Trussville, Alabama, began along the Cahaba River, where North Carolina settler Warren Truss acquired about 1,000 acres and established a grist mill in the early 1820s. The settlement that grew around his property eventually took his name. During the Civil War, the community found itself in the path of Union General John T. Croxton’s troops, who set fire to a Confederate storehouse in 1865. Residents were able to extinguish the blaze and save much of the grain and flour stored inside. From those beginnings as a small agricultural settlement, Trussville has grown considerably. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population at 27,273 in 2025, compared with 26,123 residents counted in the 2020 Census.

Much of the city’s distinctive appearance can be traced to the Great Depression. The federal government initially considered local farmland for an agricultural resettlement project, but the property was eventually used to create the Cahaba Project, a planned residential community that opened in 1938. The development included 287 residences consisting of single-family homes, duplexes, and apartments. Indoor plumbing, electricity, paved streets, sidewalks, and sewer service were built into the project at a time when those features were far from standard in many Alabama communities. Lots were also designed with enough room for gardens, and some residents kept chickens or a cow.

The Cahaba Project was planned around a broad central green known as the Mall. A school and cooperative store were placed at one end, and the former commissary building is now used by the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce. Many of the mature trees that line Chalkville Road and neighboring streets were planted as part of the development during the 1930s and 1940s. The Cahaba Project Historic District is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of the stranger pieces of local history involves a house once associated with Dr. John Spearman Edwards, an early physician in the area. Built in 1879, the Edwards House stood near Highway 11 and eventually became known locally as the “ghost house” after years of abandonment. The nickname became part of local lore. Rather than demolishing the deteriorating structure, it was moved to Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in 1993 and restored.

The Cahaba River remains part of daily life in the city. Civitan Park sits along the water and provides access to walking and biking routes through the city’s greenway system. Nearby, the Historic Trussville Mall provides a large open lawn surrounded by the homes and streets created as part of the Cahaba Project. 

Local businesses also have some longevity here. Agnew Jewelers was founded by Jack and Sue Ann Agnew in 1973 and moved into Trussville in 2004. The family-owned business has now been operating for more than 50 years and continues to offer jewelry sales, custom work, and repairs performed in-house.

Cahaba Cycles has another long local history. The bicycle company dates to 1983, when it began with a single Alabama store before expanding to additional locations, including Trussville. The shop sells road, mountain, recreational, and electric bicycles and provides repair and maintenance services. Four decades in business has carried the company through major changes in bicycle design, from the early mountain-bike era to today’s increasingly common electric models.

Scarlet Raven Gaming brings a much newer type of independent business to the area. The shop is centered on tabletop gaming rather than video games, with more than 100 board games available and organized events involving Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Dungeons & Dragons. The space was designed not only for retail sales but also to give players somewhere to meet, compete, and spend time playing games together.

The Trussville Entertainment District has added another gathering place near downtown. Ferus Artisan Ales operates a brewery, taproom, restaurant, and event space there, with an outdoor area and stage used for concerts and community events. The brewery produces its own beers while the surrounding district provides space for people to move between businesses and outdoor seating areas.

With homes ranging from the original Cahaba Project residences to newer construction, dryer vent systems around Trussville can vary considerably in length, routing, and condition. Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning handles dryer vent cleaning, repairs damaged or poorly functioning vent lines, and replaces exterior vent covers when needed. If your dryer is taking longer than it used to, the laundry room is getting unusually warm, or the vent hasn’t been checked in years, contact us to have the system inspected.