Arley, AL - The Heart of Smith Lake

Little Town with Large Charm            
Writer David Palmer
 
Nestled in the southeast side of William B. Bankhead National Forest and Winston County, and surrounded on three sides by Lewis Smith Lake, the town of Arley is a welcoming beacon of charm and hospitality for visitors.  Incorporated in December of 1965, records show the date as 12/18/1965.  Nevertheless, the history of the community goes all the way back to the 1830s when a handful of settlers inhabited a portion of the land.
 
Historical research by our team reveals that the original name of the community was Dismal, based on old records dated to early settlers and the name of the original post office, which was located in the home of Thomas M. Wadsworth.  The area was said to be first known as Dismal, likely related to Dismal Creek that flows into Smith Lake.  However, the community became known in the early 1900s as Arley, after the local Arley School, estabished by and named after the son of a local minister, Robert Arley Gibson. Arley apparently became a precinct of Winston County near 1920 according to U.S. Census records.

Today, Arley is a well established town and carries the slogan of the Heart of Smith Lake and was voted favorite small town by the community for 2020 in the recent Annual Best of Smith Lake© contest held by our magazine.  
 
Some time back, George Gibson, former Arley fire chief, recommended a new slogan for the town with its association with the lake. Town council member Bobby Williams went to work crafting a new sign depicting Arley as the Heart of Smith Lake for fellow council members to see. Gibson's suggestion and Williams' work won approval and the signs have become popular landmarks and marketing tools for Arley. "We needed four signs to cover the whole town. It became a community effort," Williams said. 
 
Conveniently located on Alabama 257, which runs north and south through the town and connects U.S. 278, Arley residents have long seen visitors to their town because of the lake. "This area has really boomed. You see people from all over the country as well as Canada,” Williams said.  In the past visitors were predictably seasonal, but that has changed with many new permanent residents and a growing school enrollment. "Inside the town there are probably over 300 residents, but the new meters in the areas on the lake and surrounding area is about 3,000. So we are seeing many of those residents here in town," Williams said.

Anchored by the long standing hardware store, Williams Hardware & Building Supply, the town has grown to have local banks; a favorite grocery store, Son’s of Arley; a builder’s headquarters, Cornerstone Construction; the Smith Lake Vendor Market, HVAC business Isaac's Heating & Cooling, as well as the expected Dollar General plus other businesses, restaurants, and shops. All the businesses collectively contribute to the growth and wellbeing of the little city.   
 
One of the popular stops in town is the Arley Coffee Shop where locals, hikers, vacationers and travelers gather for conversation or a break in the day. Customer reviews give high marks for the food and service for all times of the day - breakfast, lunch and dinner.  
 
Arley has long been known for the southern style Chittlin Supper charity fundraiser, as well as May's Arley Day Festival, Arts & Crafts, Car Show and Parade hosted by the Arley Women’s Club “AWC,” who are vital to the community.  Their activities and contributions have been a godsend in revitalizing the area through their fundraisers, making way for the building of the Arley Public Library, Hamner Park, a recycling program, and so much more. ​

The town also enjoys a thriving little art scene through the combined efforts by Winston County Arts Council and the AWC supporting local artists like Sandra Heaven and Diane Sharron, among many others, who assist and volunteer in the schools to teach pottery and art to students and adults, as well as donating their art pieces for local fundraisers like the annual Empty Bowls event in Winston County..  New group Lewis Smith Lake Artisans Alliance also blossomed in Arley from a growing interest in local artisans.  Collectively, the raising of awareness for arts, for schools and area artisans, is helping to showcase local and regional talent while offering opportunities for new or undiscovered talent.
 
A rural gem, Arley stands as one of the finest examples of Southern small-town living. Its position, surrounded by the lake and national forest, seems to secure its continued success and growth.  
 
"We’re not sure if George Gibson and Bobby Williams realized when they coined the slogan for Arley as the Heart of Smith Lake, that Arley truly is the geographical HEART of Smith Lake – check out our diagram. We discovered this several years ago when we turned our map upside down while investigating an area on Rock Creek, and there it was – a HEART in the middle of Smith Lake!  So fitting, right?  For our beloved hometown…we formed a little heart graphic to represent and seal her title as 'The Heart of Smith Lake,”  ​​explains The Lakeside Life Team.  

Article released:  3/15/21 in the Spring 2021 issue (2021-QTR1)
Article updated:  3/15/23