Mobile was settled by the French in 1702 and became American in 1813. It has 126 National Register listings, from Fort Conde to the Africatown Historic District.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: Mobile County’s history of the county, the Encyclopedia of Alabama, the History Museum of Mobile, the Mobile Historic Development Commission and the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places data, updated May 22, 2026.

Mobile is one of the oldest cities on the Gulf Coast. Both the city and the county take their name from Fort Louis de la Mobile, the French post built in 1702 near present-day Mount Vernon, according to Mobile County. The county says the name is believed to come from a Choctaw word for “paddlers.”

Who to call

  • History Museum of Mobile: 111 S. Royal St., 251-208-7569
  • Colonial Fort Conde: 150 S. Royal St., 251-544-5480
  • Mobile Historic Development Commission (historic districts, Architectural Review Board): 251-208-7281

Founding and the colonial years

  • 1702: Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and his brother, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, settle Mobile up the Mobile River near Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. After floods, epidemics and raids damaged the fort, Bienville moved the settlement closer to the mouth of Mobile Bay.
  • 1702 to 1763: French rule. Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana until 1720.
  • 1723: the French build Fort Conde, according to the History Museum of Mobile.
  • 1763 to 1780: British rule; for a short time in the 1760s Mobile was the temporary capital of British West Florida.
  • 1780 to 1813: Spanish rule.
  • April 13, 1813: the Spanish commandant surrenders his garrison to U.S. Gen. James Wilkinson, and Mobile becomes American. Mobile County had been created on Dec. 18, 1812, by proclamation of the Mississippi Territory’s governor.
  • August 1864: Union Adm. David Farragut’s fleet breaks into Mobile Bay. In late May 1865 a waterfront armory explodes, killing 300 workers.
  • 1866: Civil War veteran Joseph Stillwell Cain revives Mobile’s Mardi Gras with a parade through the city.

Historic districts

The city has seven local historic districts, where exterior changes need Architectural Review Board approval: Ashland Place, Church Street East, Detonti Square, Leinkauf, Lower Dauphin Street, Oakleigh Garden and Old Dauphin Way, according to the Mobile Historic Development Commission. Federally designated districts also include Africatown, Automobile Alley, Maysville, Oakdale, Lafayette Heights, The Campground and Midtown.

Museums and sites you can visit

Site Address Hours as published
History Museum of Mobile 111 S. Royal St., in the National Register-listed Mobile City Hall building 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; free the first Sunday of each month
Colonial Fort Conde 150 S. Royal St. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday; included with museum admission
Phoenix Fire Museum 203 S. Claiborne St. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, closed 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; free
Clotilda: The Exhibition at Africatown Heritage House Africatown See the exhibition’s site; tours 251-206-5268
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park 2703 Battleship Parkway See the park’s site
Magnolia Cemetery and Mobile National Cemetery Ann and Virginia streets Listed in the city’s park finder at 1202 Virginia St.

The Clotilda exhibition tells the story of the 110 men, women and children brought from West Africa on the Clotilda and of the community they founded, Africatown.

National Register of Historic Places in Mobile

The National Park Service lists 126 National Register entries with a Mobile address, including four National Historic Landmarks: Mobile City Hall at 111 S. Royal St., now the History Museum, the USS Alabama, the USS Drum and Government Street Presbyterian Church. The table below gives every entry with the year it was listed; boundary changes to a district are listed separately, as the Park Service lists them. Names are as the Park Service records them.

