Andalusia City Hall – Alabama Art Print

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Andalusia City Hall – Alabama Art Print by Mark Tisdale

This Alabama art print features the Andalusia City Hall. But many from Andalusia will remember it as the East Three Notch Elementary School. This one is a sentimental piece for me. Although I did not grow up there, some of my earliest memories are of Andalusia and the house my grandmother lived in on College Street near the old East Three Notch school. In fact, I have quite vivid memories at less than three years old of being on the playground that used to stand behind what is now Andalusia’s City Hall.

My mother and her brother both attended East Three Notch Elementary, so the family connection to the building is strong. But it is stronger still because in my own home town of Montezuma, Georgia, we had a very similar school built a few years after the one in Andalusia. And, yes, it was the one where I attended elementary school. It is kind of a coincidence, but I have since stumbled upon several other schools that appear to have been built in the same general style as East Three Notch in Andalusia. I have never determined if the were from the same architect’s plans or not, but if anyone knows more, I would love to know the rest of the story!

The general style, though, appears to have been popular around the time when East Three Notch School was built in 1914. I’ve seen the style referred to with various names. The most common terminology seems to be Late Gothic Revival. But I’ve also seen it called Collegiate Gothic, Tudor Gothic, and Institutional Gothic. Whatever you call it, it’s a beautiful old style of architecture that has a nice substantial feel to it that has always resonated with me.

Many of the old schoolhouses of the same vintage as East Three Notch are no longer schools. In fact, the one I attended here in Georgia met the wrecking ball years ago. That’s why I’m so proud of the citizens of Andalusia for preserving and re-using a piece of their city’s heritage architecture. After nearly 90 years as a schoolhouse, East Three Notch was renovated and now serves as a gorgeous city hall.

The artwork on this Andalusia art print is based off photos I took on one of our visits to Andalusia several years ago during homecoming week. And that accounts for the large floral “A” in the plaza in front of City Hall. It was in celebration of homecoming for Andalusia High School. Local pride runs deep in Andalusia!

I would enjoy hearing what attracted you to this particular art print? Are you from Andalusia and this reminds you of home? Or do you like the heritage architecture? I hope you’ll drop me a note with your thoughts or questions.

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