Library of History

The last feature at the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center is not really an exhibit but is one of the neatest features offered at the museum.

The museum also acts as a library that includes archives, local history, as well as genealogy.

It contains public records that go all the way back to the 1820’s and includes numerous different categories.

These include records of Chattel Mortgages, The Commissioner’s Court, the Circuit Court, as well as the Orphan’s Court.

It also contains a very large number of area and family histories and allows for research to be done during normal business hours.

This very unique addition makes this one of the best of the Alabama smaller museums.

References

http://www.sjhc.us/index.html

The Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center Has a Very Unique Feature

The Exhibits at the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center

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