Addison

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University
Southern Energy Homes
Addison is located in eastern Winston County in the northwest corner of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government. Well-known character actor Pat Buttram was born in Addison.
History
Originally known as Cobb's Store, Addison is one of the oldest communities in Winston County. Just north of the town is the site of Looney's Tavern, where Winston County citizens met to decide on secession. The county voted to remain neutral in the war and was a Union stronghold during the Civil War. By 1888, it had grown large enough for the establishment of a post office. The town submitted two names to the U.S. Postal Service, only to have them rejected because other towns in Alabama already had claimed those names. The town requested that the Postal Service select a name and was assigned the name Addison. The town incorporated in December 1949.
Demographics
According to 2020 Census estimates, Addison recorded a population of 723. Of that number, 98.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, and 1.2 percent as two or more races. The town's median household income was $38,523, and the per capita income was $21,814.
Employment
According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Addison was divided among the following industrial categories:
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (21.9 percent)
  • Retail trade (19.1 percent)
  • Manufacturing (16.1 percent)
  • Construction (11.9 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (11.2 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (10.0 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (4.3 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (2.1 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (1.8 percent)
  • Public administration (1.5 percent)
Education
Schools in Addison are part of the Winston County school system; the town has one elementary school and one high school.
Transportation
Addison is bisected by U.S. Highway 278/State Highway 74, runs generally east-west through the center of the town. The Addison Municipal Airport is located a mile northeast of the center of town.
Events and Places of Interest
Bankhead National Forest
Addison holds an annual Pat Buttram Day Festival in October to celebrate its best-known native son. The festival includes all day-screenings of movies and television shows in which Buttram appeared, as well as food, music, buck dancing, a yard sale, and children's activities.
William B. Bankhead National Forest borders Addison on the western town limit. Lewis Smith Lake is located about 15 miles southeast of town.
The Looney's Tavern site is located approximately 3.5 miles north of Addison; it is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. For many years, residents performed the musical Incident at Looney's Tavern to commemorate Winston County's unique position during the Civil War.

Additional Resources

Winston County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Winston County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1998.
Published:  June 7, 2013   |   Last updated:  November 22, 2022