Hanceville Alabama Settles Down In Cullman County Alabama

Hanceville Alabama Settles Down In Cullman County Alabama

City of Hanceville home of the Hanceville Bulldogs

City of Hanceville home of the Hanceville Bulldogs

Hanceville, rated by Digital Alabama as one of Alabama’s Best Small Towns,  is located in north-central Alabama in Cullman County. It is home to Wallace State Community College and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Cathedral at Our Lady of Angels Monastery. 

Hanceville Alabama History

The Hanceville area was first settled in the 1820s by settlers from South Carolina and Virginia and was located in Blount County when it was created in 1832. One account says the first town at the location was called Gilmer, but the name was changed to Hanceville in 1872 by postmaster P. H. Kinney, to honor his father Hance Kinney, an Irish immigrant and first mayor of the renamed town.
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad arrived in the early 1870s and a depot was built by 1873, sparking some economic development.
Hanceville was divided when Cullman County was created in 1877 and would be incorporated in May 1879. Half the town resided in Blount County until 1885, when boundaries were redrawn, and it became wholly part of Blount.
The boundary between the counties was again revised in 1901 and Hanceville became wholly part of Cullman County.

Hanceville Alabama Places Of Interest

Wallace State Community College

Wallace State Community College was established in Hanceville in 1966, becoming a cornerstone of the city’s economy.

Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Construction began in 1996 on the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Cathedral at Our Lady of Angels Monastery, founded by Catholic nun Mother Angelica; it was consecrated in 1999. The monastery is home to the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration, and the Knights of the Holy Eucharist reside on the compound as well.

Burkart-Wilson Home

Listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Hanceville are the Burkart-Wilson Home (ca. 1949),

The Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church/Burkart Memorial Hall

The Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church/Burkart Memorial Hall (ca. 1885-86)

The Potato House

The Potato House in Hanceville is owned by Betty and Olen Dover, members of the Hanceville Historical Preservation Group. Betty Dover said the house, located at 1318 Commercial Street, dates back to the early 1900s.

“Local farmers would bring their potatoes there to sell,” she said. “Several families lived in it during the Depression. The fact that it was used as a building for the community enhanced its historical value.”

Credit: The Cullman Times

Hanceville Alabama Links

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Hanceville Alabama Police Department