Downtown Pell City

A slate of new businesses calling historic shopping district home

Historic Downtown Pell City’s business district is growing of late with ribbon cuttings and grand openings becoming almost commonplace. In the past few months, four new businesses have opened, a fifth is relocating and expanding and a sixth and seventh say, “Coming Soon.”

 Already adding to diversity of what downtown has to offer are Lake House Antiques, Weeping Willow Books, The Grove and Studio on 1st. Gilreath Printing, a longtime downtown resident in a log cabin building on Cogswell Avenue, is moving to 1st Avenue behind Venue on 20th  into a much larger facility they are renovating. Gilreath plans to rent its existing building, paving the way for yet another business.

Studio on 1st is a cutting-edge hair salon located on First Avenue South between 16th and 17th streets. Just across the way in the next block facing the railroad tracks is a children’s embroidery shop called Little Stitches & Co. Abbye Grimes is the owner, and she is working toward an October opening.

Inside, beyond the French doors, will be a completely separate business operated by Grimes’ sister-in-law, Tina Dailey, who is planning to run her hair salon and real estate ventures.

Meanwhile, The Grove opened a café featuring acai bowls, smoothies and salads in September and is already garnering rave reviews. It is located on Cogswell Avenue in the former Dot Wood Appraisal building between 16th and 17th streets.

Just a couple of doors down is the new Lake House Antiques, an eclectic blend of antiques, vintage and home accessories.

And just beyond Lake House is Weeping Willow Books, the senior citizen on the block at nearly 120 days.

They all represent a shot of vitality for downtown, and residents and visitors alike are already showing their appreciation, following through on the demand for new and diverse shopping, dining and services options in a pedestrian friendly, downtown setting.

Samantha and Cody Herrington, Weeping Willow Books

Weeping Willow Books

 For Samantha Herrington, her Cogswell Avenue bookstore is a dream come true.

She loves to read, and combining her passion with business seemed a perfect fit. She renovated the space with a willow tree theme (hence the name). “I always loved weeping willow trees,” she said, so she gave it an enchanted forest look, and “the name kind of went with it.”

She has created an inviting space. “I really wanted a bookstore downtown that was nice, cozy and welcoming, a place where people could come and get away from everything else.” She achieved those goals basically from the start, opening in June with 21 different genres of books – “a little something for everybody.”

She has books for all ages, “zero to as old as you can get,” she said. She even has a novel approach to novels called “Blind Date With a Book,” which is a book in wrapping so you cannot see the title. On the wrapping are hints so that you can get to know the book without seeing it first. Surprises await inside along with the book – a bookmark, notepad and pen. And just like a blind date, she said, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

The reception has been phenomenal. “Everybody who comes in here is super excited we’re here.” Her biggest surprise? “More customers than I expected.”

She’s enjoyed meeting everyone. “They have been nice and friendly. There is a big book community here,” she said, noting that she discovered a growing local authors community and is featuring some of their work. Authors like Shawn Bailey, Cherith Fluker and Kyle Hannah’s book company clients are among the books she features.

Herrington is already eyeing the future with plans to offer book clubs for different genres, story time for the children, author signings and a café with coffee and pastries.

“I want to grow a place when the outside is too much, they can come in here, get away and read a book.”

Jacob and Adam Castleberry, curators

Lake House Antiques

Jacob and Adam Castleberry moved their year-old business from U.S. 231 South to downtown in August. Actually, it’s their second business. They own a thriving property management company that operates in Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida. 

Antiques are a pastime-turned-business. “We’ve been curating and collecting for 10 years,” said Jacob. “Our goal was to open a shop.”

While the property management company was based in Trussville, they never found a spot that “caught our eye,” he said.

When they moved to Cropwell, they found space in Lake Plaza. But when space became available downtown, they knew that’s really where they wanted to be. And customers are showing they’re glad they came.

“It’s been overwhelming,” Adam said. “It’s been great,” echoed Jacob.

