History Outreach
Program for Educators
(HOPE)

Local History Education Resources provided by the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society
Introduction Early Statehood Civil War Women African-Americans Native Americans Places Books

Historic Places of Madison County

The People Who Lived On The Land That Is Now Called Redstone Arsenal by Beverly S. Curry, 2005. (full text pdf)

Madison County's Historic Buildings - Access the Huntsville History Collection's resources about the Twickenham, Five Points, Old Town, Merrimack Village, and Madison Station Historic Districts, as well as other historic locations.

Harvie Jones Architectural Collection - Harvie Jones was a Huntsville architect who was fundamental in the preservation and restoration of some of our most historical homes. This collection provides resources about Jones' research and the structures he studied.

Harrison Brothers Hardware - "Harrison Brothers, located on South Side Square in Huntsville, is the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. Founded in 1879 by brothers James and Daniel Harrison as a tobacco store on Jefferson Street, the business was moved to its present location in 1897." It is maintained by the Historic Huntsville Foundation.

Weeden House Museum - "The Weeden House Museum, located at 300 Gates Avenue, Huntsville, Alabama is home to the artwork of Maria Howard Weeden and currently houses many of her works in the museum collection." It "is now owned by the City of Huntsville and is leased by the Twickenham Historic Preservation District Association and maintained as a 19th Century house museum."

Burritt on the Mountain - This museum, situated on Round Top Mountain with a view of downtown Huntsville, sits on 167 acres of land with 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to the Land Trust and Monte Sano State Park. The museum features Dr. William Henry Burritt's eclectic 1938 mansion, open daily for tours and exhibits, and a historic park with six 19th century houses relocated from across the Tennessee Valley. The historic park includes a blacksmith shop and barnyard as well as a historic church that hosts plays and events throughout the year.

Alabama Constitution Village - "Forty-four delegates of the constitutional convention gathered here in a vacant cabinet shop on July 5, 1819, to organize Alabama as the 22nd state. John Boardman's print shop, Clement Comer Clay's law office, the Federal Land Surveyor's office, a post office and sheriff Stephen Neal's residence surround that cabinet shop."

Huntsville Depot & Museum - "Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Depot served as the local passenger house & the corporate offices for the eastern division of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. An active passenger station until 1968, the original depot building now stands as a symbol of Huntsville's transportation history and city growth."

North Alabama Railroad Museum - The center piece of this museum with over 30 railroad cars is the Chase Depot, the smallest union depot in the country since it served more than one railroad when in service. If you visit the museum on a day when the train is running, you can ride a vintage train over the museum's own Mercury & Chase Railroad.

Earlyworks Children's History Museum - "The South's largest hands-on history museum" provides a number of history-related activities for children.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center - "Home to Space Camp, Aviation Challenge and X-Camp; The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is recognized as one of the most comprehensive U.S. manned space flight hardware museums in the world."