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A Visit to the Past--In Mooresville, Alabama

© Martine G. Bates

Racing down Interstate spur I-565 between Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama, you’ll see high-tech businesses and industries, an actual space shuttle on display outside the Space and Rocket Center, and lots of other signs that this is a modern, progressive area. What you may not see—only a few feet away from the busy interstate—is a tiny town where time moves like molasses on a November day.

Mooresville, Alabama is the oldest incorporated town in the state of Alabama. Incorporated in 1818, it’s older than the state itself.

The one-square-mile town was the setting for the movie Tom Sawyer; its narrow streets and historic buildings from a long-ago time provided an authentic backdrop for Tom’s escapades. When you exit I-565, go south. The road ends in a few feet, and the town begins.

Start your tour on any of the three or four streets running north and south, then meander around. I’d advise parking and walking on a nice day, but there’s no traffic to speak of, so you can drive as slowly as you want without worrying about annoying the driver behind you.

Here’s what you’ll see. The streets are paved, but narrow. The houses mostly sit very near the street, like they do in some of the really upscale planned communities like Seaside, Florida. Modern planners have realized that this promotes a sense of community (you’re surprised, right?) and have started building houses much nearer the street. There are many styles of building here, from obviously new to really old.

I need to stop here and point out that really old in this area generally means post-Civil War, because so much was destroyed by Yankee marauders. To see buildings—several in one spot—that predate the War is unusual. Some of the buildings include the one-time home of President Andrew Johnson, built in 1825; the U.S. Post Office, built around 1840, and the Community Brick Church, completed in 1839 and currently undergoing some renovations.

There’s more here than just buildings, though. I’d make a stop just to see the trees. Huge, HUGE, trees. Magnolias with their big glossy leaves, big ol’ oaks, and cedars like you just don’t see anymore. And picket fences with graceful arches loaded with vines. Big-leaved English ivy trailing up walls and around trees. Even in February, the place is a wonderland of green. Can you imagine what it must be like in May?

Don’t wonder—this is 2001, right? Well, you’re in luck! Every May of odd-numbered years, the town hosts a walking tour.

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