Shirley Place, 512 MainAvenue, Northport
Houses and homes
Historic house museums
James Shirley (1809-1866), an early Northport pioneer settler from South Carolina, built the house of brick about 1840. Shirley also built the first brick commercial buildings in Northport in 1850, after a fire burned the entire district. One of the buildings is still standing and presently, in 2013, houses Kelley's 5- and 10-cent Store at 412 Main Avenue.
At the death of Shirley and his wife, the house became the property of William Lewis Christian, brother of James Shirley's wife. William L. Christian (1824-1899) operated a Northport hat factory which was burned by General John Croxton in April 1865. William L. Christian served in the Confederate Army and after the Civil War became a merchant. His descendants have continued serving Northport and Tuscaloosa County as leading merchants and outstanding citizens.
James Christian (1796-1852), father of William L. Christian, was a veteran of the War of 1812.
Many of the original doors, locks and fireplaces of the house are still in use. The bricks, which have never been painted, are slave-made and are unusually large in size. The house is a raised Creole cottage in the Greek Revival style with curving steps leading from the ground to the second floor. White Ionic columns support the roof and beams in the downstairs are are exposed, showing wood peg construction. In 1978, the home was owned and occupied by the George W. Christian family.
("Past Horizons," Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society, 1978)
Marvin Harper owned the house after the Christian family, and upon his death, the house became the property of the city of Northport and is maintained as a local attraction open for tours.
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Tuscaloosa News Archive
May 1, 2009
Betty Slowe (Description)
The Tuscaloosa News
Photograph
281
Northport (AL)
Adams Drug, Northport, circa 1950
Pharmacy
Adam's Drug Store was located on the west side of Main Avenue in Northport in what is, in 2014, the left side of Billy's Sports Bar. The store was owned by Carl Adams who hired a pharmacist. In the photo from left to right are Inez C. Shirley, Carl Adams, the pharmacist whose name is unknown, Ray Jenkins and Rev. John Rutland.
Personal Collection of Jimmy Glover
Circa 1950
Betty Slowe (Description)
Photograph
1116
Northport (AL)
Northport in Snow, 1948
Weather
Main Avenue in Northport is shown after a snowstorm on January 24, 1948. The eight-inch snowfall was said to the the heaviest since 1936. While there were three snow storms in 1940, they did not produce as much snow. After one, however, a reading of 10 degrees below zero was recorded on the official government thermometer at the Hargrove Van de Graaff Airport.
The temperature when the Jan. 24, 1948 snow fell was near zero.
The Yellow Front and A&P grocery stores on the west side of Main Avenue in Northport are shown in the photo.
Tuscaloosa News Archive
1948
Betty Slowe (Description)
Photograph
1117
Northport (AL)
Old Northport Train Depot, circa 1902
Railroad stations
This photo shows the old Northport Train Depot. It burned on Christmas Eve in 1923. Ninnie Cummins stands on the left with Richard Pearson on the right.
Friends of Historic Northport
Circa 1902
Betty Slowe (Description)
Photograph
1138
Northport (AL)