National Register Listing

Lore Historic District

a.k.a. See Also:82001990;71000093;72000156;72000154;71000095;720001

Bounded by Eufaula Ave., and Browder, Livingston, and Barbour Sts., Eufaula, AL

The Lore Historic District comprises about half of the old town of Irwinton which was first settled in 1823. Of the 72 structures in the district 59 date from the nineteenth century and 12 were built between 1900 and 1911.

The area around Eufaula was inhabited by the Eufaula Tribe of Creek Indians prior to the 1832 evacuation treaty. After the removal of the Indians, Eufaula grew rapidly and became a center of commerce and agriculture. In 1933 the town was named Irwinton in honor of General William Irwin of Henry County, Alabama and in 1834 the Summerville Land Company was organized by William I. Beatys, Alec I. Robinson, Seth Lore, and John M. Moore
to lay out a town and sell land. Four of the streets - Livingston, Orange, Randolph and Eufaula were so named that the first letters when put together would spell Lore to honor Seth Lore who was so instrumental in organizing the town. These four streets along with foe cross streets are still called the Lore Historic District. Eufaula flourished prior to the Civil War with an economy based on cotton and river traffic. Around 1850 the Eufaula Regency was formed and comprised primarily of Eufaula attorneys. The regency was the strongest southern rights group active in Alabama and they played a very important part in the secession movement.

The war and reconstruction periods were difficult, however, in the 1880's the town again became prosperous as a trading center for Southeast Alabama.

The Eufaula Heritage Association and the City of Eufaula have conducted a successful organized effort to protect and preserve the Lore Historic District and to retain essentially its nineteenth century character.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1973.