Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

The Columns

Sweet Homegrown Alabama

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 19, 2019

1. The Columns Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Opened in 1934, the third Madison County Courthouse was the home of these majestic limestone columns and for more than 50 years they stood in the square, after which they were carefully disassembled.

Garden volunteers Evelyn Lucas and Seth Mize approached Chair of the County Commission, Mike Gillespie, about sharing them with the community and in 1985 twenty of the columns were moved to the Huntsville Botanical Garden. In 1991, three of the columns were placed at the Garden entrance and in 2012, five columns were installed at the newly-opened entrance.

These celebrated relics stand at their original height of just over 24 feet tall and can also be seen at the Garden’s Boeing-Toyota Amphitheatre and the entrance to the Children’s Garden. The remaining columns are part of a long-range plan for a Column Courtyard surrounding a reflection pool.

Alabama 200 Bicentennial

Erected by Huntsville Botanical Garden.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical year for this entry is 1934.

Location. 34°

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42.608′ N, 86° 38.032′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. Marker can be reached from Bob Wallace Avenue Southwest. Located within the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue SW, Huntsville AL 35805, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Ala. Red-Bellied Turtle (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Jesup Wagon (about 700 feet away); Van Valkenburgh Daylily Garden (approx. ¼ mile away); Pathfinder (approx. one mile away); External Tank (approx. 1.1 miles away); Main Engines (approx. 1.1 miles away); T-38 Talon (approx. 1.1 miles away); Pathfinder Orbiter (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntsville.

The five columns at the main entrance image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 19, 2019

2. The five columns at the main entrance

The columns at the entrance to the Children's Garden. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 19, 2019

3. The columns at the entrance to the Children's Garden.

The columns at the Boeing-Toyota Amphitheatre. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 19, 2019

4. The columns at the Boeing-Toyota Amphitheatre.

Waiting in the wings. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 19, 2019

5. Waiting in the wings.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 19, 2019

6. Inset

The columns at the Madison County Courthouse

Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 24, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 249 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 24, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.

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