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Scouting Huntsville’s Architectural History

Hello Scout Guide Huntsville readers! My name is Rachel Kennedy and I’m one of your Contributing Editors for Vol. 3! A little bit about me: I spent a great deal of my childhood in Huntsville, Alabama. I loved living there. My first job out of high school was that of a tour guide at the Huntsville Depot, a beautiful, historic train station that had been converted into a museum. You could still see cracks in the brick from cannonball fire the building sustained during the Civil War, and as a young woman there was nothing I enjoyed more than dressing up in my costume and walking groups of school children through the rooms and halls, teaching them about the many events the building had witnessed. My roots are deep in this Southern town, and I’ve missed it since moving away over 10 years ago.

Rachel stands in front of The Poppy in Downtown Huntsville, June 2020.

My appreciation for the stories of bygone days has inspired me for the past 10 years to write historically-focused travel articles for my own online publication, The Kennedy Curate and for dozens of tourism boards, hotels, museums and landmarks. In keeping with my love of history I wanted my first contributing editor article for The Scout Guide Huntsville to be about some of the fascinating stories behind historic buildings that now house businesses featured in the soon-to-be-released Vol. 3.

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE LOCATED INSIDE COTACO OPERA HOUSE, BUILT IN 1889

Since 1828, Huntsville and the surrounding towns have been adding to Alabama’s architectural landscape, and in the late 1800s Decatur was the largest city in Alabama. In an attempt to bring investors and culture to Decatur the first Opera house in Alabama was built. The Cotaco Opera House opened its doors on September 16, 1989 as part of a plan to propel the town into an era of industrialism using the Tennessee River and Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad to create commerce and attract thousands of people to move to the town.

While there weren’t many Operas performed at the Cotaco, a series of Vaudeville shows made it a popular entertainment venue in what is now known as the Old Decatur Historic District. On April 29, 1986, nearly 100 years after its construction, it was added to the National Historic Register.

Located at 115 Johnston Street, the nearly 19,000 square-foot, three-story, brick structure now contains the Scouted boutique, The Carriage House. The Carriage House carries dozens of elegant fashion brands and is a curation of traditional women’s styles with a modern twist. You’ll find The Carriage House to be the perfect place to put together a look from head to toe. Next time you’re shopping at The Carriage House make sure to note the placard on the outside of Cotaco building, denoting its significance in Decatur’s social history.

Images and facts from Morgan County Archives, Morgan County Commission.

Cotaco Opera House, then and now.

The unrestored opera house attic was the location for this iconic Scout Guide Huntsville’s Volume 2 photoshoot featuring Carriage House owners Nicole Shelton and Kate Cole.

LOWE MILL ARTS CENTER WAS FORMERLY LOWE TEXTILE MILL, BUILT IN 1901

Because my first job was at a museum where historically accurate costuming was required I quickly became invested in the upkeep and care of the dresses, accessories and underpinnings! I even added a section to the tours I was giving at one point where I had several complete outfits laid out so people could see the extent of what the ritual of dressing could look like for different types of women with different jobs or lifestyles in the late 1800s. In 2010 I had one of my first showcases at Lowe Mill Arts Center as a textile artist. I had created dresses from every historical time-period of Huntsville’s history, with historically accurate fabrics and dyes, and sold all of them that day. I have appreciated this 171,000 square foot structure ever since.

Lowe Mill was built in 1901 by a New England textiles magnate who saw the opportunity to monetize the cotton industry in Alabama. In its prime the mill produced the highest rated shirting and gingham in the nation but due to low quality treatment of their workers was forced to restructure and changed ownership several times before being purchased in the late 1940’s by Nashville-based shoe company, Genesco. During the 1960s Genesco at Lowe Mill produced the vast majority of “jungle” combat boots worn by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam war.

The last major event in Lowe Mill’s history was being purchased by Jim Hudson (of Huntsville-based biotech company, Research Genetics), who turned it into what it is today: A cultural hub for artists and makers of all kinds from food artisans, and musicians, to photographs and sculptors, as well as the people who enjoy consuming and supporting the arts. To this day Lowe Mill Arts Center is still the largest privately owned arts and entertainment facility in America. Lowe Mill houses some of my favorite Scouted artists and entrepreneurs including White Rabbit Studios, whose beautiful photography you will see in Vol. 3 of The Huntsville Scout Guide.

Images and facts from Wikipedia, al.com, Alabama Historical Archives.

Lowe Mill then and now, via Wikipedia and White Rabbit Studios.

PRESERVATION CO. LOCATED INSIDE THE LINCOLN COMMISSARY, BUILT IN THE 1920s

In 2010 Lincoln Mill was added to the National Register of Historic places due to its significance in the early 1900’s industrial boom in Huntsville. In 1955 the textile mill was closed and converted to office space for people working on projects with the NASA Space Project.

The Lincoln Mill Commissary was built in 1927 and housed a variety of services for people in the surrounding community who both worked at the 200,000+ square foot Lincoln Mill building and lived or worked near by. These businesses included at different times the Blue Willow Cafe, a dry goods store, and a barber shop, coffee bar, and an entertainment venue.

Scouted and aptly named, Preservation Co. now exists inside the Lincoln Commissary and is dedicated to the preservation of historical architecture. They are a family-owned and operated company who sources materials and goods for the Preservation Co. store from all over the world. You will find a taste-makers dream curation from stunning home-building supplies such as stained glass doors, knobs, fixtures and more, to art work, kitchen items and candles. I was so fortunate to grow up around the family who owns Preservation Co. and one of my favorite things about Huntsville now is seeing how many of my peers have added their own improvements and investments to the city.

Images and facts from Preservation Co social media & website, al.com, and Wikipedia

Lincoln mill and Lincoln Mill Commissary then and now images via Preservation Co. Facebook, and Wikipedia.

Preservation Co. Owners Jason and Christa Butler and their family by White Rabbit Studios. The entire family has worked together in this vast renovation.

Do you have a favorite Huntsville architectural landmark? Leave a comment below and we will share our favorites on social media!

Looking for more? Read my other articles about Alabama history and things to do in Huntsville HERE!

Written by: Rachel Kennedy, The Kennedy Curate

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