Hampton Cove - History

History

Development of Hampton Cove began in 1992, in a partnership between brothers John and Jimmy Hays and nephew Jeff Enfinger. The partners purchased the acreage just over Monte Sano Mountain from several different landowners including Burritt and Whitaker to develop a golf course and subdivision in what was then open countryside between the city of Huntsville and the rural communities of Big Cove, Gurley and Owens Cross Roads.Additional land was purchased from Robert L. Sublett, a local farmer in the Little Cove area. The addition of three Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses encouraged further development in the area. Much of the golf course is on the former Burritt property.

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 early 1990s.Hampton Cove is not a separate city, all services are provided by Huntsville. The community shares the same zip code as Owens Cross Roads, Al, 35763, though it is in the city of Huntsville. Hampton Cove did not replace Big Cove.