Our Local Architecture Series is Expanding!
I started the Huntsville local architecture series because I've loved the stories behind these beautiful buildings since I was little. I remember riding around town with my Grandaddy and he would tell me what the city looked like when he was growing up as we went. It's amazing how much our little town has grown in such a relatively short time, and now it's the largest in the state!
The first one I painted was the Schiffman building, my favorite on the courthouse square. It's known for being the birthplace of Tallulah Bankhead. I felt like I couldn't do these buildings justice without including the history with the prints so I had the idea to make postcards too!
The second in the series is my absolute favorite home in Huntsville. I've always been fascinated with its unique architectural elements and once I researched its past I loved it even more. In the early 1900s, this home was owned by women who funded several YMCAs and an African-American wing for the then-segregated Huntsville Hospital. They also founded the Grace Club which is now the Junior League. This house was the place to be at the turn of the century. It's easily my best seller of the series.
The last home in this series so far is the Goldsmith Victorian. I couldn't pass this one up just because of the beautiful color and those Victorian details. This was also one of the first homes built on Franklin Street after the Civil War. It turns out Oscar Goldsmith must have never slept because he had a hand in a lot of downtown dealings in the late 1800s.
The Depot, Bibb mansion, Cox House (or Spite House), and the Salem Witch House are coming soon! The originals, prints and postcards are available in-store and online. You can also find the prints and postcards at Alabama Goods in Jones Valley.
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This year I was asked to start a Birmingham architecture series for Alabama Goods in Homewood! These will only be available in-store there and on our website.
The first in this series is the Quinlan Castle, which was sadly torn down earlier this year. This bizarre castle apartment building was built downtown in the 1920s and was rumored to be a Nazi spy base in the 40s.
The Alabama Theater, Lyric Theater, and 16th Street Baptist Church are coming soon in this series!
Share your favorite building or home in either city with us and I just might add it to the list!