Montrose Historic District
a.k.a. See Also:Creole and Gulf Coast Cottages in Baldwin County TR
Main (AL 42) and 2nd Sts., Montrose, ALThe Montrose Historic District contains several examples of a vernacular style commonly called Creole Cottage. While well preserved examples of this style are found along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and within the city of Mobile, only Montrose has retained a concentrated collection of these structures along with a large degree of its 19th century ambience. The nine examples which span a period of 50 years in their construction, share the full-width recessed porches, the five bay facades and gabled roofs which are the distinguishing marks of this Gulf Coast style. Since its earliest days Montrose has been a popular site for the location of summer homes by citizens, of the city of Mobile and several of the existing homes were originally constructed for summer use. While the town was never one of the state's major resorts, it at one time boasted of a large two story hotel and continues to attract a steady number of summer visitors who own homes in and around the village.
Occupying one of the highest spots along the Gulf Coast, the site of the town has long been noted for its healthy location and the presence of fine clay for brick and pottery making. During the period of British occupation (1763-1783) the site was selected as a rest station for British soldiers stationed at Mobile and was known as Croftown. In 1839 Cyrus Sibley secured title to the property granted to Isabelle Campbell who had made brick and tile on the site. Sibley, a native of Massachusetts, was an early settler in Baldwin County and had been involved in the Kemper Rebellion. Along with his brother he owned vast acres of timberland and operated sawmills and plantations. By 1847 the town had been surveyed and platted as Sibley City, and its founder had opened a sawmill near the eastern terminus of Sibley Street. At the bay end of the same street, one of the earliest residents, William Steedman, had constructed a wharf and until 1852 when the town was renamed Montrose, it was known as Steedman's Landing. Much of the land within the village was originally distributed among Sibley f s children and other relatives, but only one relative, Mary Elizabeth McCollough, actually built there. Sibley himself never resided in the town.
By 1859 Montrose had a sufficient number of year round inhabitants to merit the construction of a small school, and in that year Cyrus Sibley donated Block 12 to the trustees of the Montrose Academy for Male and Female Students. The town was increasingly popular as a location for the summer homes of Mobile families and several of the inhabitants made room for summer boarders in their private homes. In 1855, two sisters from Massachusetts, Julia Brewer and Mariah E. Alien, acquired a lot and constructed a large two-story structure which they operated as a boarding home. The Hutchinson Hotel, constructed in -1866, did much to further the reputation of Montrose as a summer resort and until its destruction in 1898 attracted a large clientele. Despite the loss of the hotel, the town retained its popularity with summer visitors and shortly after World War I, this
continued popularity led to a number of retired northerners making their homes in the area.
The location of fine clay deposits in the area gave rise to a number of small pottery works during the 19th century, the most notable of which was the company of Gable and Dede which made crocks, churns, and flower pots which were shipped to Mobile and New Orleans prior to the Civil War. The McAdams Pottery, which was established in the late 1870's by a Scottish immigrant, operated until the end of 1800 f s when the firm moved its location to Montgomery. The last commercial pottery in the town, The Montrose Pottery, was established by Ashleigh Moses in 1903 and did a substantial trade in jugs and other wares until the prohibition movement in the state greatly decreased the demand for jugs.
Since the 1920's new construction has continued in the village, some of it replacing older homes, and subdivisions consisting of both summer and permanent homes have grown up around the outskirts.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.