Virgil Allen Howard, who was born in South Carolina in 1859, came to Alabama in 1884 seeking employment with the Alabama Waterworks. He and Ollie Grace Hogan were married on July 15, 1903 and made their first home in Gardendale on property they purchased on Old Mount Olive Road. The Howards later bought land on Main Street and became active members of Gardendale’s First Baptist Church. Virgil Allen Howard served as Justice of the Peace for 18 years and was a trustee for the Gardendale School. Virgil Allen Howard died in 1955 and Grace Hogan Howard died in 1963. Their

descendants continue to live in and contribute to

the growth of Gardendale. The Howard Homeplace is

now the site of the Gardendale Civic Center Complex.

Marker is on Main Street north of Mt. Olive Road/Civic Center Drive, on the right when traveling north.

Courtesy hmdb.org

Credits and Sources: