The story of 5 Points
It started as a revival. In 1892, a group of local businessmen created the East Huntsville Addition — the city's first suburb. A streetcar line made it possible for working families to live farther from downtown. The streets were named after the men who built it: Pratt, Wellman, Ward, Wells.
The neighborhood takes its name from the place where five streets converge at a single intersection. That crossroads is still there — you'll recognize it by the star on the street signs.
Architecture
One of the things that makes 5 Points so visually interesting is that no two blocks look quite the same. The homes span the full arc of American domestic architecture — walk one street and you're walking through a hundred years of how Americans imagined home.
Timeline
East Huntsville Addition founded
Huntsville's first streetcar suburb platted. Streets named after the businessmen who built it — Pratt, Wellman, Ward, Wells.
The bungalow era
Craftsman and California bungalows fill the lots — broad porches, low rooflines, front dormers. The neighborhood's most iconic look.
The space race arrives
NASA and Redstone Arsenal bring a boom to Huntsville. Ranch-style homes fill remaining lots. Engineers become neighbors.
Historic district designated
5 Points becomes Huntsville's third official historic preservation district.
National Register of Historic Places
Federal recognition cements 5 Points as one of Alabama's most significant historic neighborhoods.
By the numbers
130+
Years of continuous history
6
Architectural eras on one street
5
Streets at the star intersection