This illustration of Huntsville’s courthouse in the mid-nineteenth century depicts the type of infrastructure found in Huntsville during the 1840-1860s. Without courthouses, shops, and houses, the center of Huntsville town life would be nonexistent. These structures were formed via the work of enslaved people, who built and maintained them. They constructed and hauled materials, while also performing domestic work inside businesses or homes. Images like this show how present enslaved people were throughout Huntsville’s public spaces, despite them receiving little to no credit in written records. Without this labor, Huntsville would not be the trading and commercial hub it is today. Download Original File
