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Across Time - Alabama Constitution Village
 By Josh Makens
Mention Huntsville, Ala., and many of us think of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. But long before Huntsville played such an important role in our space program, it played a significant role in Alabama’s history.
Before Huntsville became a town, John Hunt left Tennessee in 1804 looking for a new home for his family. The next year he spent clearing land and fencing a field that became known as Hunt’s Station and is now part of the city of Huntsville. At the time of a land sale, circa 1808, it was discovered that Hunt had not registered his claims. Leroy Pope bought his lands. Pope changed the name of Hunt’s Station to Twickenham, but there was much resentment toward Pope, and the new city government changed the name to Huntsville to honor the original settler. Today, Hunt lies in an unmarked grave near the city dump.
In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama, and in 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in a cabinet shop. Today, where that cabinet shop stood in 1819 is part of a living museum called Alabama Constitution Village. Constitution Hall is a replica of the workshop where Alabama’s Constitution was signed.
The museum commemorates historic events and the early way of life for both the city of Huntsville and the state of Alabama. The museum consists of four major buildings representing the time period from 1805-1819 reconstructed on their original sites. You can see daily hands-on demonstrations of 1819 chores as costumed guides recreate life, from dipping candles and crafting furniture to printing on the old press.
The woodworking shop is functional and stocked with antique tools including a hand turning lathe for shaping wood, foot-operated lathes for fine wood turnings, saws and chisels, among other tools that early pioneers used for creating items they couldn’t run down to the store to buy.
As you walk the grounds you’ll see the blacksmith’s shop with period tools and the leather bellows used for fanning the flames in the forge. A wheelwright shares the smithy’s space.
Demonstrations in basket weaving, spinning yarn on the old-fashioned spinning wheel, and weaving the yarn on a loom are worth watching. And there are vegetable gardens as well as herb gardens that are tended by the guides.
There is a Confectionary Shoppe on site, and special events are held throughout the year. Tours are available and you can expect to spend about two hours when visiting – even longer if you become fascinated by the demonstrations.
Alabama Constitution Village: 109 Gates Ave., 256-564-8100
Huntsville CVB: 800-SPACE-4-U, huntsville.org
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