Mobile AL Historic District
The Church Street District is a Mobile AL Historic District of residential and commercial real estate in Mobile, Alabama. It covers more than 1400 acres and more than 80 vintage buildings are found within its borders. The district contains parts of Mobile’s 19th-century downtown, featuring museum, residential, government, and commercial structures.
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The building styles cover the gamut of colonial America: Greek Revival, Renaissance Revival, Victorian, Italianate, and Federal. There are many notable buildings within the District that not only were essential in the development and growth of Mobile, but also are integral today to the fabric of Mobile society.
Government Street Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Greek Revival church buildings n the country. It is also one of the least-altered and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.
Bishop Portier House is a historic residence owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. A Creole cottage with gable roofing and slender columns, it is one of the city’s best surviving examples of Creole architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 1970.
Christ Church Cathedral was established in 1823 as the first Episcopal congregation in Mobile and the first in Alabama. It features thick columns and stained glass windows.
Church Street Graveyard was acquired by the City of Mobile in 1820 and is the burial site of Joe Cain and Julian Lee Rayford, instrumental figures in the history of Mardi Gras. It is also reputed to be haunted and is a popular place for “ghost-hunting”.
Big Zion AME Zion Church is the oldest black church in Mobile. Organized in 1842, it was originally named Little Zion before it was expansively remodeled in 1896 and when it acquired its present name of Big Zion.
First Baptist Church Mobile was established in 1835 with thirty-two original members, several of whom were slaves. In fact, a black slave woman was the first person baptized into the church. For a short while, it was one of the few integrated churches in Mobile before adhering to the times and segregating.
Barton Academy has the distinction of being the first public school in Alabama, built in 1836. It is a historic Greek Revival building that served as a school until the 1960s when it became the main office for the Mobile County Public School System. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in February 1970.
Ketchum House was built in 1860 and has been owned by the Catholic Church since 1906 as home to the Bishop of Mobile. It is a prime example of the Italianate style of residential architecture.
Mobile Public Library was built in 1928 as the Ben Bay Main Library. An additional building, the Davis Avenue Branch, was built in 1931 to accommodate African-Americans due to segregation. It became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 1971.
City Hall and Southern Market Building is an Italianate style building constructed in 1857 and currently houses the Museum of Mobile. It’s America’s oldest city hall still used to conduct city business.
Historic Fort Conde is a replica of the historic eighteenth- and nineteenth-century fort and is located in the southern sector of the district across from the City Hall building. It was placed on National Register of Historic Places in December 1971.
Mobile AL Historic District information provided by the Jason Will Real Estate Team 251-866-6464.