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The Whitfield-Duke-Searcy House
601 Avenue A
This Victorian home was built as a residence by John Whitfield
in 1895. In 1902, the house was purchased by Judge Lum
Duke for his family. Judge Duke’s daughter, Inez
Duke Searcy, Lee County’s first female attorney,
inherited the house in the late 1930’s and lived
there with her family until 1979. At that time the property
was acquired by First Alabama Bank, but in 1988 the
City of Opelika bought the house and remodeled it into
the historic and attractive home of the Opelika Chamber
of Commerce.
Lee County Courthouse
215 South 9th Street
The present Corinthian columned building was erected
in 1896, at a cost of $24,000. The new building replaced
the first Lee County Courthouse, a two story, Greek
Revival edifice, built in 1867 by Horace King, the former
slave and renowned builder of covered bridges.
The Clement Hotel
On the corner of South 9th Street and Avenue A.
A well-known landmark in downtown Opelika between 1910 and
1969. Built on a site occupied first by a trader in hides
and furs and later by the 19th Century Royal Hotel, the Clement
offered the finest accommodations in the city. The Clement
originally boasted sixty rooms and one of the best dining
rooms in Lee County. Renamed the Martha Scott Hotel in 1966,
it was nonetheless demolished only three years later, a victim
of urban renewal. Today, the site is occupied by The Museum
of East Alabama, which houses several artifacts of the old
hotel.
Bill Roberts Park/ The Frog
On the corner of South 9th Street and South Railroad Avenue.
(picture on front cover)
Bill Roberts, 1937-2001, affectionately known as “Mr.
Downtown”, was committed to revitalizing downtown. He
also worked with the Downtown Redevelopment Authority to coordinate
and finance the construction of a permanent home for the “frog”.
A “frog” is old railroad slang for a device which
prevented derailments where tracks crossed. The origin of
the term is unknown, but may refer to preventing trains from
“hopping the track."
The Depot
1032 South Railroad Avenue
This old passenger railroad was built at the crossing of
the Central of Georgia Railway and the Western Railway of
Alabama in 1922. This is an L-shape, single-story structure
made of two-tone Flemish blond brick. The city began a complete
restoration of this building in 1993.
Emmanuel’s Episcopal Church
800 1st Avenue
A small frame building facing North 8th Street was constructed
in 1862, but was turned to face 1st Avenue in 1869. The original
wooden structure was destroyed by a storm in 1871. The cornerstone
of the present building was laid on Easter Sunday, 1871. All
the stone for the Church was obtained from the Clayton Plantation,
north of Opelika. Emmanuel Episcopal Church is the oldest
public building in Opelika.
The Opera House
On the corner of South 8th Street and North Railroad
Avenue.
Newspapers of the day reported that the Opera House presented
citizens with a variety of entertainment and enlightenment.
The schedule for 1880 brought lectures, plays, choral concerts,
minstrel shows, and even included a performance of the famous
Buffalo Bills’ Wild West Shole.
Rousseau’s Raid
Located on the Railroad between North and South Railroad
Avenue.
During the final year of the Civil War, Union General Lovell
Rousseau led a devastating raid on Opelika and other communities
and the railroad which connected them. July 10, 1864, General
Rousseau left with 2,700 mounted troopers. The raid ended
9 days later in Opelika.
Haynie’s Drug Store
123 South 8th Street
This pharmacy and soda fountain was operated by Mr.J.K. Haynie
from 1907 until 1994. It was a “home away from home”
for local teenagers in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
The Hudmon Building/Hagedorn’s
201 South 8th Street
Built in 1895, this two story brick building was originally
a dry goods store which opened its doors for business in 1898.
A hardware store operated here from 1903 until 1909. Between
the years 1918 and 1976, this building was occupied by Hagedorn’s
Department Store. Today this building is occupied by Alabama
Office Supply.
Martin Theatre
213 South 8th Street
In June of 1938, Mr. R.E. Martin and Martin Theatres of Columbus,
Georgia opened a modern new cinema. The Martin Theatre possessed
a seating capacity of 1,536. The Opelika Chamber of Commerce
was credited for its leadership in helping to procure this
outstanding entertainment venue.
First Baptist Church
301 South 8th Street
In 1860 a simple white frame house of worship was erected.
In 1881, the little church was destroyed by a fire and a new
brick structure was erected in 1882 at a cost of $12,000.
George Andrews Federal Building
On the Corner of South 7th Street and Avenue A.
Erected as a United States Post Office in 1915, this handsome
building was later converted to a Federal Office Building.
It was placed on the National Historic Register in 1976, as
an outstanding embodiment of early 20th century reinforced
concrete construction. The design, by architect James A. Whitmore,
is a rectangular three-story Neo-Classical building of Concrete
and Brick, with five arched entrances in the street level,
and topped with a flat roof and balustraded parapet.
First Methodist Church
702 Avenue A
In 1879, the growing Methodist Congregation moved to its
present location. A brick edifice, which is still the Church
sanctuary was completed in 1881 for $12,000. Major remodeling
was undertaken in 1909, including removal of a steeple, as
well as the additions of the classical front entrance, the
dome, and stained glass windows, substantially altered the
building’s exterior.
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