Evidence of the arrival of the Derby Hotel and Restaurant on Middle Street in Montevallo first appears in local advertising in 1947. Construction of the building in close proximity to the elegant Reynolds/Rogan house was an intrusive harbinger of changing times and the beginning of what would become total commercial domination of the entire block along Main Street between Middle and Vine streets by 1964.
While the idea of a hotel/restaurant combination right in the center of a college town would seem to be an obvious need, the Derby got off to a rocky start and experienced a change of ownership within the first year.
As can be seen from this selection of ads from 1947 to 1957, the name of the hotel changed frequently, as did its owners and operators. Unlike its competitor a few blocks east on Main Street, the St. George Hotel, which thrived for decades, this little hotel was viewed locally as something of a dive and was never able to earn a reputation for service and desirable accommodations which successful lodging requires in order to succeed.
The Alabama Hotel and Cafe, the final incarnation of this hotel/restaurant combo, was visited by the wrecking ball at the beginning of prep work for the new shopping center around 1962. The St. George soon made way for a new bank building. So, visitors and travelers have not been able to check into a hotel within the city limits of Montevallo for 50 years or more.
Thank you Clay Nordan, Vice President of Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!
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