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Powell School
Photo: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Powell School

Also known as Free School

On the National Register since 197650 years
Victorian GothicListed 1976Birmingham
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Powell School

Powell School, at 2331 6th Ave., N, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Jun 17, 1976. It was among the first 8 of Birmingham’s 156 listings. The Register lists it for its education and architecture, at the local level. It describes its style as Victorian Gothic, as it does for 4 other Alabama listings. The listing covers 1.3 acres. Eight more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isSchool building in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. From Wikidata (CC0).

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 28 MB · National Archives↗
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 10 minutes

2331 6th Ave., N, Birmingham · about 0.3 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Powell SchoolStart here
  2. 2Downtown Birmingham Historic District (Boundary Increase II)Classical Revival · 0.1 mi on
  3. 3Downtown Birmingham Historic District (Boundary Increase III)District · next door
  4. 4Waters BuildingVictorian · Built 1888 · next door
  5. 5Downtown Birmingham Historic DistrictItalianate · next door
Around it

34 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BFirst Presbyterian ChurchVictorian Gothic0.2 miBFirst United Methodist ChurchRichardsonian Romanesque0.2 miBHotel RedmontChicago Style · Built 19250.2 miBAge-Herald BuildingBeaux Arts · Built 19100.2 miBWhilldin BuildingEclectic · Built 19230.2 miBWimberly-Thomas WarehouseBuilt 19080.2 miBDr. Pepper Syrup PlantModern Movement0.3 miBSt. Paul's Catholic ChurchVictorian Gothic · Built 18930.3 miBEpiscopal Church of the AdventEnglish Gothic · Built 18730.3 miBRidgely ApartmentsSecond Empire · Built 19140.3 miBFirst Christian Church Education BuildingNeo-Classical · Built 19240.3 miBSteiner Bank BuildingRichardsonian Romanesque · Built 18900.4 miBBirmingham, Railway, Light and Power BuildingBuilding0.4 miDDowntown Birmingham Historic District (Boundary Increase)District0.4 miBZinszer's Peter, Mammoth Furniture HouseCast-Iron-Front · Built 18890.4 miBCrittenden BuildingArt Deco · Built 19240.4 miDMorris Avenue-First Avenue North Historic DistrictVictorian Italianate0.4 miBWatts BuildingArt Deco0.4 mi
Show the other 16
DDowntown Birmingham Retail and Theatre Historic District (Boundary Increase)Commercial0.4 miBFederal Reserve Bank of Atlanta-Birmingham BranchClassical Revival · Built 19260.4 miBWoodward BuildingChicago Style · Built 19020.5 miBMcAdory BuildingVictorian Renaissance Revival · Built 18880.5 miBFirst National-John A. Hand BuildingNeo-Classical0.5 miDHeaviest Corner on EarthChicago Commercial Style0.5 miBIdeal Department Store BuildingRenaissance Revival · Built 19290.5 miBEmpire BuildingNeo-Classical0.5 miBCaldwell-Milner BuildingVictorian Renaissance Revival0.5 miDMorris Avenue Historic DistrictNeo-Classical0.5 miBMorrow and Sinnige Nabers BuildingRenaissance Revival · Built 18980.5 miBLoveman, Joseph, & Loeb Department StoreArt Deco0.5 miBKress, S. H., and Company BuildingModerne · Built 19370.5 miBFox BuildingVictorian Commercial0.5 miBU.S. Post OfficeNeoclassical Revival0.5 miBSouth Central Bell BuildingBuilding0.5 mi
More like it

Victorian Gothic style, nearby

Other National Register listings within 25 miles described as Victorian Gothic.

First Presbyterian Church0.2 mi away
St. Paul's Catholic ChurchBuilt 1893 · 0.3 mi away

Memories of Powell School

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Questions about Powell School

Is Powell School on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Jun 17, 1976 (Register number 76000331).

Is Powell School a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Alabama has 36 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 0.7 miles away.

Can you visit Powell School?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Powell School?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 28 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 77836412 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.