History of Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope began as a dream in the minds of a group of individuals who were seeking their own special utopia. The first Single-Tax colonists (so called because of their belief in the economic theories of Henry George, who advocated no taxes other than a single land tax), looked at land throughout the South and Midwest before settling in 1894 on a high bluff overlooking Mobile Bay. According to legend, one of the group said the new colony had a fair hope of success, and the community of Fairhope was born. Based on a spirit of cooperative individualism, the Single Tax Colony attracted supporters and financial backers from around the country, drawing an eclectic assemblage of industrious, creative, and free-thinking people to Fairhope.
The city of Fairhope was established with around 500 residents in 1908, taking over responsibility for all municipal services. In the 1930s, the city became the caretaker of Fairhope's greatest assets, the beachfront park, the park lands on the bluff above the beach, Henry George Park, Knoll Park, and the quarter-mile long pier, all gifts of the Single Tax Colony, which continues to have an active presence in the city to this day.
Fairhope has always been a resort community, early visitors came by Bayboat from Mobile to vacation in the small bay cottages and hotels along the bluff top. Vacationers came to Fairhope in the early days for many of the same reasons they do today: its pleasant climate, peaceful surroundings, and inspiring scenery.
Over the years artists, writers, and craftsmen have found Fairhope to be an inspiring haven for their work and have helped to make the community what it is today.
However, by the 1970s, despite its attractive bayfront, Fairhope was faced with problems common to other small towns. The downtown was dying, and it took another big dream to save it.
Mayor James P. Nix, elected in 1973 to his first of seven terms, envisioned Fairhope as something akin to a quaint European village. With the help of various volunteer organizations and dedicated city employees, he set out to make it happen.
Today, Fairhope is a breathtaking vision that draws visitors from around the world who come to enjoy its natural beauty and its vibrant downtown filled with unique shops and galleries, gourmet restaurants, cozy cafes and more. A growing community of over 12,000 residents, Fairhope is also much more than just one of the prettiest small towns in the South. The city leads the way for others with active recycling programs, a state-of-the art water treatment system, involved citizens (over 70 percent report doing some type of volunteer work), and a new Comprehensive Plan that seeks to maintain the city's high quality of life through controlled growth and development.
The Fairhope Museum
The Fairhope Museum is located on the Faulkner State Community College campus in the Bell Building. It contains displays with photos and memorabilia from years past. Exhibit includes local Native American artifacts, Fairhope Single Tax items, Civil War displays, and much more.
One of the older structures in downtown, the Spanish Mission Revival style building was constructed in 1927 as City Hall. Most recently, with a metal ‘slipcover’ and false front, it served as Fairhope’s police station and city jail until 2001.
Historic Bell Building
The Marietta Johnson Museum was founded in 1991 and exists to inform the public about the work and life of one of the visionaries of the early 20th century. Marietta Pierce Johnson founded the School of Organic Education in Fairhope in 1907.
This extraordinary woman and her school were influential both in drawing people to Fairhope and in the history of American education itself. Mrs. Johnson is among the most interesting and most influential individuals in the field of education in terms of creating an environment that fostered freedom of expression, love for learning and tolerance.
The Museum assured the preservation of the historic Bell Building when the Organic School campus was sold to the City of Fairhope in the mid 1980’s. Located in the historic building at 10 South School Street on what is now the Fairhope campus of Faulkner State Community College, the Museum houses a repository of documents, photographs, writings and other artifacts which serves as a research base for educators of today who seek to utilize Mrs. Johnson’s methods.
The Museum was responsible for the casting of the Marietta Johnson Memorial Sculpture which is located on the bluff overlooking Mobile Bay at the foot of Cliff Street in Fairhope. Teaching Without Failure, a collection of Mrs. Johnson’s 2 books, Youth In A World Of Men and Thirty Years With An Idea, was published by the Museum.