The business started from their own experience and abilities. Their former home in Trussville was an eclectic blend, and friends and family encouraged them over the years to design spaces for others or open a shop.

They describe their place as “Grandma’s house,” Adam said, noting that the paintings, quilts and other items blended with vintage and new make it look like Grandma’s. “It’s lived in comfortable.”

He’s right. Alongside an oil painting or a pair of newly upholstered French wing-backed chairs with brass nailheads, you might find a tiffany lamp, a mosaic-top table, a regal dining room suite, an urn, photo frames, china or a Victrola turned cocktail bar.

On Sundays and Mondays, Jacob and Adam are traveling to source new items to feature Tuesday through Saturday, their days of operation.

“We want something new every day or every week at least,” keeping the shop vibrant and fresh, Adam said. And customers are responding with a steady flow of traffic heading their way since opening.

With a nod to the recent growth of that part of the downtown area and the camaraderie that has followed, Jacob said, “We’re excited to be a part of the new business downtown. We hope more is coming. We’re excited to see the growth of downtown Pell City and be a part of it.”

Customers say the shop has an appealing vibe that brings them back. “Hopefully, we’re going to be successful,” Jacob added. “It gives them another spot to browse around on a Saturday afternoon.”

Briana Allen (right) and Shelby Dunaway

Studio on 1st

Studio on 1st is the city’s newest destination point for professional hair care and skin care. The salon offers services for men and women tailored to them.

Owned by Briana Allen, Studio on 1st could be seen as continuing a family tradition of locally owned business. Next door is her father and grandfather’s longtime business, Allen Service Co. “They played a big role in why I opened my own place,” she said.

She opened July 15, but celebrated a grand opening in late September. She had worked in Birmingham but wanted to return to her hometown so that she could become more involved in the community personally and through her business.

“I’m loving it so far. It’s more than I imagined it would be. I really do love it,” she said. Besides being able to locate next to her family’s business, she chose downtown because of its small town charm. “You can walk to all the places. They know me, and I know them.”

Business owners refer business to each other, she said. “We’re all like close together, helping each other. It’s the perfect spot to start this.”

Joining her is stylist Shelby Dunaway, whom she says shares the same goals for the business – offering quality services and being involved in the community.

Coming on board in October is esthetician Morgan Russell, who will be handling the skin care part of the salon with facials and waxes.

Plans call for one more stylist, “then we’ll have a full house,” Allen said. But the planning hasn’t stopped there. She hopes to extend the back of the building to include a nail technician and perhaps a massage therapist.

Studio on 1st, she said, is “committed to delivering exceptional service and an experience you’ll love coming back to.”

Whitney Gunnison

The Grove

It only took four months for an idea to spring into a full-fledged business. For Whitney Gunnison, the genesis of The Grove evolved from a need. She suffers from celiac disease, an immune reaction to gluten that prevents nutrients from being absorbed and requires a gluten-free diet.

There weren’t any good options locally, so she decided to create a restaurant that filled that need. She renovated the building on Cogswell Avenue and set out to create healthier options with fresh, whole ingredients.

Her story blends her food creations with nourishment for the soul, she said. “I am strong in my faith. I wanted to share the love of Jesus in this building so people could feel the joy, hope and love the Lord has given to us.”

While a traditional downtown may spark memories of yesteryear, there’s a new feeling up and down Cogswell and First Avenues these days.

With Acai, smoothies and fresh salads heading the menu at this café, it’s evident that it is more than just a place to grab a healthy bowl or a smoothie — it’s a place to be “rooted, refreshed and renewed,” she said.

It actually got its name from those ideals – and a sign. She and her husband had considered a few different names but couldn’t decide. The Grove was one of their choices, but they prayed for a sign. He was on a job site in Cullman when he spotted a huge white sign up ahead, proclaiming, “The Grove.” It was their sign – literally and spiritually.

They set out to create a menu by gathering her team together, and they would try different ingredients and “figured out what was great and not so great” through many evenings of taste tests.

Team members who helped with the renovation were paid in bowls and smoothies, she said.

The end result was a comprehensive menu of açaí bowls, smoothies and fresh salads. And it appears she landed on a winning recipe. Judging by the response in the opening days, it’s a hit. 

“The grand opening was super chaotic, but in the best way, she said. “We ran out of acai. We tripped a breaker. We had to close early because Pell City sold us out. After Friday (opening day), I hired four more people.”

But, she added, “everybody was rooting for me. Everybody has been so supportive. They’re excited to have a healthy spot.”

Discover writer wins state award

Elaine Hobson Miller adds to extensive list of honors

Ashville’s Elaine Hobson Miller has been named the 2025 Communicator of Achievement of Alabama Media Professionals.

The St. Clair County resident won the award previously in 2017. That year, she went on to be runner-up in the National Federation of Press Women’s COA race when NFPW held its Communications Conference in Birmingham that year.

 As the Alabama winner, Hobson Miller again vied for the national award when NFPW held its 2025 conference in Golden, Colorado.

The Alabama honoree has been writing since elementary school, when she penned a piece for her school’s newsletter. Throughout high school, she worked on her school’s newspaper staff and served as news editor during her senior year.

 Hobson Miller began her lifelong career as a professional journalist and freelance writer in1968, the summer before her senior year at Samford University. She accepted an internship at the Birmingham Post-Herald, that city’s former morning newspaper.

 The following year, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish. Hobson Miller accepted a full-time position at the Post-Herald. Within a year, she became that newspaper’s first woman to cover the Birmingham city government beat.

 She left the Post Herald in 1972 when her first child was born and freelanced for several years. She was a full-time features writer for Birmingham Magazine from 1978-1980, returning to the Post-Herald in 1980, working first as a copy editor and then as food editor and features writer.

 As a freelancer, she was editor of PrimeLife, a Birmingham-based magazine for people over 55, during the four months of its existence in 1988. She wrote a twice-monthly house column for the Birmingham News, 1992-1997, and was a regular contributor to Southern Lumberman from 1990 to 2001. She also wrote content for various local corporate and government newsletters, brochures and pamphlets, including Jefferson County, Shelby Medical Center (now Baptist Health Shelby Hospital), First National Bank and Vulcan Materials. She edited Birmingham Home & Garden magazine in 2002.

 Hobson Miller took a brief sabbatical from journalism in 1996 following the death of her husband, who owned an independent pharmacy. She did enough freelance writing during that time “to keep my fingers nimble and my brain active,” she said. She sold the pharmacy in 2012 and resumed her focus on writing.

 Although the honoree considers herself semi-retired, her work has appeared regularly in the magazine, Discover the Essence of St. Clair, since it was launched 15 years ago. She also writes for its sister magazine, LakeLife 24/7, both published by the Pell City-based multimedia marketing firm, Partners by Design.

 Active in mission work, Hobson Miller has made four medical mission trips to Peru with Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood and Texas-based E-3 Partners, plus an independent mission trip to Peru. She did one mission trip to Spain and continues to participate in mission trips to Zacapa, Guatemala, where three Alabama churches have an ongoing relationship with the small village of Conevisa.

$100-million development in works

Moody putting together massive retail project

If all goes as planned, Moody will begin seeing the beginning of a $100 million retail development along U.S. 411 and the Little Cahaba River.

Proposed by noted developer Stan Pate of Tuscaloosa, city officials are hailing it as a “real win” for the city, according to Moody Mayor Bill Lee.

The 200,000 to 250,00 square foot retail space is targeting property between 7 Brew and Joey Adkins Drive on Moody Parkway.

It took some incentives to land the deal, but Lee and the city council believe it to be a wise investment. The property has had its challenges because of the environmental concerns about the creek running through it, but the incentives will help overcome what had been financial roadblocks in the past.

According to the incentive agreement the council approved, worth about $65 million in incentives, it involves abatement of selected sales and property taxes, fees and permits, for up to 40 years or until the total it is paid. Pate has five years to begin the incentive process after his company invests a minimum of $10 million.

The 30-acre site will be mixed use of shopping and dining options. Clearing has already begun on the property. Existing property owners sold their land to Pate and businesses on that property now will be demolished after their leases are up.

The Fallow Season

Not every season of life will look productive on the surface. Some years are meant for planting, others for harvesting … but the fallow season – the one where the soil rests – often feels the longest and hardest.

But in that rest, unseen forces are still at work. The ground is regenerating and restoring itself and what looks like emptiness now is actually preparation for future abundance.

Our lives often follow the same rhythm. There are seasons where we strive, create, and flourish. And there are seasons where we’re called to pause, recover, and be still.

This time may look and feel unproductive, even wasted. But the fallow season is not for nought – it’s a period of necessary preparation.

It’s a season of hidden and holy work, preparing the soil … and our soul … for the future fruits of our labor.

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

The Rock Bridge

Key part of Chandler Mountain’s rare natural beauty

Story by Paul South
Photos by Mackenzie Free

Sometimes nature’s miracles enter our hearts, souls and minds with a bang, like the colors of the Northern Lights, or the Hale-Bopp comet piercing a blue-black sky as it did late in the last century. Both phenomena are greeted by “ooohs” and “aaahhhs,” wows or wordless, wide-eyed wonder.

But more often, time and the elements combine quietly with nature to create something magnificent and mystical.

So, it is with the Chandler Natural Bridge, a place known simply as The Rock Bridge. Located near the base of Chandler Mountain that forms part of the St. Clair-Etowah County line, the natural bridge is one of six named natural bridges and two unnamed spans in Alabama, according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society.

The Rock Bridge spans Little Canoe Creek. It’s 48 feet long, 54 feet wide and 17 feet thick. The top part of the span is made from Gaspar Limestone. Wind and water erosion sculpted the bridge over millions of years.

Since 2003, Save Chandler Mountain, a nonprofit advocacy group for the mountain, has worked to protect the Alabama’s third-largest peak, which is known as the “Tomato Capital of the World.”

Fran Summerlin, founder and president of the advocacy group, has a special place in her heart for the mountain and for the Rock Bridge. She holds dear childhood memories of her brother taking her to see the bridge when she was only five.

“It was fascinating, I’d never seen anything like it. It was wonderful.”

What made it fascinating?

“There was a big rock that looked like a bridge,” Summerlin said.

“When you think of natural bridges all over the country, they’re always revered,” she said. “People love going and seeing them. (The Rock Bridge) was formed by water, and it’s a fascinating place.”

She talks of Alabama Power Company’s unsuccessful plans two years ago to build a hydroelectric dam there, a move that drew vocal opposition from residents, environmentalists and Native American groups. “If the power company project had gone on, it (the bridge) would have been covered with water,” Summerlin said. “It would have been lost.”

In August 2023, Alabama Power withdrew its application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to operate a Pumped Storage Hyrdro facility at Chandler Mountain.

Locals now have a heightened sense of the mountain’s importance. Darrell Hyatt, too, has precious memories of the bridge – picnics, swimming in the creek and exploring the area. “It should be a state park,” Hyatt said. “It’s beyond comprehension that anyone would consider destroying it.”

Summerlin said Save Chandler Mountain is continuing to research the area and work to find historical and archaeological treasures on the mountain. “We will continue to do that and continue to hope that (the utility) would come to some conclusion that the land needs to be preserved.”

Seth Penn is an environmental and political activist and enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama. While he couldn’t speak specifically about the significance of the Rock Bridge to indigenous peoples, generally speaking, natural arches and bridges often have sacred meaning for Native American tribes, who often see natural bridges as portals to the upper and lower spiritual worlds.

