Opelika in Lee County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Railroad Avenue Historic District
Opelika, Alabama
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 6, 2014
1. Railroad Avenue Historic District Marker
The Railroad Avenue Historic District was the downtown nucleus of Opelika when the city was incorporated as part of Russell County, Alabama in February, 1854. The city limits extended a mile in every direction from the Montgomery and West Point Railway Station. In 1864 another railroad was built from Opelika to Columbus, thus establishing the city as a transportation center. During 1864 and 1865, Opelika's government supply warehouses, its depot, rolling stock and railroad were a target of Federal raiders Rousseau and Wilson. Train service from Atlanta to Montgomery was re-established in 1865.
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When Lee County was established on December 5, 1866, Opelika became its county seat. The commercial district, a collection of wooden buildings, was destroyed by fire in 1868. The physical rebuilding of the district began during the 1870's. The Railroad Avenue Historic District is composed of 105 buildings which date primarily from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It contains the major commercial and political structures in the city. The District was accepted for placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Erected 1985 by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Opelika Historic Preservation Society.
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Location. 32° 38.821′ N, 85° 22.81′ W. Marker is in Opelika, Alabama, in Lee County. It is at the intersection of South Railroad Avenue and South 9th Street, on the right when traveling north on South Railroad Avenue. Located in the Bill Roberts Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 905 South Railroad Avenue, Opelika AL 36801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama and in Greater Columbus. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: South Railroad Avenue (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee County World War II Honor Roll (within shouting distance of this marker); Pepperell Manufacturing Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Opelika / Opelika (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lynching in America / Lynching in Lee County (about 400 feet away); Rosseau's Raid to East Alabama (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Lee County Courthouse / Lee County Probate Judges (about 500 feet away); Killgore Scholarships / Some Terms of Scholarships (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Opelika.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 6, 2014
2. Railroad Avenue Historic District Marker (reverse)
