Lowndesboro, Alabama

Lowndesboro, Alabama
Town
The Will Stone Store, (Est. 1820) in Lowndesboro.
Location in Lowndes County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 32°16′23″N 86°36′36″W / 32.27306°N 86.61000°W / 32.27306; -86.61000
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Lowndes
Area
• Total	0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2)
• Land	0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	404 ft (123 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	115
• Density	175/sq mi (66.7/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	36752
Area code(s)	334
FIPS code	01-44536
GNIS feature ID	0163936

Lowndesboro is a town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 115, down from 140 in 2000. It is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area. Although initially incorporated in 1856 by an act of the state legislature, it lapsed and was not reincorporated until 1962.

As of the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Censuses, Lowndesboro, along with Benton, are the only two towns (out of 7) in Lowndes County with a white majority of residents. Both are the 6th (Lowndesboro) and 7th (Benton) smallest communities.

Originally known as McGill's Hill, the community began attracting settlers following the conclusion of the Creek War. In 1832, the residents changed the name to Lowndesboro in honor of U.S. Congressman William Lowndes, the son of Rawlins Lowndes, an early South Carolina governor.

With its proximity to the Alabama River, the community had grown into a prosperous town by the 1830s. Many wealthy planters settled in the area, leaving a legacy of historic mid-19th-century architecture that largely survived intact into the modern era. A brief skirmish was fought at Lowndesboro in April 1865 between a group of Confederate cavalry and advance troops of the Union Army during Wilson's Raid. Federal troops occupied the town after driving off the Confederate force, with very little destruction noted from the occupation, thus preserving many of the antebellum houses and structures in the Lowndesboro Historic District.

Like many small Southern communities with an economy based on cotton production and trade, Lowndesboro declined rapidly in the post-war years. At least partially attributed to this decline was the survival of much of the pre-war architecture into the 20th century, making it a unique assemblage of 19th-century architecture. Today much of the town is included in the Lowndesboro Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dicksonia Plantation ruins are also a notable place of interest.