Anniston, Alabama

Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in northeast Alabama, at the foot of the Appalachian foothills. It began as a company town built around iron furnaces and was promoted by its founders as a planned, modern community; Atlanta Constitution editor Henry Grady later called it the “Model City of the New South” [1]. For more than a century its economy has been shaped by iron and pipe manufacturing and, from World War I onward, by two major Army installations [1][2]. The city had 23,106 residents in 2010 and 24,276 in 2000 [2].

Founding of a planned town

The Woodstock Iron Company rebuilt an iron furnace near the site in 1872, and the settlement that grew around it was first meant to be called Woodstock, but that name was already taken when incorporation papers were filed [1][2]. The founders instead named it “Annie’s Town” for Annie Scott Tyler, Tyler’s daughter-in-law [1]. The Noble and Tyler families who led the project were eager to adopt new technology [1].

A second furnace opened in 1879, and the population was 942 in 1880 [1]. The Anniston Manufacturing Company cotton mill followed in 1881 [1]. In 1882 Anniston became the first city in Alabama lit by electricity [1]. Lots were sold in June 1883 and the official opening ceremony took place July 3, 1883 [1]. By 1890 more than 9,000 people lived there, and the city ranked among the five largest in Alabama from the 1890s to the 1950s [1][2].

County seat

Anniston replaced Jacksonville as seat of Calhoun County around 1899–1900 [1][2]. The Calhoun County Courthouse dates to 1900; a fire destroyed it in 1931, it was rebuilt a year later, and it was restored in 1990 [2]. The Anniston Star began publishing in 1912 [1].

Military presence

The Army established a training camp at Fort McClellan in 1917 at the start of World War I. It later served as a Military Police Training Academy and chemical warfare training center, and it closed in 1999 after the 1995 base realignment round [2]. About 9,000 acres were set aside in 2003 for the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge, and the site now hosts an Alabama National Guard training center and the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Domestic Preparedness [2]. The Alabama Symphony Orchestra has held a summer concert series at the former fort since 2004 [2].

The Anniston Army Depot opened in 1941 as a major weapons storage and maintenance site, and it maintains most Army tracked vehicles [1][2]. The depot and its contractors are the city’s largest employer [2]. Anniston Memorial Hospital, now Regional Medical Center Anniston, opened in 1944 [1].

Economy

Early industry centered on iron, steel and pipe clay, and cast iron soil pipe stayed popular until plastic pipe arrived in the 1960s [2]. Planners also promoted Anniston as a health resort, and several hotels opened [2]. Part of an eastern bypass opened in January 2011, and the main shopping centers are in nearby Oxford [2].

Education

Anniston City Schools operates Anniston High, Anniston Middle and five elementary schools [2]. Private schools include Faith Christian School, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School and The Donoho School [2]. The Noble Institute, a girls’ school, was established in 1886 and the Alabama Presbyterian College for Men in 1905 [2]. Jacksonville State University is nearby, and Gadsden State Community College has satellite campuses in Anniston [2].

Culture and landmarks

The Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum of World History hold mummies, wildlife dioramas and artifacts [2]. Temple Beth El, dedicated in 1893, is described as the oldest building in the state in continuous use for Jewish worship [2]. The Spirit of Anniston Main Street Program, founded in 1993, led the restoration of downtown, especially Noble Street [2]. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival began in Anniston in 1972 and moved to Montgomery in 1985; see Alabama Shakespeare Festival [2].

FAQs

Why is Anniston called the Model City? Henry Grady of the Atlanta Constitution used the phrase “Model City of the New South” for the planned industrial town [1].

What happened to Fort McClellan? The Army closed it in 1999; parts became a wildlife refuge and training centers [2].

When was Anniston lit by electricity? In 1882, the first city in Alabama to be so lit [1].

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Anniston
2. Wikipedia: Anniston, Alabama (archived)

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue