EXHIBIT EXPLANATION:
This exhibit of 50 carefully curated images depicts the City of Florence throughout more than 200 years of history.
From the earliest days of the 1800s to more recent images found throughout Florence, visitors will recognize familiar — or perhaps vaguely familiar — landmarks, signs, and architecture. Stroll through the exhibit and learn more about your historic city as our nation marks its 250th birthday.
The America 250 Task Force thanks the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area for the grant that made this exhibit possible, as well as the Florence–Lauderdale Public Library for its support and assistance.
Basil’s Café
Basil’s Café was located on the corner of Court and College Streets in downtown Florence. — Circa 1940s.
Wilson Dam
A view of Wilson Dam from the Florence side of the Tennessee River, shows the operating tower for the locks. — From History of Muscle Shoals by W.R. McKerall, 1928.
City of Florence Municipal Building
The Florence Municipal Building serves as a center of city government and public services.
Rogers Department Store
It was founded in 1894 by Major Benjamin Rogers as the Surprise Store and later rebuilt as Rogers Department Store after a 1910 fire. The building became a landmark of downtown Florence commercial architecture.
Trowbridge’s
Trowbridge’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop was established in 1918 by Paul Trowbridge. Trowbridge’s remains the oldest continuously operating business in Florence in its original location.
Florence Street Department
Employees of the Florence Street Department pose with department vehicles and equipment. — Circa 1940s–1950s.
Anderson’s Bookland
This is the site of Anderson’s Bookland in downtown Florence during the 1990s. The location is now home to the Billy Reid flagship store and headquarters.
First Southern Bank/SunTrust Building
An aerial view of the SunTrust building and surrounding properties in Florence provides a unique perspective of the entrance to our downtown area.
Downtown Florence Storefronts
This view of storefronts along the 100 block on the east side of North Court Street in downtown Florence was taken in 1990.
Van Buskirk Hotel
Orlando J. Van Buskirk and family are pictured in front of the Van Buskirk Hotel, circa 1906. Originally the dormitory of the Florence Female Synodical College, the site later became the John McKinley Federal Building/Post Office.
Herbert R. Cox Service Station
Herbert R. Cox’s Service Station was located at 130 South Royal Avenue in east Florence.
Richardson Lumber Company
This early view of Richardson Lumber Company at the corner of Tennessee and Walnut Streets was featured in a Florence Herald advertisement from December 1909.
Pratt Bottling Company
Pratt Bottling Company was located at 502 South Court Street. — Circa 1915.
McFarland Park
This 1950s photograph provides a view of McFarland Park along the Tennessee River.
Koonce Perritt Chevrolet Dealership
Located at 321 N. Court Street, Koonce Perritt Chevrolet Dealership displayed a large advertisement for an American Legion Post
No. 11 contest. — December 1935.
Lauderdale County Courthouse
Lauderdale County’s first courthouse, originally built in 1822, was later demolished in 1899 to make way for a new courthouse building.
Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel stood at the corner of Tennessee and Short Court Streets until it burned in 1925. It was later replaced by the Negley Hotel.
Downtown Florence Automobiles
A row of automobiles lining downtown Florence streets during the 1930s–1940s, captured the city’s post-Depression and wartime automotive landscape.
Florence Normal College
Florence Normal College, built in 1855 and now known as Wesleyan Hall, was pictured in the Florence Normal Quarterly, March 1911.
Downtown Florence Streetscape
This photograph captures a view of downtown Florence in the 1940s–1950s.
Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital
This postcard depicts Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence during the early 1900s.
Florence Cotton Market
Wagons loaded with cotton gather near the courthouse square during the early cotton market era. --Postcard by Joseph Milner & Son.
Federal Courthouse and Post Office
The Federal Courthouse and Post Office on Seminary Street opened in 1913.
Court Street Parade
ROTC students from Florence State Teachers College march in a parade along Court Street in 1958. Visible businesses include McCorkle’s, Gable’s, Culpepper’s Bakery, and Trowbridge’s.
