Information
Landmark: Goldsmith-Schiffman HouseCity: Athens AL
Country: USA Alabama
Continent: North America
Goldsmith-Schiffman House, Athens AL, USA Alabama, North America
Overview
The Goldsmith–Schiffman House stands as one of Huntsville, Alabama’s finest early 20th‑century homes, admired for its graceful design and its deep ties to one of the city’s most influential families.
Tucked along McClung Avenue near downtown, it stands as a carefully preserved thread in Huntsville’s cultural fabric, its brickwork warmed by decades of southern sun.
Built between 1900 and 1901, the house went up for Oscar Goldsmith, a prominent figure in the influential Goldsmith family-merchants and philanthropists who helped shape Huntsville’s bustling town square.
Built in the Neoclassical Revival style, the house stood as a proud symbol of prestige in Huntsville at the turn of the century, when the clatter of new rail lines signaled the city’s shift from post–Civil War hardship to economic revival.
Through marriage, the Schiffman family took ownership of the property, along with its weathered oak gate that creaked in the wind.
In Huntsville, both families stood at the heart of business, civic, and charitable life, and their home still carries the quiet solidity and influence they gave the community, like the steady tick of a grandfather clock in the hall.
In 1978, the house earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its graceful architecture and the rich history etched into its old brick walls.
Architecture and Layout Style: The Goldsmith–Schiffman House stands as a classic example of Neoclassical Revival, its tall columns and balanced lines reflecting Greek and Roman ideals of grandeur and lasting strength.
Outside, a sweeping two-story portico rises, its tall Ionic columns catching the afternoon light.
A balanced, symmetrical façade rises before you, its broad stone steps guiding the way to the main entrance.
Brickwork with crisp, careful detailing that feels elegant yet built to last, like the smooth curve of a hand-carved arch.
Inside, the ceilings soar, hardwood floors stretch underfoot, and carved wood trim catches the light.
The house features formal spaces for hosting-like a grand parlor with tall windows, a warm dining room, and a quiet, book-lined library.
Upstairs held the family’s private rooms, with narrow servant quarters tucked beside them, a quiet reminder of the household’s rhythms in that era.
The grounds once held sprawling gardens, a carriage house, and bustling service quarters, but now the lot feels tighter, hemmed in by new buildings.
The house tells the story of Huntsville’s economic rise at the turn of the 20th century, when merchant families like the Goldsmiths bustled along brick-lined streets and anchored the city’s prosperity.
It’s deeply linked to Huntsville’s Jewish heritage, with the Goldsmith and Schiffman families playing key roles in the community and shaping local commerce, banking, and civic life-think of the clink of coins in a busy shop they once ran.
More than just a family landmark, the home stands as a lasting reminder of how national styles like Neoclassical Revival left their mark on Southern cities, molding them during a time when brick dust and the sound of hammers signaled rapid change.
The Goldsmith–Schiffman House is still one of Huntsville’s most faithfully preserved homes, its brickwork and wood trim cared for with precision to keep every detail true to the original design.
Being listed on the National Register keeps it firmly in the public eye and safeguards it as a piece of Alabama’s historic architecture, like the worn brick storefronts lining a small-town square.
The house isn’t open as a public museum most days, but now and then it shows up on Huntsville’s historic tours, its brick steps warmed by the afternoon sun during preservation events.
Visitor Notes: The house sits just a short stroll from Huntsville’s historic districts, making it an easy addition to a walking or driving tour that might also take you past the brick-lined streets of Twickenham and the quiet, tree-shaded paths of Maple Hill Cemetery.
You can spot its grand portico right from the street, rising above the fence like a stone stage, making it one of the city’s most striking private homes.
People drawn to Huntsville’s architectural past often wander its streets to take in the Neoclassical and Victorian homes that rose during the city’s late 19th- and early 20th-century revival, their white columns and ornate trim still catching the afternoon light.
The Goldsmith–Schiffman House stands out not just for its graceful Neoclassical columns, but for the way it captures Huntsville’s shift-socially, culturally, and economically-into the modern age.
