By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

Harpersville is celebrating its 200th birthday on Saturday, Nov. 14.

The Town of Harpersville Bicentennial Celebration 1815-2015 will be a day filled with special events starting with a parade at 10 a.m. hosting the town’s “Rich Past and Bight Future.”

Columbiana artist Scott Owen of Sign Graphics recently created and painted the Harpersville bicentennial logo and presented the framed painting to Mayor Theoangelo Perkins.

“When the mayor asked me to help with this special 200-year celebration, I knew I wanted to create something that brought in the old heritage with an elegant feeling,” said Owen. “Hand lettering is a thing of the past but I learned to do it in my business. I decided on the design and decided to make a framed painting as a gift to the town in honor of the bicentennial. I will create a scanned logo that can be used for the bicentennial.”

Owen’s beautiful gift of talent is housed at Harpersville City Hall for the public to see.

Harpersville is one of Shelby County’s oldest communities. The community originally was settled in 1815 by the Harper and Kidd families and precedes Shelby County and the state of Alabama. Rich, prime farmland and abundance of streams and water drew families from all over the South. The town was named in 1820 after William Webb Harper, acclaimed to be the first teacher.

Harper sold his land to John W. Kidd.

A post office, plank store, blacksmith shop, steam driven cotton gin and school were among the first buildings.

Elmhill Academy attracted students both in and out of state.

The A.B. and C. Railroad was laid in 1908, and U.S. 280, known as the Florida Short Route, was constructed in 1925.

The Town of Harpersville was incorporated in 1945, and the first mayor was J.W. Donahoo. Mayor Perkins was the first black mayor elected in Shelby County’s history in 2004 with 56 percent of the vote.

He is now serving in his third term. Noted historic places include the Old Baker Farm, Chancellor Home, Wallace-Klein Plantation, the Newman Rock House and The Darby House.

In February 2009, the “Harpersville Heritage Area” was listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage by the Alabama Historical Commission.