Montgomery's Historic Neighborhoods

Montgomery's first neighborhoods were nestled close to downtown for convenience, but over the decades, Montgomery has grown into the second-largest city in Alabama.

In 1887, the electric trolley system made living beyond the city limits feasible, and the first streetcar suburb, Highland Park, was developed the same year. Although neighborhoods such as Centennial Hill, Cottage Hill, the Garden District, and the Old Line Street existed before the trolley, it spurred their growth, and other surrounding cities, like Capitol Heights and Cloverdale, were incorporated into Montgomery by 1908. By the time automobiles had replaced the trolley, Montgomery was a sprawling metropolis.Images of America: Montgomery's Historic Neighborhoodsdocuments the changes from inner city to suburban residences and from mass transportation to the automobile. The images show how residents lived, worked, studied, worshipped, and played for over a century in Montgomery's iconic neighborhoods.