The Cottage Hill Foundation Papers
A digital exhibit by The Montgomery County Archives
The Community
The Cottage Hill community was founded in 1839, 20 years after two neighboring communities, East Alabama and New Philadelphia, merged to become the city of Montgomery. Before the 1830s there was little interest in the area in spite of its close proximity to the new town. In 1839 a local lawyer and land speculator named Edward Hanrick took an interest in the area. Hanrick, known locally as "Horseshoe Ned", laid out streets and established lots in the area then known as Hanrick Plat, still interest in the area remained modest. By 1846, only three lots had been purchased. Development in Cottage Hill continued to be slow well into the 1860s, despite the construction of a Episcopal female school in the area. A small group of planters had established homes along Whitman Street. However, most of the residents of cottage Hill at the time were working-class citizens including railroad employees, grocers, carpenters and laborers. (1)
A large portion of the homes still standing in the district were built in the years following the Civil War, in the late Victorian style of architecture. The Victorian style was popularized during the reign of Queen Victorian of Britain and features many styles. But some of the main features of Victorian architecture are their doll-house like looks, curlicue trim, bright colors, and asymmetrical designs. Two of the more notable ones, the Winter –Thornington Homes, located at the Winter Place Historic complex, are still standing but have greatly deteriorated. The Winter-Thornington Homes are particularly important because they are among the last Victorian style houses still standing in Cottage Hill The complex is located on the National Register of Historic Places and features two houses, conjoined by a passageway. (1)
Around the turn of the century, the area along Goldthwaite Street, located along the eastern edge of the neighborhood, became trendy. During the time the Queen Anne Style of Architecture, which featured asymmetrical fronts and towers, was popular in the United States and several homes of this style were built in Cottage Hill, including the house that sits at 103 Goldthwaite Street.
Photograph of a woman leaving what is now known as the Jubilee Community Center. Photograph available in the Cottage Hill Foundation Papers
The community takes its name from a public school that opened in the area in April of 1891. Cottage Hill School was located on the northwest corner of Herron and Hanrick streets and drew students from the surrounding neighborhoods. The school was named for a small red structure which had previously occupied the site. The school, rebuilt several times prior to 1904, remained open until 1963.
During late 1950s and 1960s, Cottage Hill begin to deteriorate and was designated to become an industrial warehouse complex by the city. In 1976, the Cottage Hill Foundation was established in order to protect and preserve the community. That same year Cottage Hill was zoned as a historic district by the city. (1)