Downtown Selma developed as a commercial, transportation, governmental, and cultural center along the Alabama River and today contains the largest contiguous historic district in Alabama. Prior to the January 2023 tornado, more than 1,250 contributing historic structures were listed across Selma’s four historic districts: Water Avenue, Old Town, Riverview, and Icehouse. The downtown area is primarily located within the Water Avenue and Old Town Historic Districts and includes commercial buildings, churches, hotels, museums, and civic structures representing multiple architectural styles and historical periods.
Significant historic resources include the St. James Hotel, Old Depot Museum, the Sullivan Building, the Edistone Hotel, and historic churches, including Brown Chapel AME Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and First Baptist Church. The district reflects the city’s connections to Native American history, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and twentieth-century commercial development.
