Louisville

Louisville is located in central Barbour County in the southeast corner of the state.

Louisville was well-established by 1819, in what was then Creek territory. Sources differ, however, on whether it was named either after the first capital of Georgia or after Daniel Lewis, its first settler. Louisville has the distinction of serving briefly as the county seat for two counties; in 1821, it was named the county seat for Pike County, and in 1832, when it became part of Barbour County, it was designated as county seat but was replaced by Clayton in 1834. Louisville was incorporated in 1834, although one source cites 1887 as the incorporation date. The town raised a company of men to fight in the Second Creek War; the Battle of Hobdy's Bridge and the Battle of Pea River both took place about six miles from town. Louisville also sent men to fight in the Civil War.

In 1888, the Central of Georgia Railroad ran a line through Louisville. The first automobile appeared in Louisville in 1908. The lumber industry was a part of the local economy as early as 1828 and continued to play an important role until the mid-twentieth century.

According to 2020 Census estimates, Louisville recorded a population of 618. Of that number, 55.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as African American, 39.3 percent as white, 4.7 percent as two or more races, 3.1 percent as Hispanic, and 0.2 percent as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The city's median household income was $33,750, and per capita income was $19,280.

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Louisville was divided among the following industrial categories:

Schools in Louisville are part of the Barbour County School District; the town has one intermediate school and one middle school and one private school.

State Highway 51 runs from southwest-northeast through Louisville, State Highway 31 west, and County Roads 21 and 33 both roughly southeast. Clayton Municipal Airport is located 10 miles to the northeast.

Blue Springs State Park is located about seven miles south of Louisville; it features a swimming facility fed by a natural underground spring that pumps 3,600 gallons of water per hour into a pair of concrete-ringed pools.

Additional Resources

Barbour County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Barbour County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2001.