City acquires former federal courthouse in downtown Huntsville

Published on July 24, 2025

The Huntsville City Council approved an agreement with the General Services Administration to acquire the vacant former U.S. Courthouse on Holmes Avenue after federal court offices relocated to its new facility at 660 Gallatin St. SW.

The long-planned transaction is a property swap and involves no money. The City donated the 4.76 acres for the U.S. Courthouse that opened earlier this year near the Huntsville Hospital medical district. In exchange for that land, the City will receive ownership of the former courthouse at 101 Holmes Ave. NE.

The City has not determined a use for the former courthouse, which opened in 1936 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Neo-Classical Revival style building opened as a U.S. post office as well as a courthouse and federal office building. The agreement includes protections for the historically significant elements of the building, both interior and exterior. Of particular interest to many in the community, the historic mural that hung in the main courtroom has been moved to the new courthouse.

“The former courthouse is an important asset for our community and the City looks forward to how it can be used in the future,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “It is important to the City that its future uses respect the historical integrity of the building.”