Hampton Cove
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Hampton Cove is a master planned community located in the foothills and valleys of North Alabama's Cumberland Plateau. A suburb of Huntsville, Alabama, Hampton Cove receives all the benefits of city services while defining a small town way of life. White Kentucky three rail fences encircle this 2,800-acre (11 km²) community that lies between Monte Sano Mountain, Huntsville Mountain and Green Mountain to the west, and Keel Mountain to the east.
Hampton Cove is comprised of nearly 2,000 homes in twenty different neighborhoods with a wide variety of living options ranging from patio homes and townhomes to family homes and multi-million dollar estates. The community is home to 28 lakes, 3 golf courses, over 20 miles (32 km) of sidewalks and paths. Additionally, Hampton Cove sits ajacent to the 538 wooded acres of the Hays Nature Preserve and the Big Cove Creek Greenway.
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[edit] History
Development on Hampton Cove began in 1992, in a partnership between land owner John Hays and local real estate developer Jeff Enfinger. Hays, who owned thousands of acres just over Monte Sano mountain, donated acreage to develop a golf course in what was then open countryside between the city of Huntsville and the rural communities of Big Cove and Owens Crossroads. The addition of three Robert Trent Jones golf courses encouraged further development in the area.
Formerly a rural community, the area was once known as Horse Cove, because local residents hid their horses there to prevent them being seized by the Union Army during the Civil War. The land was originally occupied by the Cherokee and Chickasaw tribes before becoming part of the Mississippi Territory in 1806. According to 'A History of Madison County and Incidentally of North Alabama 1732-1840' by Judge Thomas Jones Taylor, "The land in Big Cove was eagerly sought for and rapidly taken up and occupied by a class of settlers who were in intellect, enterprise and energy, the prize of any continent." Settlers were drawn to the area for its fertile soil and the natural beauty of the mountains and adjacent Flint River.
The land was annexed by the city of Huntsville in the 1990's and[citation needed] was renamed Hampton Cove by developer Jeff Enfinger.[citation needed]
[edit] Schools
Both Hampton Cove Elementary and Hampton Cove Middle School share a sprawling campus that provides kindergarten through 8th grade education. Hampton Cove students advance to Huntsville High School which sits 12 miles (19 km) away. All three schools fall within the Huntsville City Schools system and are ranked among the best public schools in the nation. (Test scores and other statistics are available on greatschools.net.)
Private school options include the interdenominational Hampton Cove Christian Academy (PK-3) as well as a wide variety of other religious and secular private schools in Huntsville.
Area universities include The University of Alabama at Huntsville and Alabama A&M University.
[edit] Recreation
Hampton Cove hosts one of ten stops on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Hampton Cove's 630-acre (2.5 km²), three-course, 54-hole facility is open year-round and includes a club house with a pro shop, meeting rooms, bar, and full service restaurant.
Hampton Cove is also home to 28 stocked lakes, miles of walking and biking trails and horse riding paths, and a 100-acre (0.40 km²) city park with baseball and soccer fields. The adjacent Flint River, Hays Nature Preserve and Big Cove Greenway offer additional recreational opportunities.
The city of Huntsville offers additional cultural opportunities including the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Huntsville Ballet, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and a variety of concerts and performances held at the Von Braun Center. Additionally, tourists and locals alike are drawn to the US Space and Rocket Center, the Huntsville Botanical Garden and the fine dining and shopping at Bridge Street Town Centre.
[edit] Metro-Area
Hampton Cove is the eastern-most suburb of a metro area of approximately half a million residents. Downtown Huntsville and the medical district are a short 15 minute drive over the mountain for commuters from Hampton Cove. Other Huntsville suburbs include Madison, Harvest, Hazel Green, Normal and Meridianville.
The Huntsville area is recognized nationally for its growing business opportunities, specifically in the high-tech and aerospace industries. Leading area employers include NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Intergraph, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and IBM. Huntsville's Cummings Research Park is the second largest research park in the country.
Forbes has named Huntsville one of the Fastest Growing Metro Areas in the country (January 2008) and one of the Leading Cities for Business (May 2007). Computer World has named Huntsville one of the Top 5 Technology Cities (October 2007) and Popular Science has named Huntsville one of America's Leading Greenest Cities (March 2008).
[edit] Media
In addition to the Huntsville radio, television and print media outlets, Hampton Cove maintains its own newsletter, The Heron.
[edit] Neighborhoods
Hampton Cove consists of 20 neighborhoods:
- Arbor Woods
- Cobblestone Cove
- Cumberland Cove
- Deford Mill
- Deford Mill Estates
- Eastern Shore
- Flint Mill
- Glen Eagles
- Grande Highlands
- Hampton Cove Estates
- Lake Pointe
- Mallard's Landing
- Providence Island
- Stoneleigh Terrace
- Sussex Quarter
- Tammerack Lakes
- Tammerack Links
- Treyburne
- Twelve Stones
