Historical Treasures

Danielle Gibson • March 25, 2022

STEP INTO THE PAST WITH THESE HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS

Day 1

  • Begin the day with a stop at the Decatur Morgan County Tourism and pick up walking guides.
  • Start with a cup of coffee at Java Jaay’s (1713 6th Ave SE Decatur).
  • Take a tour of Historic Old Decatur with your first stop at the Old State Bank. Take the free guided tour through the building’s vault and replicated period teller’s cage. Learn about the life of Washington Keyes, the bank’s first cashier, while viewing his second floor apartment. See if you can find the marks from Civil War-era musketfire and miniballs.
  • Continue walking through Old Decatur Historic District following the walking guide. Many of the houses were built in the early 1900s and represent a wide-range of architectural styles. Also included in the walking tour is Decatur’s first courthouse, Fort Nash, the Carnegie Library, and the Old Cemetery.
  • After lunch, begin the walking tour for New Albany. Start on Second Avenue and travel south to St. John’s Episcopal Church. Follow the walking guide to see Victorian, Colonial Revival and other historic homes.
  • Finish the New Albany walking tour and roam through the historic shopping districts to find treasures from the area’s many antique stores.
  • Return to the hotel to rest.
  • End your evening with a quiet dinner at Mellow Mushrrom (202 Moulton St SE).


Day 2

  • Begin in historic downtown Decatur and take the Civil War Walking Tour. Visit the sites where Confederate and Union soldiers fought, including Rhodes Ferry Park the location for the Charge of the 14th Colored Infantry.
  • Next, visit the Morgan County Archives, genealogical materials, an extensive photograph collection, and other archival and manuscript materials dating from the early 1800s. The archives also contain rare photographs from the infamous “Scottsboro Boys” case.
  • Have lunch at The RailYard
  • Head south to Hartselle’s Historic District. Make your first stop Hartselle’s Depot Station before wandering through the historic shopping district.
  • Return to Decatur for dinner at B B Perrins (608 Holly Street NE) or Simp McGhee’s (725 Bank Street NW).


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