Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
“The Attalla Downtown Historic District is a historic district in Attalla, Alabama, United States. The city was founded in 1870 along the Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad.”
Wikipedia article Attalla Downtown Historic District, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 15 National Register listings published here for Etowah County · listed in 2013 · category: District.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 125 fires within 5 miles of Attalla Downtown Historic District between 1994 and 2020, burning about 1,191 acres in total. None started naturally. 72 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 72 |
| Debris and open burning | 40 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190907-7 |
| 7 September 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20160907-9 |
| 5 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 26 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 24 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 September 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 18 workings within 5 miles of Attalla Downtown Historic District: 7 past producers, 5 occurrences, 3 producers, 2 prospects. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Iron, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sulfur. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Steel Corp. Plant | Sulfur | Past Producer | ||
| Carroll Quarry | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | Chert | |
| Osborn Pit No 1 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Osborn Pit Number 1 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | Unconsolidated Sediments | |
| Attalla Iron Ore Prospect No 1 | Iron | Occurrence | ||
| Attalla Iron Ore Prospect No 2 | Iron | Occurrence | ||
| Attalla Iron Ore Prospect No 3 | Iron | Occurrence | ||
| Gadsen Area Mines | Iron | Past Producer | Hematite | |
| Greasy Cove Area Prospect | Iron | Occurrence | ||
| Hanna Steel/ Gadsden, Ala. | Iron | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Attalla, the town this property stands in, in 18 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 10 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | $55,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | $20,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in a swath from Attalla to the north side of Gadsden. Some trees were blown down and blocked a portion of Interstate 59, north of exit 183, and both lanes of the highway had to be closed for a short time to clear them. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Attalla | $12,000 | Hail up to half dollar size was observed in and around the city of Gadsden. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | $10,000 | Numerous trees and powerlines were knocked down in and around the city of Attalla. |
| October 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | $10,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down in the city of Attalla, with one tree falling onto and damaging a house. |
| August 1996 | Hail | Attalla | $10,000 | no account filed |
| November 2000 | Heavy Rain | Attalla | $5,000 | A large landslide, consisting of mud and rock, slid off Sand Mountain and blocked almost all four lanes of US 431 just north of Attalla. Newspaper reports indicated the Sand Mountain Experimental Station received up to 6 inches of rainfall in the previous five days, 3 to 4 inches during the past 24 hours. No injuries were reported. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | $4,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down at several locations in the city of Attalla, including the intersection of US-278 and US-431, Gallant Road, California Street and South 11th Street. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Attalla | $4,000 | All four lanes of US 431 were closed due to flooding. |
| July 2002 | Hail | Attalla | $3,000 | Quarter to golf ball size hail was observed in and around Attalla. |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | - | Trees and power lines were downed along Scenic Dr. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | - | Numerous trees uprooted and power lines downed between Rainbow City and Attalla. |
| January 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | - | Numerous trees uprooted and power lines downed in the town of Attalla, causing some structural damage. |
| March 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | - | Dozens of trees were reported down in the downtown area of Attalla. In addition to the trees, several businesses and homes suffered damage; including significant wall and roof damage to several buildings. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Attalla | - | Trees were blown down at US 431 near Kelly's Auto Auction just north of Attalla. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Attalla | - | no account filed |
| March 2015 | Hail | Attalla | - | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Funnel Cloud | Attalla | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | U.S. Post Office | under 500 feet | 1983 |
 | Alabama City Wall Street Historic District | 2.6 miles | 2002 |
 | Alabama City Library | 2.7 miles | 1974 |
 | Forrest Cemetery Chapel and Comfort Station | 3.7 miles | 1992 |
 | Turrentine Historic District | 3.8 miles | 2005 |
| Noojin House and Bellevue-Mineral Springs Hotel Site | 3.9 miles | 2023 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 13000893 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Etowah County | All 15 listed properties in this county. |
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