Mooresville, Alabama

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 41 degrees, cloudy, windy, sprinkles

In spite of the cold weather, we got out again today, looking for something besides four walls. We ended up in the little town of Mooresville, located near Decatur.

Mooresville is the oldest incorporated town in Alabama, being settled in November, 1818. The population of the town is only 59 people, and the entire town is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. The post office was built in 1840 and is the oldest in operation in the state. Here's what it looks like now.



The little town is full of old houses and two churches. One of the most interesting buildings is the Old Brick Church, built in 1838 and home to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. No church owns the building at this time, so the town owns it and rents it out for weddings, etc. One thing that makes the old building interesting is the fact that unlike most churches, this one does not have a cross above the building. Instead, it has a carved hand pointing to the sky. Here's the Old Brick Church.



Since I didn't get a picture of the hand on top of the church, I copied one I found on the town's web page.



Here is a house that is typical of the houses in the town. An important point to keep in mind is that Mooresville is a functioning town, not a museum.



The Church of Christ is known for it being where General James A. Garfield, 20th president of the United States, preached there when he was camped in 1862 with the 42nd Ohio Volunteers during the War of Northern Aggression.



Another interesting fact about the town is that Andrew Johnson, who later on became president of the United States, was an apprentice tailor there.

I'm sure we could have gotten better pictures if the weather had been good, but it was still fun to drive up and down the streets, seeing houses and churches much as they were many years ago. Maybe we'll go back when everything is green and blooming.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Mooresville, Alabama: Alabama's Williamsburg

Not all who wander are lost.