The Allen House, built in 1928, stands on land purchased by Elijah Willits from the federal government in December 1818. The first structure on the land was a public elementary school erected in 1856 and used until 1869, when Hill School was built to house grades one through twelve. The little brick schoolhouse was then sold and converted into a private residence. The property changed hands several times until the 1920s, when Harry and Marion Allen became the owners. Harry Allen, born in 1882 and died in 1957, was Birmingham's first mayor after the city officially incorporated in 1933. During efforts to enlarge the old schoolhouse, it collapsed, and the present house was built in its place, using bricks from the old school to create its facade. The city bought the property in 1969 intending to turn it into a historical museum, and the Birmingham Historical Museum officially opened on May 19, 2001.