Selma's Historic Districts: A Real Zoning Layer Beyond the City Code

Four districts, roughly 535 combined acres -- and often called the largest contiguous historic district in Alabama

Selma's historic-preservation footprint is genuinely large relative to the size of the city. Four separate districts are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Old Town Historic District (323 acres, 629 properties, 513 contributing and 116 noncontributing, listed May 3, 1978), the Riverview Historic District (86 acres, 204 contributing and 54 noncontributing properties, listed June 28, 1990), the Icehouse Historic District (116 acres, also listed June 28, 1990), and the Water Avenue Historic District (10 acres, 52 properties, 47 contributing and 5 noncontributing, originally listed December 26, 1972, with boundary increases in 2005 and 2021). Local preservation and tourism sources describe these four districts together as forming the largest contiguous historic district in the state of Alabama.

For a land buyer, the practical point isn't the historical trivia -- it's the acreage. Roughly 535 combined acres across four adjoining or nearby districts means a meaningful share of Selma's older residential and commercial core sits inside one of these boundaries, not just a handful of individually landmarked buildings scattered around downtown. Before assuming a Selma parcel is governed only by the city's ordinary zoning code, check its address against all four district boundaries -- the Water Avenue district's two boundary expansions in 2005 and 2021 in particular mean a property that was outside a historic district a decade or two ago may not be today.

The Certificate of Appropriateness: a real, binding review layer on top of zoning

Property inside any of Selma's four historic districts is subject to review by the Selma Historic Development Commission (Selma HDC), which requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) before most exterior work can proceed -- this is separate from, and in addition to, whatever Selma's ordinary zoning and building-permit process otherwise requires. Based on the commission's own published guidance, a COA is required for demolition or relocation of a historic structure, commencement of excavation for construction purposes, any change in the location or exterior advertising visible from the public right-of-way, and the erection, alteration, restoration, or removal of a building or other structure within a historic property or district -- explicitly including walls, fences, steps, pavement, and other appurtenant features, not just the main building itself.

The commission applies published design guidelines when reviewing a COA application, comparing the proposed work against examples of appropriate and inappropriate material changes for a historic property. Demolition and relocation requests get an extra layer of scrutiny: the commission will not grant a COA for demolishing or relocating a structure without also reviewing what's planned for the site afterward, meaning a buyer can't simply get approval to tear down a deteriorated historic structure without also presenting a post-demolition plan for what replaces it. For a buyer evaluating a fixer-upper or a vacant lot inside one of these districts, that means factoring COA review time and design constraints into any renovation, new-construction, or demolition budget and timeline -- this is a genuine additional approval step, not a formality.

What to check before buying inside a Selma historic district

1. Confirm directly with the City of Selma's Community Development office or the Selma HDC whether your specific parcel falls inside the Old Town, Riverview, Icehouse, or Water Avenue historic district -- boundaries have changed over time (Water Avenue's expanded twice, in 2005 and 2021) and a district name alone doesn't tell you the current boundary.
2. If it does, ask what triggers a Certificate of Appropriateness for the specific work you're planning -- exterior paint and material changes, fences, additions, new construction, and any demolition or relocation all appear to require one under the commission's own published criteria.
3. Ask about current COA application fees, required documentation, and typical review timelines directly, since this research pass could not independently confirm those specifics from the commission's own site.
4. For a demolition or major renovation project specifically, ask the commission early what design guidelines will apply and what a post-demolition site plan needs to show, since COA approval for demolition is explicitly conditioned on that plan.
5. Separately confirm the property's status (if any) under Selma's broader zoning ordinance, since the city completed a comprehensive zoning ordinance update in recent years -- a COA from the historic commission does not substitute for compliance with the underlying zoning code.