Well into the 1950’s, Montevallo had a number of large, two and three-story Victorian-style houses along Main Street as well as in the surrounding neighborhoods and on the college campus. Only a few remain in town for us to appreciate and admire today.
The photograph you see here of the empty lot across the street from the old Victory automotive dealership was once the location of one of these imposing houses. The smaller illustration and three grainy photographs are all that remains of this reminder of a bygone era when well-heeled local merchants and prominent town leaders displayed their civic status by erecting massive and ornate edifices for themselves and their families to live in.
This house, known as the “McKibbon House,” still stands at the corner of Shelby and East Boundary Streets, three blocks south of Main Street. Its design and architectural style resembles the house that once stood on the lot across Main Street from the Victory building.
Another handsome Montevallo "Queen Anne" style Victorian, the Peterson house, that is still with us on Middle Street. It has been restored and modernized inside and is used by the University of Montevallo as administrative offices. It was originally constructed as the home of the school’s second president, Dr. Francis Peterson.
Thank you to Clay Nordan, Vice President of Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!
Comments