1st Avenue North Bessemer

1st Avenue North Bessemer (often just 1st Avenue Bessemer) is an east-west avenue paralleling the Alabama Great Southern Railroad tracks, a block north of Alabama Avenue, through downtown Bessemer.

Notable addresses (west to east)

• Spring Street (Bessemer) intersects
• Valley Street intersects
• 1st Street North Bessemer intersects
• 2nd Street North Bessemer intersects
• avenue dead ends mid-block
• 4th Street North Bessemer intersects
• McCulley Street intersects (south only)
• 7th Avenue North Bessemer intersects
• Rose Avenue Bessemer intersects (avenue ends)
• avenue resumes at 8th Avenue North Bessemer
• 9th Street North Bessemer intersects
• 10th Street North Bessemer intersects
• avenue ends at 11th Street North Bessemer
• avenue resumes opposite Halls Creek
  • 1101: Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
• 12th Street North Bessemer intersects
• 13th Street North Bessemer intersects
  • 1329: General Auto & Truck Repair
  • 1331: Ride Today USA, former location of J. A. Massey service station (1951), Langston's Service Station (1981), Cox's Service Station (1985–1989)
• 14th Street North Bessemer (Alabama State Highway 150) intersects
  • 1400: Poole's Auto
  • 1401–1405: Roy Lumber (1947–)
  • 1420: former location of Billy Arrington's Garage (1989)
  • 1421: former location of ExCello Machine Co. (1951)
  • 1423: First Avenue Recycling Corporation, former location of Salvage Parts & Metals (1988)
  • 1424: Wagon Wheel Deli & Grill
  • 1425: former location of Morris Bus Line garage (1951)
  • 1426: Eddie's Body Shop (1989–)
• 15th Street North Bessemer intersects
  • 1500: former location of the Bessemer Advertizer newspaper (1963)
  • 1501–1511: Bessemer Municipal Court / Bessemer Police Department
• 16th Street North Bessemer intersects
  • 1600–1604: Bessemer Electric & Water Services, former location of Bessemer City Ice Co. (1951)
• 17th Street North Bessemer intersects (north only)
  • 1708: former location of Birmingham News Bessemer bureau
  • 1718: former location of Burns Transfer Co. barn (1951)
  • 1724: Brown Beauty Barber School
  • 1728–1730: former location of Veterans of Foreign Wars Bailey Rogers Post No. 1762
  • 1729–1731: former location of City Lumber & Supply Co. (1951), Garrett & Swindal Masonry Co. (Durwood Garrett / Leon Swindal 1971)
• 18th Street North Bessemer intersects
  • north side:
    • 1800–1830: parking lot for Jefferson County Bessemer Justice Center
      • 1800: former location of Burns Transfer Co. (1951)
      • 1806: former location of Birmingham Post-Herald Bessemer bureau (1951)
      • 1812: former location of Cab Lumber Co. (C. A. Boohaker 1951–1960)
      • 1818–1820: former location of one-story commercial building (built c. 1915), Bell-Rogers Produce Co. (1915–), ABC Store No. 14 (1949–1951)
      • 1822: former location of The War Surplus Store (1951)
      • 1824: former location of Ideal Finance Co. (1951)
      • 1826: former location of Maloy & Co. storage (1951)
      • 1828: one-story commercial building (built before 1925)
      • 1830: two-story commercial building (built c. 1890), former location of Huddleston Drug Store, Tommie's House of Beauty
  • south side:
    • 1801–1809: Regions Bank
      • 1801: former location of Jim Cowley's Service Station (1951)
    • 1811–1831: Alex Bradford Park
      • 1819: former location of A & A Beverage Co. beer (William Padalino 1951)
      • 1831: former location of Hallman & Bailey filling station (1951)

• 19th Street North Bessemer intersects
  • north side:
    • 1906: former location of Digby Grocery (1951)
    • 1908–1910: one-story commercial building (built c. 1910), former location of U. Friedman, National Clothing Co., Gatewood's Bar & Grill, Public Finance
      • 1908: former location of John Lawlah tailor / Joseph Croom shoe repair / Old Reliable Barber Shop (1951)
      • 1910: former location of Anthony LaSala billiards / Bill Hall's Cafe (1951)
        • 1910½: former location of Joe Posey shoe shine (1951)
    • 1912: two-story commercial building, former location of New Deal Tavern, State Clothing Company, New Deal Cafe (1951)
      • 1912½: former location of William Dowdell dentist / Lorenzo Demby physician / Carrie Pierce (1951)
    • 1914: former location of Whitten Clothing Co. (1951)
    • 1916: former location of James Moreland barber (1951)
    • 1918: former location of Frolic Theatre (Bessemer) (1951)
      • 1918½: former location of Arthur Tiddle phonographs (1951)
    • 1920: former location of W. S. Shivers Clothing Co. (1951)
      • 1920a: former location of Lee Loan Co. (1951)
    • 1922: former location of Hall Cafe (1951)
      • 1922½: former location of Samuel Allen barber (1951)
    • 1924: former location of F. D. Mayo tailor / Percy Colvin watch repair (1951)
      • 1924a: former location of White Loan Co. (1951)
    • 1926: former location of Money Loan Co. (1951), McCormick's Barber & Style Shop (2017)
    • 1928: former location of Lincoln Theatre (1948–1983)
    • 1930: former location of Union Confectionery (1951), Sam Dunn's Saloon, Corey's Barber & Style (2013)
      • 1930½: former location of Aaron Davis dentist / Lincoln Industrial Insurance Co. (1951)
  • south side:
    • 1901–1907: former location of R. L. Lumzy Funeral Service
      • 1901–1903: two-story commercial building (built c. 1905), former location of J.C. Lewis Furniture Co., Braswell Home Furnishings (1951–1985)
      • 1907: former location of Atlantic Coast Line Railroad freight & passenger station (c. 1905–1951)
    • 1911: former location of Atlantic Coast Line Railroad warehouse (1951)
    • 1915: former location of Mayo Tailoring Building (built c. 1915 by Erlick & Lefkovitz), Frank Mayo tailor (1920s–1963)

• 20th Street North Bessemer intersects
  • 2000–2014: Alabama Department of Human Resources
  • 2001–2031: parking lot
  • 2016–2030: parking lot
• 21st Street North Bessemer intersects
• avenue ends at 22nd Street North Bessemer

References

• Nelson, Linda and Melanie Best (December 12, 1990) "Downtown Bessemer Historic District, Supplementary Listing Record" National Register of Historic Places. Listed July 15, 1992