“I don’t know a lot of specifics about that specific natural bridge itself to really give you a lot of insight,” Penn said. “I can tell you that a lot of natural bridges … and special occurring rock features such as that which occur on the landscape are often seen as portal-type places, meaning they are significant to various indigenous tribes. And often, those are places where certain ceremonies or prayers will be conducted because they do believe sites like that have special spiritual significance.”

Rich Beckman, Knight Chair of Journalism Emeritus at the University of Miami (FL), is president of the nonprofit Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Formed in 1968, the 200-member organization works to protect natural arches and bridges and promote the study, appreciation and preservation of the natural structures.

While the NABS is small compared to other environmental groups like the Sierra Club, Beckman said the organization can “raise a ruckus” when natural treasures like the Rock Bridge are threatened.

“We don’t preserve natural arches, but we do try to help them live out their life cycle without abuse,” he wrote in an e-mail. “So, we are concerned about any planned or criminal destruction by man.”

The NABS joined locals and indigenous peoples to oppose an Alabama Power plan to build a hydroelectric power facility on Chandler Mountain, a proposal opponents of the plan argued would flood Chandler Mountain and leave the natural bridge underwater.

In the face of opposition, the utility withdrew its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit request and shelved the proposal, at least for now.

“We certainly let the utility know of our disapproval,” Beckman wrote. “(The Alabama Power proposal) would have been a disaster.”

The land where the bridge resides is fenced off by Alabama Power and closed to the public.

However, a portion of the utility-owned land on the mountain is open to hunters under Alabama Power’s hunting license program.

 In an email, company spokesman Joey Blackwell wrote, “Through this program, parcels of land across the state are awarded through a public auction program,” Blackwell wrote. “Once a hunting license is awarded to a particular hunting club, the property can only be hunted by its members and guests.”

The utility makes some of its land holdings available for public use, including public access points across 13 reservoirs in partnership with local and state agencies, Blackwell said. The hunting license program is one of those initiatives.

Blackwell defended Alabama Power’s land use practices. “Alabama Power manages its St. Clair and Etowah County property holdings in the same way we work to be good stewards of land across out state,” Blackwell wrote. “Alabama is one of the most biodiverse states in the country, and experts in forestry, biology and wetlands management work together to protect our natural resources.”

Meanwhile, Save Chandler Mountain’s preservation work continues. How can citizens get involved?

“There’s power in numbers,” Summerlin said. “They could join Save Chandler Mountain, get on our Facebook page. We continue to strive to preserve this land. Just get involved with us.”

Hyatt said the mountain and the Chandler Natural Bridge are important, not to be taken for granted. “I was in awe of it, even as a child,” he said. “I didn’t really appreciate this place then as much as I do now. The older I get, the more it means.”

What would Summerlin want people who had never seen the Chandler Natural Bridge to know about the span?

“It Is s magical place,” she said. “It deserves to be preserved. In fact, all of this community and this area deserve to be preserved because it is a holy place for the Cherokees. It has incredible historical significance, not just for the indigenous people, but with, for example President Andrew Jackson took the land and either sold it or granted deeds to people.”

Some descendants of those original recipients still have those deeds, Summerlin said.

“This is a very historically significant, culturally significant, and I would like to say, it’s a sacred place.” l

Editor’s Note: For more information about Save Chandler Mountain, contact Fran Summerlin at fransummerlin@att.net, or visit the Save Chandler Mountain Facebook page or on the organization’s website, savechandlermountain.com. Dues are $20 annually.m to keep our programming fresh, giving people a reason to come and come back again to discover our rich history.”

More at the Museum of Pell City

Art of Nettie Bean and students kicks off new program at Museum of Pell City

From the work of budding student artists to seasoned professionals, a burgeoning art community is finding a home at Museum of Pell City.

The museum has already hosted the Helen Keller Foundation of Alabama Art Show twice with plans to bring it back in September. Featuring the creations of students across the state with visual impairments, blindness, and/or deaf-blindness, this show is growing in popularity in Pell City because of these inspirational works.

The museum has presented the annual Duran Junior High School Art Show as well, giving students a home to display their works for the public to see.

Now comes the next level – providing a home for the entire art community.

“Our community is so blessed with talented artists of all mediums, but artists have long lacked a place they could call their own in terms of shows,” said Museum President Carol Pappas. “Before we even opened our doors in 2022, we talked of an eventual evolution to cultural arts center. Yes, we are a history museum, but we recognized the need to expand our reach and become a center for the art community, too.”

The museum’s board invested in infrastructure to create gallery space leading into the museum with a hanging wall system, ideal for shows and art displays. Because of the mezzanine-type venue, it is prominently visible to museum goers, but it is also piquing interest from the heavily traveled lobby of the municipal complex.

“It gives us an opportunity to reach more people – more opportunities to expose these creative works to the public,” Pappas said. “We’re excited about the potential.”

To kick of what the board hopes will be a regular event, noted artist Nettie Bean of Gallery of Eden and her students were the inaugural show, which opened in July and continued through early August.

Bean is an Alabama-based artist who creates stunning oil paintings of landscapes, wildlife and birds. After college, she became known for her “house portraits,” painting door-to-door for clients.

Her life-size eagle paintings are displayed at The Lodge at Guntersville State Park.

She is passionate about teaching and conducts weekly painting classes at the gallery she owns with husband Wally Bromberg.

Bean said she believes that art is a gift meant to be shared, and she strives to make original art accessible to all. “That’s precisely what we’re trying to do through this new program to showcase our art community at the museum, one we hope will grow and thrive for years to come.”

The Helen Keller Foundation of Alabama Art Show is slated for Sept. 11-27.

More exhibits on the way

In addition to its latest venture into art, the museum is planning even more events in the months to come.

It will unveil an outreach program this month that puts mini-exhibits in public places like schools, city hall and county courthouse. “The idea is to give the public a glimpse at what they might find at our 4,000 square foot museum,” Pappas said. “People just don’t realize the depth and scope of our museum, so we want to take it to them – at least a little part of it.”

The outreach exhibits’ theme is Find it at Museum of Pell City, and it shares nuggets of the historic stories, photos and artifacts we have to offer through compelling, custom-designed displays.

Starry Night at Waffle House in the style of Van Gogh by Penny Arnold a crowd favorite

They encourage people to find out more at the museum, which is open Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is always free.

Coming soon is a model train exhibit that has been built by a team of volunteers over the past several months. The 17-foot display with a running train depicts the 1920s version of Pell City.

“It all began with a train,” Pappas noted, referring to the ‘first’ founding of the town in 1890 when Sumter Cogswell missed his train to Talladega, spent the night in Pell City and envisioned a town.

Nationally known artist Dirk Walker has donated his original painting of one of the train depots, and the board will be using it as a fundraiser for the museum along with selling numbered, matted prints of the original.

“We owe Dirk a debt of thanks for his generosity,” Pappas said. “He and his wife, Debbie, have been so supportive of our efforts. You can see all about him and his work in our museum, which features Pell Citians who have made a national name through their talents in art, music, sports and film.”

In November, the museum presents its annual Salute to Service, which will see its military section redesigned and expanded to better cover modern days wars in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan.

It also will feature oral history videos from local veterans and St. Clair County District Attorney Lyle Harmon as keynote speaker at the Nov. 7 special program. He is a veteran of the second invasion of Iraq in the101st Airborne Division, 217th Calvary. He was a helicopter pilot flying reconnaissance missions.

“As you can see, we have lots in store for museum goers,” Pappas said. “Like history, it evolves. We aim to keep our programming fresh, giving people a reason to come and come back again to discover our rich history.”