Downtown Court Street
This view of downtown Florence businesses and daily life along Court Street was captured in the 1960s–1970s.
Old Elks Lodge Building
An unidentified man poses with his horse and buggy in front of the former Elks Lodge building. Built in 1847 as classrooms for the Florence Female College, the building was demolished in 1972.
Grand Leader Store Sale
Crowds gather outside the Grand Leader dry-goods store at 208 North Court Street during a major sale in the early 1920s.
Bicycle Safety Program
Florence firemen place safety tape on children’s bicycles at Fire Station No. 3 in October 1950.
Court Street Parade
A Florence fire truck drives in a parade along Court Street in front of Rogers
Department Store.
Florence Fire Department Rescue Truck
The Florence Fire Department's Rescue and Lighting Truck was funded through contributions from local civic organizations.
East Tennessee and Seminary Street Corner
Historic commercial buildings located at the corner of East Tennessee Street and Seminary Street in downtown Florence.
F.W. Woolworth Storefront
Shoppers gather outside the F.W. Woolworth 5¢ and 10¢ Store in downtown Florence during the 1940s–1950s.
Coffee High School
Located on property donated by Camilla Maddox Coffee, widow of John Coffee, the school served Florence students from
1917 to 1951.
Frank Lloyd Wright - Rosenbaum House
Stanley Rosenbaum works in his home study that was carefully designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The Triangle Soda Bar
The Triangle Soda Bar (later known as the 3-C Grill) at 673 North Wood Avenue served as a popular gathering place for Florence State Teachers College students during the 1950s.
Ashcraft Cotton Mills Baseball Team
This postcard depicts the Ashcraft Cotton Mills employee baseball team of Florence.
Culpepper’s Bakery
Culpepper’s Bakery, known for specialty cakes and baked goods, moved from their downtown location to 1208 Florence Boulevard.
Wood Avenue Postcard
Around 1900, a postcard depicting Wood Avenue in Florence was circulated, featuring one of the city’s early residential streets.
O’Neal Bridge
The O’Neal Bridge, opened in 1939 and named for former Alabama Governor Edward O’Neal, connected Florence and Sheffield across the Tennessee River and became an important symbol of regional growth and transportation.
Abroms Department Store
The last Abroms Department Store location in Florence was located at 113 North Court Street.
W.C. Handy Log Cabin
The log home associated with the birth of William Christopher Handy, widely known as the “Father of the Blues," was originally built in 1873 and later reconstructed at its current museum site in 1970.
View from McFarland Park
This scenic view of the O’Neal Bridge from McFarland Park overlooks the Tennessee
River in Florence.
Wilson Park and Public Library
An aerial view of Wilson Park and the Florence–Lauderdale Public Library places the park fountain on beautiful display.
Florence Mound
The Florence Mound was constructed over 1700 years ago and stands along the banks of the Tennessee River. It served as a ceremonial gathering space representative of the worldview of its builders.
Downtown Court Street
This photograph by Cliff Billingsley provides an elevated view of Court Street in 2020.
Leon O. Darby’s Standard Service Station
Leon O. Darby’s Standard Service Station was located at 402 West Mobile Street during the 1940s.
Pope’s Tavern
Historic Pope’s Tavern, built in the 1830s as a boarding house, was later used as a makeshift hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
Shoals Theatre
This crown jewel of the local Rosenbaum Theater chain opened in 1948 with the movie, "That Lady in Ermine" starring Betty Gable and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Patton School
Located at the eastern terminus of College Street, Florence's first tax-funded public school was named for Robert M. Patton who lived in the Sweetwater mansion and was elected Governor of Alabama.
J. W. Stutts Drug Store
This postcard provides a glimpse of the interior of J. W. Stutts Drug Store in 1908. It was located on the northwest corner of Court and Tennessee Streets.