Downtown Huntsville: Then vs. Now
By Ainsley Hill, DHI Intern
Happy Huntsville History Month! Huntsville’s heritage will be celebrated throughout the entire month of October as part of Huntsville History Month. In honor of that, here is a little peek into some of Huntsville’s amazing history!
Hotel Twickenham
In April of 1914, the City of Huntsville broke ground on the new Hotel Twickenham. On the corner of Clinton Avenue and Washington Street, Hotel Twickenham was the go to spot for traveling businessmen and high rank officials. The creation of this hotel was led by William F. Struve and Quincy B. Love, the two partnered together and built the hotel at the site of the old Huntsville City Hall. Huntsville was a popular spot for hotel developments because it was right between major trade routes. Hotel Twickenham was where locals wined, dined, and enjoyed parties from 1915 to 1971. The hotel had 5 stories, 80 rooms, and 1 elevator. Guests described the rooms as light, airy, and cheerful. Hotel Twickenham also offered businesses like coffee shops, barber shops, pool halls, and gift shops.
Hotel Twickenham closed to guests in 1971 before it was demolished. Today, the Hotel Twickenham site is home to the Clinton Avenue parking garage and surrounding Clinton Row shops such as: Honest Coffee, Roosevelt & Co, Caley Paige, Elitare, and Sea Salt. The development of the garage was completed in 2016 and is now a major retail destination for local and regional shopping.
Yarbrough Hotel
Located along Washington Street and Holmes Avenue stood the Yarbrough Hotel. This 4 story building welcomed family, guests, and traveling businessmen as the Yarbrough Hotel from 1923 to the early 1960’s. The Yarbrough building was an icon to the City of Huntsville, and stood for the promise that the town was growing and evolving. The Yarbrough also featured storefronts on the ground floor including a barbershop and a men’s wear store.
In the 1980’s, the Yarbrough building went under renovations to reopen as an office center. The West Huntsville Land Co. acquired ownership of the building in 2002 and leased out almost all of the office spaces to thriving businesses. Downtown Huntsville, Inc. (DHI) now occupies the space where the Hilding Holmberg’s Men’s Wear store was. DHI still has the original flooring where you can see the stool marks from where the soda fountain was sitting. The lobby of the Yarbrough office building was preserved, along with the second floor mezzanine that was retained for historical purposes.
Belk Hudson Department Store
Located on Washington Street and Holmes Avenue, the R.O. Mitchell Realty Company and the City Café were the first tenants of the building when it opened in 1922, and they were joined by the Cicero Grocery in 1924. 1929 brought a turnover of occupants to the building. The French Meat Market, F&F Café and City Shoe Shop, and the R. C. England Barber Shop all operated there until 1931 when Fowler Brothers Department Store and Beauty Shop opened and occupied the entire building. The Belk Hudson Department Store moved into the building in 1943 and continued to operate there until 1959.
The current Belk Hudson Loft building was purchased by Charlie and Sasha Sealy in 2011 and the development broke ground for Belk Hudson Lofts in that same year. The preservation of the historic character of the building was very important to the Sealy’s. They have collected several artifacts such as bottles and horseshoes that have been found on the site. One significant find during the preparation process was a brick mural advertising the Fowler Brothers Department Store, now reassembled in the lobby of the Belk Hudson Lofts.
The Huntsville Times Building
The Old Times building at Holmes Avenue and Greene Street was the original home of the Huntsville Daily Times. Built in 1928, Times’s owner Jacob Pierce constructed a new 12 story building that is topped with a penthouse. At the time, the building was the tallest structure that Huntsville had seen. In 1931, during the Great Depression, Pierce defaulted on loans and lost ownership of both the paper and the building. Under a few different ownerships throughout the years, the Times’s growth continued. The building underwent a $25 million expansion in 1989 to add a new printing press and distribution center and to renovate the office space for the news, advertising, and circulation departments.
Now known as the Old Times Building, it is an art-deco facility that serves commercial clients and has earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Single executive offices and tower suites have sweeping views of the mountains and the city. In addition to this, the first floor offers office and retail space. Zoning includes brew pubs and restaurants. Smaller offices on the second floor share a conference room and kitchen, perfect for small businesses.
Lewter’s Hardware Store
Established in 1928, Lewter’s Hardware Store stood on Washington Street in Downtown Huntsville for more than 90 years. In the early 1900s, Huntsville was a booming agricultural community, and the Lewter’s store was an essential part of that success. They worked daily with local farmers to keep their tools and farm implements in working order.
Lewter’s closed in October of 2022, and since then, the empty store has remained. To keep the Lewter family legacy alive, the City of Huntsville has named the section of Meridian Street between Washington and Jefferson Street “Lewters Way.” In July of 2024 during demolition of part of the building, it was discovered that there is an old Yucatan Gum mural behind a layer of brick. This mural is advertising one of the first flavored chewing gum brands in the world. Since this part of the building will remain, there is an opportunity to preserve its history. Currently, a new restaurant called Brick + Tin is set to open up in the old Lewter’s Hardware building. This popular Birmingham-based restaurant is set to begin construction in 2025.