Property Address Type Listed
Mobile Seamen’s Club Building 350 St. Joseph St. Building Not given
Fort Conde-Charlotte Church and Royal Sts. Site 1969
Mobile City Hall 111 S. Royal St. Building 1969
Barton Academy 504 Government St. Building 1970
Mobile City Hospital 900-950 St. Anthony St. Building 1970
Portier, Bishop, House 307 Conti St. Building 1970
Semmes, Raphael, House 804 Government St. Building 1970
Oakleigh 350 Oakleigh St. Building 1971
Horst, Martin, House 407 Conti St. Building 1971
Church Street East Historic District Roughly bounded by Conti, Water and Claiborne, Eslava, and Warren and Bayou Sts. District 1971
De Tonti Square Historic District Roughly bounded by Adams, St. Anthony, Claiborne, and Conception Sts. District 1972
Oakleigh Garden Historic District Roughly bounded by Government, Marine, Texas, and Ann Sts. District 1972
Georgia Cottage 2564 Springhill Ave. Building 1972
Bragg-Mitchell House 1906 Springhill Ave. Building 1972
Carolina Hall 70 S. McGregor St. Building 1973
Brisk & Jacobson Store 51 Dauphin St. Building 1973
Protestant Children’s Home 911 Dauphin St. Building 1973
Spring Hill College Quadrangle 4307 Old Shell Rd. Building 1973
Kirkbride House 104 Theater St. Building 1973
Gates-Daves House 1570-1572 Dauphin St. Building 1974
U.S. Marine Hospital 800 St. Anthony St. Building 1974
Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal Beauregard and St. Joseph Sts. Building 1975
Battle House Royale 26 N. Royal St. Building 1975
St. Louis Street Missionary Baptist Church 108 N. Dearborn St. Building 1976
South Lafayette Street Creole Cottages 20, 22, and 23 S. Lafayette St. Building 1976
Fort Gaines S of Mobile on E end of Dauphin Island Building 1976
Pincus Building 1 S. Royal St. Building 1976
Emanuel Building 100 N. Royal St. Building 1978
State Street A.M.E. Zion Church 502 State St. Building 1978
First National Bank 68 St. Francis St. Building 1978
Lower Dauphin Street Historic District 171 to 614 Dauphin St. District 1979
Carlen House 54 S. Carlen St. Building 1981
Tschiener House 1120 Old Shell Rd. Building 1982
Common Street District 959–1002 Dauphin St. and 7–19 Common St. District 1982
Lower Dauphin Street Historic District (Boundary Increase) Dauphin St. from Water to Dearborn Ave. District 1982
Miller-O’Donnell House 1102 Broad St. Building 1982
Cavellero House 7 N. Jackson St. Building 1982
Weems House 1155 Springhill Ave. Building 1982
Coley Building 56 St. Francis St. Building 1982
Murphy High School 100 S. Carlen St. Building 1982
Greene-Marston House 2000 Dauphin St. Building 1983
Davis Avenue Branch, Mobile Public Library 564 Davis Ave. Building 1983
Fire Station No. 5 7 N. Lawrence St. Building 1983
Vickers and Schumacher Buildings 707-709 and 711 Dauphin St. Building 1983
Dahm House 7 N. Claiborne St. Building 1984
Denby House 558 Conti St. Building 1984
Meaher-Zoghby House 5 N. Claiborne St. Building 1984
Metzger House 7 N. Hamilton St. Building 1984
Monterey Place 1552 Monterey Pl. Building 1984
Neville House 255 St. Francis St. Building 1984
Phillipi House 53 N. Jackson St. Building 1984
Scottish Rites Temple 351 St. Francis St. Building 1984
St. Francis Street Methodist Church 15 N. Joachim St. Building 1984
Church Street East Historic District (Boundary Increase) Roughly bounded by Broad, Conti, Water, Claiborne, and Canal Sts. District 1984
Hawthorn House 352 Stanton Rd. Building 1984
Old Dauphin Way Historic District Roughly bounded by Springhill Ave., Broad, Government, and Houston Sts. District 1984
Beal-Gaillard House 111 Myrtlewood Lane Building 1984
Center-Gaillard House 3500 The Cedars Building 1984
Collins-Marston House 4703 Old Shell Rd. Building 1984
Collins-Robinson House 56 Oakland Ave. Building 1984
Pfau-Creighton Cottage 3703 Old Shell Rd. Building 1984
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Chapel 4051 Old Shell Rd. Building 1984
Sodality Chapel 4307 Old Shell Rd. Building 1984
Stewartfield 4307 Old Shell Rd. Building 1984
Hunter House 504 St. Francis St. Building 1985
Stone Street Baptist Church 311 Tunstall St. Building 1985
USS ALABAMA (battleship) Battleship Pkwy. Structure 1986
USS DRUM (submarine) Battleship Pkwy. Structure 1986
Paterson House 1673 Government St. Building 1986
Magnolia Cemetery including Mobile National Cemetery Ann and Virginia Sts. Site 1986
Emanuel AME Church 656 Saint Michael St. Building 1987
Patton, Dave, House 1252 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. Building 1987
Ashland Place Historic District Roughly bounded by Springhill and Ryan Aves., Old Shell Rd., and Levert Ave. District 1987
Leinkauf Historic District Roughly bounded by Government, S. Monterey, Eslava, Lamar, and S. Monterey Sts. District 1987
Azalea Court Apartments 1820 Old Government St. Building 1988
Trinity Episcopal Church 1900 Dauphin St. Building 1990
Lindsey, Martin, House 3112 Bayfront Rd. Building 1991
Oakleigh Garden Historic District (Boundary Increase) Roughly bounded by Selma St., Broad St., Texas St. and Rapier Ave. District 1991
Saint Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church 2034 St. Stephens Rd. Building 1991
Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church 808 Springhill Ave. Building 1991
Saint Matthew’s Catholic Church 1200 S. Marine St. Building 1991
Stone Street Cemetery 1700 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. Site 1991
Askew, Wade, House 103 Florence Pl. Building 1991
Fearn, George, House 1806 Airport Blvd. Building 1991
Levy, George, House 107 Florence Pl. Building 1991
Megginson, Ernest, House 143 Florence Pl. Building 1991
Morrison, James Arthur, House 159 Hillwood Rd. Building 1991
Paterson, J. E., House 118 Florence Pl. Building 1991
Spotswood, Robert L., House 1 Country Club Rd. Building 1991
VanderSys, Arthur, House 119 Florence Pl. Building 1991
VanderSys, Jacob, House 129 Florence Pl. Building 1991
Walker, Joseph M., House 104 Florence Pl. Building 1991
Convent and Academy of the Visitation 2300 Springhill Ave. District 1992
Convent of Mercy 753 St. Francis St. Building 1992
Saint Vincent de Paul 351 S. Lawrence St. Building 1992
Jossen, Joseph, House 109 N. Conception St. Building 1992
Stewart, Amelia, House 137 Tuscaloosa St. Building 1992
Government Street Presbyterian Church 300 Government St. Building 1992
Cleveland, U. J., House 551 Charles St. Building 1993
Roberts House 3 Wimbledon Dr. Building 1994
Lower Dauphin Street Commercial District (Boundary Increase II) Roughly, Dauphin St. from Jefferson St. to Dearborn St. and St. Francis St. S side from Bayou St. to Lawrence St. District 1995
Lower Dauphin Street Commercial District (Boundary Increase III) 310 St. Francis St. District 1998
Midtown Historic District Roughly bounded by Taylor Ave., US 90, Houston St., Kenneth St., US 98, and Florida St. District 2001
D’Iberville Apartments 2000 Spring Hill Ave. Building 2004
Church Street East Historic District (Boundary Increase II) 66 and 68 S. Royal St. District 2005
Campground, The Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Rylands St., St. Stephens Rd. and Ann St. District 2005
Aimwell Baptist Church 500 Earle St. Building 2008
Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church No.1 409 Lexington Ave. Building 2008
Turner-Todd Motor Company 455 St. Louis St. Building 2008
United States Court House and Custom House 113 St. Joseph St. Building 2008
Knox, Ross, House 102 Hillwood Rd. Building 2008
Davis Avenue Recreation Center 1361 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. Building 2011
International Longshoreman’s Association Hall 505 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. Building 2011
Caldwell School 351 Broad St. Building 2011
Africatown Historic District Bounded by Jakes Ln., Paper Mill, & Warren Rds., Chin, & Railroad Sts. District 2012
Maysville Historic District Bounded by Virginia, Ann, Duval & Houston Sts. District 2013
Lafayette Heights Historic District Bounded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Spring Hill Aves., Rylands & Basil Sts. District 2014
Oakdale Historic District Bounded by I-10, Preston Ave., Virginia & Ann Sts. District 2014
Automobile Alley Historic District 156-157 N. Cedar, 108 N. Dearborn, 100-101 N. Franklin, 156 N. Hamilton, 163 N. Lawrence, 453-701 St. Anthony Sts. District 2016
Oakleigh Garden Historic District (Boundary Decrease & Additional Documentation) Government, Broad, Texas & S. Ann Sts. District 2016
Blue Bird Hardware and Seed 2724 Old Shell Rd. Building 2018
Lower Dauphin Street Commercial District Water, Conti, Broad, St. Francis & St. Louis Sts. District 2019
Midtown Historic District (Boundary Increase) 2401-2403 and 2407 Old Shell Rd. District 2020
Old Dauphin Way Historic District (Boundary Increase) 1200 Springhill Ave. District 2022
Automobile Alley Historic District (Boundary Increase) 752-54, 756, 762 St. Louis St. District 2023
Wilmer Hall 3811 Old Shell Road District 2025
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Frequently asked questions

When was Mobile, Alabama founded?

In 1702, when the French brothers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville settled Fort Louis de la Mobile up the Mobile River near Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff. The colony later moved closer to the mouth of the bay.

Who ruled Mobile before it was American?

France from 1702 to 1763, Britain from 1763 to 1780 and Spain from 1780 to 1813, according to Mobile County. The Spanish garrison surrendered to U.S. forces on April 13, 1813.

How many National Register sites are in Mobile?

The National Park Service lists 126 National Register of Historic Places entries with a Mobile address, including districts, boundary increases, buildings, sites and the USS Alabama and USS Drum.

What are the historic districts in Mobile?

The city’s local historic districts are Ashland Place, Church Street East, Detonti Square, Leinkauf, Lower Dauphin Street, Oakleigh Garden and Old Dauphin Way. National Register districts also include Africatown, Midtown and others.

Where is Fort Conde in Mobile?

The History Museum of Mobile runs Colonial Fort Conde, a replica opened in 1976, at 150 S. Royal St. Remains of the original 1723 fort, found during construction of the Wallace Tunnel in 1966, are in Mardi Gras Park.