It was built on land once owned by Uriah Smith, near the company townBlocton. Many of its non-native residents were immigrants from various European countries, with Italians being the largest, as they came to do mining in the area. West Blocton has a neighborhood previously named "Dago Hollow" and now called Little Italy.[7]
Alabama State Route 5 passes through the town, west of the town center, leading north 7 miles (11 km) to Woodstock and south 12 miles (19 km) to Brent and Centreville, the county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.822 square miles (12.49 km2), of which, 4.798 square miles (12.43 km2) is land and 0.024 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.52%, is water.[2]
West Blocton Coke Ovens Park preserves an area that once housed 460 beehive coke ovens. The park includes a boardwalk and other walking paths, a wildflower garden and birdwatching opportunities.[8]
West Blocton, Alabama – Racial Composition[10] (NH = Non-Hispanic) Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
As of the 2020 census, there were 1,217 people, 506 households, and 334 families residing in the town. The median age was 42.5 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males age 18 and over.[11][12]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[13]
Of all households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 42.7% were married-couple households, 23.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 583 housing units, of which 13.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%.[11][14]
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,240 people, 494 households, and 341 families residing in the town. The population density was 271 inhabitants per square mile (105/km2). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 125.2 per square mile (48.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.6% White, 13.2% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. 0.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 494 households, out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,844, and the median income for a family was $59,875. Males had a median income of $37,384 versus $31,167 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,224. About 11.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
The community's original economy was coal. By 2002 industry left the town. Robert Dewitt of the Tuscaloosa News stated that the community remained active despite the lack of jobs, and that "While downtown West Blocton is a shell of its former self, the place isn’t a ghost town."[7]
Historical marker commemorating West Blocton's beehive coke ovens.West Blocton is known for its historic beehive ovens, built in the late 1880s for coke production.
A feature-length documentary, West Blocton: Small Town, Big Heart, was made in 2012 by Michael J. Logan, an independent filmmaker whose family is from the town. The film covers the history of West Blocton from its inception in 1884 as a coal mining town until present day.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, West Blocton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [15]
United States
Alabama
