Huntsville Overview
Before and during the Civil War, Huntsville was a centre for railroad and river-based trade and commerce. The Tennessee River remains a favorite local spot for summertime fun. Even now, we boast one of the nation’s oldest existing railroad depots where Civil War-era graffiti still marks the walls from the Confederate soldiers who were held captive there.
Unlike many Southern communities during the Civil War, Huntsville’s buildings were mostly spared from destruction – leaving the Rocket City with one of the largest concentrations of antebellum homes in the South. The heart of this historic area is called Twickenham – a nod to the city’s original name given by wealthy landowner and capitalist, LeRoy Pope.
Over time, Huntsville was inhabited by wealthy cotton growers and land speculators in search of frontier property. The growing town turned toward textile manufacturing, establishing several mills that helped organize the town into distinct districts that still exist today as local landmarks of industry and creativity.
In the middle of the 20th century, the bustling town became a critical support line for the U.S. Army before helping to launch the Space Race with the establishment of NASA and the Marshall Space Flight Center. Space exploration is celebrated across all of Huntsville – It is known as “Rocket City USA” after all – but it’s especially celebrated at Alabama’s most popular attraction, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.