Cahawba's homes were spread over an
entire square mile, many with yards of
one or two acres. That was not the case
here on Vine Street. Offices, stores and
hotels were tightly packed along this
main street. The steamboat landings on
the Alabama River were just one block
away, so this was prime real estate.
Vine Street was 80 feet wide with brick
sidewalks. A town ordinance required all
lot owners to plant shade trees between
the sidewalks and the road.
This photograph, taken about 1900,
recorded a few remaining but abandoned
structures along Vine Street:
A. Law Offices.
B. Saltmarsh Hall, where public
celebrations were held.
C. Dallas County Courthouse with its
spectacle-shaped windows.
D. Dallas County Office Building.
E. Overflowing Well in the center of the
street.
A Well for Public Use
An overflowing well was drilled in the center of
Cahawba's main street for public use. During
the Civil War, it provided running water to
thousands of prisoners of war held captive in a
nearby warehouse.
Unfortunately the ornamental well head disappeared decades ago, but the observant explorer can still find the location of the old well. Just look for the broken round iron pipe in the surface
of the road near the intersection of Vine and First North Streets.
Chinaberry Trees - Clues to the Past
Cahawba's earliest merchants imported fast growing Chinaberry trees to shade their sidewalks. Over the years these trees survived and multiplied. Sadly, Cahawba's merchants did not do as well. Today, as you walk this abandoned downtown street, see if you can spot the thriving descendants of those first Chinaberry trees.
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