HHC Tour Guide

Huntsville
History Tour

Directions

To get to the Bibb House from the Calhoun House Site:

Turn right, or south, onto Greene Street.

Continue straight down Greene Street past the church property on the right.

Cross Gates Avenue and continue straight to Williams Avenue.

Turn left on Williams and stop across the street from the Bibb House at 300 Williams Avenue.

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Site Description

300 Williams Avenue SE
Thomas Bibb House, ca. 1836

Thomas Bibb, the second Governor of Alabama, purchased this lot and the house already on the site in 1821. Originally, the house was in the Federal Style with bricks made, as most of these houses were, on the property by slaves.

At some time the columns were added and the entire house became an awesome Greek Revival Style.

Thomas Bibb became Alabama's second Governor after the first Governor, who also happened to be his brother, William Wyatt Bibb, died after being thrown from his horse during a summer thunderstorm.

Legend says that the second Governor Bibb died unexpectedly in New Orleans and his body was transported back to Alabama in a barrel filled with whiskey. He was originally buried near his Limestone County plantation known as Belle Mina, in the Belle Mina community, but was reinterred at Maple Hill Cemetery here in Huntsville.

After Governor Thomas Bibb bought this property, he built this mansion you see today and sold it to his son-in-law. Due to the financial panic and depression of 1837, James Bradley fell into debt and, legend says, Adeline Bibb Bradley found out that the family had lost the house when gardeners arrived to plant flowers for the new owner.

More Information

Governor
Thomas
Bibb
Historic
Marker
HJAC
Exterior
1972
HJAC
Exterior
1997
Gate
Detail
1997
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
Belle Mina
Historic
Marker

For more information about
the History and Architecture of Huntsville,
visit

The Huntsville History Collection

or The Heritage Room at the
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library.

About

Huntsville History Tour

Thanks to:
John Malone, Narrator,
Lite 96.9 WRSA
Jacque Reeves, Narrator
Nancy Rohr, Narrator
Nate "Adams" Cholevik, Producer,
Lite 96.9 WRSA
Deane Dayton, App Developer,
Huntsville History Collection

Narration & Tour Design © 2014
Huntsville Madison County
Convention & Visitors Bureau
500 Church Street NW, Suite One
Huntsville, AL 35801
800-Space-4-U (256-772-2348)
Huntsville.org

Web App & Images © 2014
Huntsville History Collection
HuntsvilleHistoryCollection.org
webmaster@huntsvillehistorycollection.org

Tour version 3.0
TourGuide version 1.0

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Governor Thomas Bibb

"Thomas Bibb was the second Governor of Alabama from July 1820 to November 1821. He completed the term of his brother, Governor William Wyatt Bibb, who died as the result of injuries sustained when he fell from a horse that was frightened by a violent thunder storm.
The state government was formally moved from Huntsville to Cahaba during Governor Thomas Bibb's term of office."

Rights: Wikipedia

Alabama Archives article about Governor Thomas Bibb

Historic Marker

THOMAS BIBB HOUSE

Thomas Bibb, First President of the Alabama Senate and Second Governor of Alabama, completed this early high-style Greek Revival house in 1836, having occupied the land since 1821. This was his town residence, his plantation home being Belmina, in Limestone County. Direct Descendants have live here since 1927. Federal officers, including General Sherman, occupied the house during the Civil War.

By: Deane K. Dayton

Rights: Deane K. Dayton

Date: 2010

HJAC Exterior 1972

300 Williams Avenue SE

Architectural Collection of Harvie P. Jones, FAIA

By: Carey Cooper

Rights: Architectural Collection of Harvie P. Jones, FAIA, Dept. of Archives/Special Collections, M. Louis Salmon Library, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL.

Date: c1972

HJAC Exterior 1997

300 Williams Avenue SE

Architectural Collection of Harvie P. Jones, FAIA

By: Harvie Jones

Rights: Architectural Collection of Harvie P. Jones, FAIA, Dept. of Archives/Special Collections, M. Louis Salmon Library, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL.

Date: c1997

Gate Detail 1997

Greek Revival Fence at Governor Bibbs house front, probably original, c. 1836,

Architectural Collection of Harvie P. Jones, FAIA

By: Harvie Jones

Rights: Architectural Collection of Harvie P. Jones, FAIA, Dept. of Archives/Special Collections, M. Louis Salmon Library, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL.

Date: c1997

HABS Exterior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, March 17, 1934. FRONT VIEW - NORTHWEST ELEVATION. HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-1

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Exterior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, January 26, 1934. REAR VIEW - SOUTHEAST ELEVATION. HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-2

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Interior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. DETAIL (FRONT HALL) HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-3

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Interior 1934

Gov. Thomas Bibb House, Huntsville, Alabama. STAIR DETAIL (HALL) HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-4

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Interior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. DETAIL (FRONT HALL LOOKING INTO DRAWING ROOM) HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-5

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Interior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. DETAIL (FIREPLACE) - DRAWING ROOM. HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-6

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Interior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. DETAIL. (FRONT HALL INTO LIBRARY). HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-7

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Interior 1934

Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, Feb. 7, 1934. MANTEL AND OVER-MANTEL - LIBRARY. HABS ALA,45-HUVI,1-8

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; . N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Drawing 1934

300 Williams Avenue SE

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Drawing 1934

300 Williams Avenue SE

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Drawing 1934

300 Williams Avenue SE

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Drawing 1934

300 Williams Avenue SE

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Drawing 1934

300 Williams Avenue SE

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

HABS Drawing 1934

300 Williams Avenue SE

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c1934

Belle Mina

Belle Mina, Governor Thomas Bibb's Limestone County Plantation

By: Deane K. Dayton

Rights: Deane K. Dayton

Date: 2011

Historic Marker

BELLE MINA

Thomas Bibb built this grand house In 1826 And named It "Belle Manor" (beautiful home), but local pronunciation altered it to "Belle Mina". The home which stayed in the Bibb family until 1940 was the seat of Bibb's large plantation, and furnished the name of the small town nearby. The town of Belle Mina developed around a railroad station intended for the nearby town of Mooresville. the residents of which didn't want it built too close to their homes and businesses.

While serving as President of the Alabama Senate. Thomas Bibb ascended to the office of Governor when his brother William Wyatt Bibb, then holding that office was accidentally killed In a fall from his horse. William Wyatt Bibb had been Governor of Alabama Territory 1817-1819, and when statehood was granted he became the first Governor of the State of Alabama.

By: Deane K. Dayton

Rights: Deane K. Dayton

Date: 2011

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