It’s still a cornerstone of the city’s heritage, linked to families whose names you can spot on old brick storefronts and whose influence shapes Huntsville even now.
Tucked along McClung Avenue near downtown, it stands as a carefully preserved thread in Huntsville’s cultural fabric, its brickwork warmed by decades of southern sun.
Built between 1900 and 1901, the house went up for Oscar Goldsmith, a prominent figure in the influential Goldsmith family-merchants and philanthropists who helped shape Huntsville’s bustling town square.
Built in the Neoclassical Revival style, the house stood as a proud symbol of prestige in Huntsville at the turn of the century, when the clatter of new rail lines signaled the city’s shift from post–Civil War hardship to economic revival.
Through marriage, the Schiffman family took ownership of the property, along with its weathered oak gate that creaked in the wind.
In Huntsville, both families stood at the heart of business, civic, and charitable life, and their home still carries the quiet solidity and influence they gave the community, like the steady tick of a grandfather clock in the hall.
In 1978, the house earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its graceful architecture and the rich history etched into its old brick walls.
Architecture and Layout Style: The Goldsmith–Schiffman House stands as a classic example of Neoclassical Revival, its tall columns and balanced lines reflecting Greek and Roman ideals of grandeur and lasting strength.
Outside, a sweeping two-story portico rises, its tall Ionic columns catching the afternoon light.
A balanced, symmetrical façade rises before you, its broad stone steps guiding the way to the main entrance.
Brickwork with crisp, careful detailing that feels elegant yet built to last, like the smooth curve of a hand-carved arch.
Inside, the ceilings soar, hardwood floors stretch underfoot, and carved wood trim catches the light.
The house features formal spaces for hosting-like a grand parlor with tall windows, a warm dining room, and a quiet, book-lined library.
Upstairs held the family’s private rooms, with narrow servant quarters tucked beside them, a quiet reminder of the household’s rhythms in that era.
The grounds once held sprawling gardens, a carriage house, and bustling service quarters, but now the lot feels tighter, hemmed in by new buildings.
The house tells the story of Huntsville’s economic rise at the turn of the 20th century, when merchant families like the Goldsmiths bustled along brick-lined streets and anchored the city’s prosperity.
It’s deeply linked to Huntsville’s Jewish heritage, with the Goldsmith and Schiffman families playing key roles in the community and shaping local commerce, banking, and civic life-think of the clink of coins in a busy shop they once ran.
More than just a family landmark, the home stands as a lasting reminder of how national styles like Neoclassical Revival left their mark on Southern cities, molding them during a time when brick dust and the sound of hammers signaled rapid change.
The Goldsmith–Schiffman House is still one of Huntsville’s most faithfully preserved homes, its brickwork and wood trim cared for with precision to keep every detail true to the original design.
Being listed on the National Register keeps it firmly in the public eye and safeguards it as a piece of Alabama’s historic architecture, like the worn brick storefronts lining a small-town square.
The house isn’t open as a public museum most days, but now and then it shows up on Huntsville’s historic tours, its brick steps warmed by the afternoon sun during preservation events.
Visitor Notes: The house sits just a short stroll from Huntsville’s historic districts, making it an easy addition to a walking or driving tour that might also take you past the brick-lined streets of Twickenham and the quiet, tree-shaded paths of Maple Hill Cemetery.
You can spot its grand portico right from the street, rising above the fence like a stone stage, making it one of the city’s most striking private homes.
People drawn to Huntsville’s architectural past often wander its streets to take in the Neoclassical and Victorian homes that rose during the city’s late 19th- and early 20th-century revival, their white columns and ornate trim still catching the afternoon light.
The Goldsmith–Schiffman House stands out not just for its graceful Neoclassical columns, but for the way it captures Huntsville’s shift-socially, culturally, and economically-into the modern age.
It’s still a cornerstone of the city’s heritage, linked to families whose names you can spot on old brick storefronts and whose influence shapes Huntsville even now.
