East Commerce Street Historic District - Greenville, AL
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 31° 49.769 W 086° 37.098
16R E 536120 N 3521598
The district is roughly bounded by Cedar, Chestnut, Commerce, and Hickory Streets in Greenville, AL. The Butler County Courthouse is the most prominent building in the district.
Waymark Code: WMHRZQ
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 08/10/2013
Views: 3
The district includes a mix of public and private buildings, including the County Courthouse, a Roman Catholic Church, a former armory, and several storefronts. For the purposes of this waymark, I used the courthouse coordinates and address.
The following is excerpted from the National Register Nomination form:
"The East Commerce Street District is located at the intersection of Commerce and Conecuh Streets. The Butler County Court House is situated in the center of the intersection facing west. In addition to the courthouse, the district includes a Spanish Revival Catholic church, an armory constructed during the WPA era, ten one and two-story commercial storefronts (c 1890-c 1930) and a warehouse. The storefronts are all located in a three block area on the north side of Commerce St. These commercial structures are in varying degrees of historic preservation and range in style from the simplest vernacular to late eclectic Victorian styles."
"The East Commerce Street District is significant for its collection of some of Greenville's oldest surviving commercial and civic architecture (c 1880-1936). The commercial buildings are primarily vernacular, but also included are a few good Victorian storefronts. Capps Drugstore is the most outstanding commercial building with Romanesque Revival features. The district also includes a fine Spanish Revival Catholic Church (1904). The Butler County Courthouse (1903) is a very good example of a late Victorian, eclectic, polychrome brick structure designed by a prominent Montgomery architect, B. B. Smith. The armory is a 1936 WPA building."
"The East Commerce Street Historic District has historically been the location for a section of Greenville's commercial area. The early commercial development of the town was located primarily around the site of the Butler County Courthouse the location of which has remained the same since 1822. Four courthouses have been located on the site of the present courthouse building which dates from 1903. At the turn of the century the 1872 brick courthouse was deemed inadequate to house the offices of Butler County government. This building was demolished and replaced by the present courthouse (#13) with its distinctive clock tower. The present courthouse was designed by Montgomery architect B. B. Smith and was constructed in 1903 at a cost of $60,000."
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