William Hooper Councill Memorial Park

The William Hooper Councill Memorial Park is located on the historical site of the William Hooper Councill High School at 620 St. Clair Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35801. 

 Where once stood Huntsville's first school for African American students  is now a beautiful and welcoming park. Walk in the footsteps of  Councill High alum and pay tribute to a small portion of Dr. William  Hooper Councill's legacy.  As you walk through the park, you can engage with tales from those who  proudly walked the halls of Councill High. Stories of the impressive  1965 undefeated football team and noteworthy graduates, such as Dr.  Sonnie Hereford, make for a beautiful way to absorb the rich and diverse  history that makes the city great.  The stories are great, but the park wouldn't be complete without having  Dr. Councill present, and that he is. A life-size statue of Councill  brightly welcomes everyone visiting the park, just like the bright  legacy he left behind.  William Hooper Councill Memorial Park is next door to Huntsville Madison County Public Library downtown branch. It is the perfect place to enjoy a book, picnic lunch, coffee from the coffee trail,  or relax under the sun. It has more than enough tables and benches as  well as several grassy areas and a courtyard. After you learn, stay for a  while and enjoy the spirit of William Hooper Councill. 

Key elements of Councill School Memorial Park include:

• Design and layout will mirror the floor plan of Councill High  School.  The gym, auditorium, cafeteria, courtyard and classrooms will  be represented in the layout of the new park.
• The park will include historic markers.
• Bricks from the school will be repurposed as seat walls and columns throughout the park.
• A fountain and sculpture will be included in the former courtyard  area.  The sculpture will represent the schoolhouse door with children  walking up to the school.
• The design will include a new parking lot and sidewalk connectivity to the surrounding areas.
• The park will be heavily landscaped and provide open spaces where the footprint of the previous gym and auditorium were located.
• The former cafeteria location will include a new seat wall with  provisions for water and electrical infrastructure to host events.

 Dr. William Hooper Councill was born in North Carolina to enslaved  parents. He would eventually be sold to slave traders and sent to North  Alabama, where he worked on a cotton plantation until he escaped to  freedom. After his successful escape, Councill returned to Alabama to  pursue his education. He would go on to wear many hats and achieve great  things. As his life and accomplishments grew, he committed to providing  quality education to Black children. Councill's commitment would lead  him to open Lincoln Normal School. As a continuation of this work and  his dedication to education, in 1875, Councill became the Founder and  first President of State Colored Normal School, or what we know today as  Alabama A&M University. 

The original pavers, displaying the names of Councill students, are fading. The city is in the process of acquiring a contractor to replace these with an upgraded brick that will not fade. Former students can check to see if their name is included on pavers in the Park by visiting the website: Https://maps.huntsvilleal.gov/CouncillParkBricks/. If your name was not included on the original pavers, please submit it to Lynda Porter – Class of 1966 – via email (l.faye@knology.net).