The historic town of Mooresville is one of 20 contenders in a national contest to determine the “Best Small Southern Town.”

The contest, sponsored by USA Today and destination website 10Best, runs through May 25. Officials with the town of Mooresville and the Athens-Limestone Tourism Association are urging Limestone County residents to cast their vote to move the town to the top of the list.

Votes can be cast by visiting http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-southern-small-town/mooresville-ala/.

“It’s such a huge honor to have such a well-respected publication recognize us,” said Mooresville Mayor Margaret-Anne Crumlish.

Teresa Todd, director of the Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association, described Mooresville as a “beautiful hamlet” that packs in history, architecture, culture and community within just 2,787,840 square feet.

“Mooresville is the perfect town,” she said. “Everyone knows his or her neighbor, they all pull together to help their neighbor when in need, they have perfectly kempt yards with no falling down structures and they have no crime. It is a Norman Rockwell town — perfect.”

This most recent honor for the tiny-but-historic town is just the latest occurrence of regional and national attention in recent years. Last August, Mooresville was one of 50 small towns to be honored by OREO, which sent out a package of OREO mini cookies and a note to every household in the town.

Mooresville was also featured as a “Small Towns We Love” in the July 2014 issue of “Southern Living” magazine.

Crumlish said she didn’t know why Mooresville had received so much attention as of late, but she’s glad people are beginning to appreciate the efforts of the town’s leadership and residents.

“We’re not doing anything promotion-wise, and we’re all volunteers on the (town) council,” she said. “We work very hard to live up to our tagline of ‘history lives’ by maintaining our old historic buildings, and people are so good about keeping up their yards and houses. There are 53 people who love Mooresville, and that’s our common bond.”

When asked if the town could risk losing its identity through industrial, retail and residential growth in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County, Crumlish said she doesn’t expect to see any significant changes.

“Change is going to happen and growth is going to happen, but what we’re focused on is protecting what we have here,” she said. “If anything, we may finally have pizza delivery out here.”

How it ranks

Mooresville, which has a population of roughly 53 residents, is currently ranked fifth out of the 20 towns selected. Mooresville’s competition includes:

• Abingdon, Virginia;

• Apalachicola, Florida;

• Bardstown, Kentucky;

• Beaufort, South Carolina;

• Berkeley Springs, West Virginia;

• Dahlonega, Georgia;

• Destin, Florida;

• Eureka Springs, Arkansas;

• Floyd, Virginia;

• Fredericksburg, Texas

• Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee;

• Marfa, Texas;

• Middleburg, Virginia;

• Monroeville, Alabama;

• Natchez, Mississippi;

• Natchitoches, Louisiana;

• Sanibel, Florida;

• Tybee Island, Georgia; and

• Wimberley, Texas.

A brief history

Though Mooresville is a very small town, its history — and residents’ dedication to preserving it — looms large in the state. In fact, the town was incorporated on Nov. 16, 1818, more than 13 months before Alabama became a state.

Crumlish said the town is in the planning stages for its bicentennial, to be held in 2018. She said events leading up to the celebration would begin as early as late-2017.

Often referred to as “Alabama’s Williamsburg,” the town is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of Alabama’s intact 19th-century villages. A 19th century home once housed a tailor’s apprentice named Andrew Johnson, who later became president of the United States.

The town is home to two historic churches, including the 1854 white clapboard Church of Christ where Gen. James A. Garfield preached during the Civil War while encamped near the town with the 42nd Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. The 1839 Greek Revival Brick Church, the 1821 Stagecoach Tavern (the first post office) and the “newer” 1840 Post Office are maintained by the town’s residents.

In 1995, the Disney film “Tom and Huck” was filmed in Mooresville.