Greenville is a city in Alabama, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Butler County, Alabama. In 2020, about 7,374 people lived there. Greenville is often called the "Camellia City." This is because a movement started here to make the camellia the official state flower of Alabama.

History of Greenville

Greenville was first settled in 1819. Its first name was Buttsville. In 1822, it became the county seat. A county seat is the main town where the local government offices are. The name was then changed to Greenville. This was to remember the hometown of many early settlers in Greenville, South Carolina.

The first county seat was at Fort Dale. This fort was named after Sam Dale. He helped defend the area during the Creek War. The old Fort Dale site is north of the city. It is near the Fort Dale Cemetery, along Alabama Highway 185.

Captain William Butler was the person the county was named after. He died during the Creek War. He is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery. This cemetery is across from the oldest church in Butler County. It is the First United Methodist Church of Greenville.

During World War II, a camp for German war prisoners was located in Greenville.

Geography and Climate

Where is Greenville?

Interstate 65 and U.S. Route 31 both pass through Greenville. Montgomery, the state capital, is about 44 miles (71 km) northeast. Montgomery is the closest big city to Greenville.

Greenville covers a total area of about 21.5 square miles (55.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 0.18 square miles (0.46 square kilometers), is water.

What is the Climate Like?

Greenville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average high temperature is around 77.3°F (25.2°C). The average low temperature is about 53.8°F (12.1°C). The city gets about 4.80 inches (122 mm) of rain each month.

Climate data for Greenville, Alabama (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1927–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	87 (31)	86 (30)	89 (32)	96 (36)	100 (38)	108 (42)	106 (41)	105 (41)	103 (39)	100 (38)	91 (33)	86 (30)	108 (42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	59.9 (15.5)	64.3 (17.9)	71.4 (21.9)	77.9 (25.5)	84.8 (29.3)	89.8 (32.1)	91.7 (33.2)	91.5 (33.1)	87.6 (30.9)	79.3 (26.3)	69.3 (20.7)	62.2 (16.8)	77.5 (25.3)
Daily mean °F (°C)	46.9 (8.3)	50.8 (10.4)	57.1 (13.9)	63.6 (17.6)	71.4 (21.9)	77.7 (25.4)	80.2 (26.8)	79.9 (26.6)	75.7 (24.3)	65.7 (18.7)	55.2 (12.9)	49.2 (9.6)	64.5 (18.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	33.9 (1.1)	37.3 (2.9)	42.9 (6.1)	49.4 (9.7)	58.1 (14.5)	65.6 (18.7)	68.8 (20.4)	68.4 (20.2)	63.7 (17.6)	52.0 (11.1)	41.1 (5.1)	36.3 (2.4)	51.5 (10.8)
Record low °F (°C)	−1 (−18)	9 (−13)	15 (−9)	28 (−2)	37 (3)	48 (9)	56 (13)	50 (10)	38 (3)	28 (−2)	11 (−12)	5 (−15)	−1 (−18)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	5.72 (145)	4.72 (120)	5.45 (138)	4.98 (126)	4.16 (106)	5.32 (135)	5.81 (148)	5.25 (133)	3.97 (101)	3.95 (100)	4.97 (126)	5.52 (140)	59.82 (1,519)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	0.5 (1.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.8	9.7	9.1	8.4	8.3	10.8	13.0	12.4	8.4	6.9	8.1	10.6	116.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1
Source: NOAA

People of Greenville

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	2,856	—
1880	2,471	−13.5%
1890	2,806	13.6%
1900	3,162	12.7%
1910	3,377	6.8%
1920	3,471	2.8%
1930	3,985	14.8%
1940	5,075	27.4%
1950	6,731	32.6%
1960	6,894	2.4%
1970	8,033	16.5%
1980	7,807	−2.8%
1990	7,492	−4.0%
2000	7,228	−3.5%
2010	8,135	12.5%
2020	7,374	−9.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 Census Information

In 2020, Greenville had 7,374 people. There were 2,356 households and 1,496 families living in the city.

Greenville Racial Composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
Black or African American	4,292	58.2%
White	2,624	35.58%
Hispanic or Latino	133	1.8%
Asian	118	1.6%
Native American	8	0.11%
Pacific Islander	2	0.03%
Other/Mixed	197	2.67%

2010 Census Information

In 2010, Greenville had 8,135 people. There were 3,332 households and 2,126 families. About 55.5% of the people were Black or African American. About 41.7% were White. Other groups included Asian, Native American, and people of two or more races. About 1.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 27.3% of the people were under 18 years old. About 14.8% were 65 years or older. The average age was 35.3 years.

Economy of Greenville

Before the American Civil War, cotton farming was very important in Butler County. In the 1850s, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad built a train line through Greenville. This made Greenville a key center for trade between Montgomery and south Alabama. Later, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad also came through Greenville. This helped the city's economy grow even more. In 1900, the Gulf Red Cedar Company made buckets in Greenville.

Today, Greenville has many different types of factories. These make things like textiles (cloth), wood products, and car parts. Some big employers include Hwashin American Corporation and Hysco America Corporation.

Arts and Culture

The Ritz Theatre in Greenville is a place for community events. It hosts plays and an annual musical show called "Puttin' on the Ritz."

Every September, the city holds the Butler County Fair. This fair includes "Old Time Farm Day." You can see tractor races and demonstrations of blacksmithing and quilting.

Parks and Recreation

Cambrian Ridge is a golf course in Greenville. Sherling Lake Park and Campground is east of the golf course. It has 41 campsites and two lakes.

Education in Greenville

Schools for Kids

Public schools in Greenville are managed by the Butler County Board of Education.

High School: Greenville High School
Middle School: Greenville Middle School
Elementary Schools: W.O. Parmer Elementary and Greenville Elementary School

There are also private schools in Greenville. These include Fort Dale Academy and Camellia City Christian School.

Colleges and Higher Education

Lurleen B. Wallace Community College is in Greenville. It is part of the Alabama Community College System. Students can earn two-year associate degrees and special certificates there.

Media and Filming Locations

Radio Stations

WGYV 1380 AM (Talk radio)
WKXN 95.7 FM (Urban Contemporary music)
WQZX 94.3 FM

Newspapers

Greenville has two weekly newspapers: The Greenville Standard and Greenville Advocate.

Movies and TV Shows Filmed Here

The first episode of the TV show My Kind of Town (2005) featured residents of Greenville.
The movie Honeydripper (2007) was filmed in Greenville in 2006.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Greenville:

Ed Bell, a country blues singer and guitarist
Janice Rogers Brown, a judge
Beth Chapman, a former Secretary of State of Alabama
Leon Crenshaw, a former football player for the Green Bay Packers
Marlon Davidson, a football player for the San Francisco 49ers
Walter Flowers, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Phil Hancock, a professional golfer
Lillian Hatcher, a union organizer
Johnny Lewis, a former baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets
Tommy Lewis, a former football player and coach
George McMillan, a former Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
Mark Matthews, a World War II veteran and Buffalo Soldier
Rufus Payne, a blues musician
Lewis B. Porterfield, a Rear admiral in the United States Navy
Bill Powell, the first African American to design, build, and own a professional golf course in the U.S.
Marty Raybon, a country music singer from the group Shenandoah
Za’Darius Smith, a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns
Thomas H. Watts, the eighteenth governor of Alabama
Hank Williams, a famous country music singer who lived in Greenville for a short time as a child

Gallery

Greenville, Alabama
View of the old L&N train depot
View of Confederate Park
View of Greenville Post Office
View of Greenville City Hall

Greenville, Alabama facts for kids

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