Roebuck Springs - a Historic Community

Our Story

Our Historic Community consists of various sections, constructed throughout the years, and includes the nationally recognized Roebuck Springs Historic District. Our community is located just south of Interstate 59 in the Roebuck area of Birmingham, AL.

The 135-acre Roebuck Springs Historic District was named to the National Register of Historic Places in March 1999. Developed in the early 1900s by entrepreneur Robert Jemison, Jr. along with the East Lake Land Company and the Roebuck Auto and Golf Club, Roebuck Springs was the first large residential suburb in Birmingham whose planning and development was tied to the automobile, as well as the first community associated with a country club/golf course development.

The Historic District’s 1910 land plan, developed by Architect S. Scott Joy and his brothers Tedd and Tom, was the earliest in Birmingham to have a road system and subdivision scheme specifically designed and engineered to complement the steep, rolling topography. The Historic District’s roads are reminiscent of the narrow country lanes of rural England – there are no curbs or gutters, no sidewalks, and originally no streetlights, though a few streetlights have been added over time. There is an abundance of native vegetation, heavy tree canopies, terraced hillsides with stone walls, and homes built in such architectural styles as Craftsman Bungalow, English Country, Tudor Revival, and Colonial Revival.

Additional sections of the neighborhood were platted in 1926 by the Roebuck Springs Land Company. Many of these homes were designed in the then-popular Colonial Revival style. Some newly-opened streets, such as Ridge Top Circle and Rutherford Circle remained unimproved during the Great Depression and World War II years. The Post-war years saw rapid development surrounding Roebuck Springs, with the sprawling Roebuck Plaza Shopping Center (1957) and the development of Roebuck Parkway.

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