Oxmoor Road

Oxmoor Road is an approximately three and three-quarters mile long street running mostly roughly northeast-southwest through Homewood between Independence Drive (U.S. Highway 31) and West Oxmoor Road. It is part of a road dating back to at least the 1860s which was previously known as Oxmoor-Irondale Road and connected the Cahaba Iron Works in Irondale with Oxmoor Furnace in Oxmoor, hence the road's name.

History

In the 1860s, Oxmoor-Irondale Road was used to haul pig iron from both Irondale and Oxmoor south to Selma. The road was also important for early settlers of Shades Valley as it was easier to use it to access the two furnace's commisary stores for supplies than to cross Red Mountain to Elyton, or later Birmingham, for them. It was along this road that the settlements that would eventually become Homewood took shape. At some point in the first half of the 20th century, the road became known simply as Oxmoor Road.

Mining camps along Oxmoor Road were used as filming locations for the 1925 silent feature Coming Through.

Most of Oxmoor Road was resurfaced in 1949.

During the late 20th century, two bypasses were created along Oxmoor Road. First, during the 1970s, Oxmoor Boulevard was built north of Oxmoor Road to provide light industry that appeared on West Oxmoor Road a multi-lane route to I-65 and avoid a residential area. Oxmoor Road intersects both ends of Oxmoor Boulevard. Second, during the late 1980s, Palisades Boulevard and Palisades Drive routed traffic through the Palisades shopping center to Green Springs Highway. In this case, direct access into the residential section along Oxmoor was cut off as Oxmoor feeds directly into the two Palisades roads.

Road description

Oxmoor Road is one of the primary east-west roads through Homewood, although the majority of it, except for some left turn lanes at select intersections, is two-lane road. Oxmoor is a five-lane road between Columbiana Road and east end of Oxmoor Boulevard (near Green Springs Highway and Interstate 65) and between the west end of Oxmoor Boulevard and West Oxmoor Road. At the intersection with the west end of Oxmoor Boulevard, Oxmoor Road makes a 90-degree turn to the south. It then forms a fork with West Oxmoor Road and becomes West Oxmoor for those traveling south. The eastern end of Oxmoor Road becomes Hollywood Boulevard.

Just south of the Palisades, Oxmoor Road is on the Birmingham-Homewood border. Between Oxmoor Boulevard and West Oxmoor Road, portions of Oxmoor Road are fully in Birmingham while others are again along the Birmingham-Homewood border.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the Oxmoor Road category.

• West Oxmoor Road intersection (continues south as West Oxmoor Road)
  • 90: InTown Suites Oxmoor
  • 102: Sandstone Medical Technologies
  • 111: Buffalo Rock Company headquarters
• Oxmoor Boulevard/Barber Court intersection
  • 140C: former location of Computerland (1990)
  • 160: Shades Valley Community Church (formerly Oxmoor Ice Lodge/Alpine Ice Arena)
  • 162: Bogue's (formerly Devinci's Pizza, Florida Grille and Sirena's Latino & Seafood Grill)
  • 186: 186 Building
    • Suite H1: Sandy's Ole Tyme Barber Shop (2011-)
  • 195: Comfort Inn Oxmoor Hotel
  • 220: Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
  • 260: America's Best Value Inn & Suites (formerly Admiral Benbow Inn, Rodeway Inn)
  • 302: Gus's Hot Dogs (Homewood)
• Oxmoor Boulevard intersection
• Interstate 65 interchange
  • Green Springs Shopping Center
• Green Springs Highway intersection
• Columbiana Road intersection (road terminus; traffic continues east on Palisades Boulevard)
• 400-600 blocks: single-family homes.
• Palisades Drive intersection (one way eastbound access along Oxmoor)

Edgewood Business District

• Peerless Avenue (north) / Virginia Drive (south) intersection
  • 850: Edgewood Presbyterian Church
  • 901: Edgewood Terrace Apartments
  • 920: Soda Jerk restaurant (2017-), former location of DWP Construction
• St Charles Street intersection (north only)
  • North side:
    • 930: Homewood Antiques, former location of V. Richard's
    • 932: Sam's Deli & Grill, former location of Moneer's
    • 934: Short N Sweet Consignments (former location of O'Neal Drugs)
    • 936: Edgewood Creamery
    • 940: Homewood Pharmacy, former location of Homewood Florist
    • 960: Dreamcakes
  • South side
    • 923: Weezie's Candy Emporium, former location of Top Stitchin'
    • 925: On Top Embroidery & Design
    • 927: Sprout & Pour
    • 931: Markle-Reed Building, Blonde Salon Spa/Bella Bridesmaid; originally Edgewood Drug Company, later Greene Mar Drugs, Markle Discount Drugs, Markle Home Health Care Center, and Escape Day Spa
• Broadway Street intersection (south only)
  • • 1006: Vinnie Baggs (2016-), former location of La Bamba Grill (2009-2016)
    • 1008: Saw's BBQ (formerly Broadway BBQ), former location of Byte Size (1990)
    • 1010–1012: New York Pizza
      • 1010: formerly Toy & Record Shop (1960s)
      • 1012: formerly Valley Variety & Hardware Store (1940s)
    • 1014: Taco Mama (2016-), former location of New York Pizza, Cool Beans Coffee House, Hart & Soul Coffee Company (-July 2015)
    • 1016: Engaged Wedding Library, former location of Night Owl Paper Goods
    • 1030: Chevron gas station
  • South side
    • 1001: Trilogy Leather
    • 1003: Edgewood Frame Shop (formerly Bill's Hobby Shop and TV Sales and Service)
    • 1013: former site of Homewood Electronics Co. (1960s)
    • 1017: Edgewood Station shopping center (2017-), former location of Edgewood Service Center (-2017)
    • 1018: The Ruby Begonia

Road continues

• Evergreen Avenue intersection (north only)
  • 1019: Dawson Memorial Baptist Church Family Recreation Center (former location of Colonial Stores grocery)
  • 1114: Dawson Memorial Baptist Church
  • 1400: Trinity United Methodist Church
  • 1629: Applause Dancewear, former location of Oxmoor Road Service Station (1956)
  • 1632: Homewood Park/Homewood Department of Parks and Recreation
• Central Avenue intersection
  • 1706: Nabeel's Café and Market (formerly Hamburger Heaven)
  • 1720-28: Our Lady of Sorrows
  • 1721: Homewood Public Library
  • 1732: Oxmoor Animal Clinic
  • 1736: Lathan Associates Architects offices
• Crescent Avenue intersection (north only)
  • 1740: formerly Resolutions LLC
• Linden Avenue intersection (north only)
  • 1755: Prime Time Treasures (formerly Homewood Public Library)
• 18th Street South intersection
  • 1800: Ridout's Brown Service Chapel
  • 1808: Hallman Hill sales office
  • 1809: Walter Holmquist residence
  • 1840: The Hill apartments
• 19th Street South/Firefighter Lane intersection
  • North side: Hallman Hill (formerly Homewood Gardens Apartments)
    • Pinches Tacos
  • 1901: Carriage House Weddings
• Cook Street intersection (south only)
  • Cameron's Corner shopping center
    • 1909: Do It Yourself Crafts
    • 1915: Hunter's Cleaners
    • 1917: former location of Qwik Mart
    • 1919: UPS Store (former location of Majik Market, Neverthirst)
• Drake Street intersection (south only)
  • Piggly Wiggly
  • Homewood Shell
• Independence Drive intersection (continues east as Hollywood Boulevard)

References

• Summe, Sheryl Spradling. (2001). Homewood: The Life of a City. Homewood, AL: Friends of the Homewood Public Library.