Driving directions to
St. Clair’s scenic spots
Words and Photos by Michael Callahan
As I stood on my deck overlooking Logan Martin Lake, the wind bore down with a crispness and chill that could only mean winter was upon us in St. Clair County. Above me, a whirling grey mass of clouds, blocked out the sunlight. However, it had been quite a few weeks since I had packed up my camera gear and headed out to bring our readers a scenic St. Clair drive.
While I was badly missing the beautiful colors of fall, I knew where I was headed on this day. With camera, tripod — and warm clothes — I set out. Driving north from Pell City, I turned onto Alabama 174 , then over to Kelly Creek Road. Turning left on Kelly Creek, I just settled back and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Hay fields abound, and that means numbers of scenic pastures with livestock dot the drive along this idyllic road. Kelly Creek Road skirts the western side of Bald Rock Mountain. It had been quite a while since I’d made this drive, and I was taken in by the numerous horse riding stables and facilities.
Traveling down through the valley, I knew where I was headed. A couple of weeks back while working with one of our writers on an assignment in Springville, I had become quite interested in all of the older homes, churches and businesses in the area. I knew I wanted to capture some of what I had seen to share with our readers.
Entering Springville at the Highway 174 and US 11 intersection, I headed up Murphree Valley Road. At the top of mountain, I turned sharp left onto Pine Mountain Road . Just a short distance later, I came upon The Ridge Outdoor Adventure park. After suffering major tornado damage just a short time ago, they are back in business offering the thrill of off road ATV riding, and zip lines abound. Catch a look at the high flying riders. After watching these guys flying through the air, it was time to head back down.
Along the way, I came across Hullet Chapel Independent Methodist Church. As you can see from the photo, it was founded in 1870. That’s a whopping 145 years.
I came back into the downtown area and very quickly realized there is much history here. Taking the back streets, I came upon a very old business, as witnessed by the weathered boards adorned by father time. As you can see from the photo, it’s been time tested and still standing. Also had to grab a picture of the flag attached to the side of the old place. Just down the way and across from Homestead Hollow, another old business with the classic weathered wood made for a wonderful photo.
Now it was time for the downtown homes and business district. I will let the photos speak for themselves. Many of these classic homes have withstood a century or more of wear and tear. There, the architecture is from a different time and place in our county. Businesses are opening back up in storefronts that have not been occupied for many years. Laster Sundries is a good example of very old business that has reopened. Check out the article by our own Tina Tidmore on this historic business.
Traveling on through town on U.S. 11, I was taken in by the Springville Presbyterian Church circa 1873. Just up the hill you can find an old rock school house that has withstood time for more than 100 years.
As I left town traveling up U.S. 11, I knew where I was headed. About eight miles north of Springville on the way to Steele, a classic road cross still stands. These sign crosses are a fixture on roadways that many of us can remember from our childhood. Reverend Maye’s Crosses were once on our roadways throughout the United States. The one shown in the photo is located on U.S. 11 close to Steele.
Just a few hundred yards up the highway, I came across the decaying hulk of an original Pan Am service station. The Pan Am stations were the Rolls Royce service centers of their day, back in the 50s. While air conditioning was something virtually no business had in that era, Pan Ams did. You could also get gas, food and auto service if needed. They were something akin to our modern shopping centers, years before their time.
Traveling westward on U.S. 11, I turned right onto Double Bridges road headed back to Ashville and home. Rounding a curve, I was really taken in by what is called a winter/green field. Taking a look at this photo, you just have to admit we have some big sky scenes in our county.
Entering the city limits of Ashville, I came across what was probably a very old apartment house. As you can see from the photo, folks back then used rocks for foundations. A few yards down the street, there’s a Masonic Lodge reportedly built in the 1850s. This building is on the historical register.
Just a few hundred feet down the street stands the historic John Inzer house. Built in 1852 by Moses Dean, it became a home to John Washington Inzer in 1866. One of the highlights of this place is a bullet hole in the beautiful colored glass on the front of this Greek Revival home. It is reported to have come from the pistol of a Yankee soldier who was occupying Ashville during the Civil War. A very active group of Sons of Confederate Veterans does a wonderful job of preserving this historic place. The photo you see is Mr. Bill Watkins, SCV 308 St. Clair County Chapter.
A block over and just off U.S. 231 north in downtown, I found another excellent example of historic architecture. It is now called the Quilt House, and its gingerbread highlights, are ornate examples of an era long past.
Leaving Ashville and heading back down to Pell City, I had to get a photo of one more historic house before my drive was over. Just off U.S. 231 in Wattsville, adjacent to the railroad, this house was once a hotel serving customers of the thriving Seaboard railroad that ran through the Coal City/Wattsville area. Another excellent example of historic architecture.
Thanks for once again, meandering across St. Clair County with me. We want to share more scenic drives with you in our picturesque county and explore more of our rich and historic past. Our buildings and structures say much about who we were and how we got here. I am glad St. Clair County is my home.
Photographers Note: Thanks to Jerry Smith , Discover St. Clair writer, photographer and author of Uniquely St. Clair for his help and willingness to share historical data with this photographer. Thanks again to Mr. Roland Thomas’ invaluable resources.
