84 East 4th St, Luverne, Alabama 36049

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844-850-4421 844-850-4421

History

Bricken Building History

Lightfoot & Nichols is located in the Historic Bricken building. The one-story frame building, which was built in the late 1800’s, faced the front of the original Courthouse, which was also built in the late 1800’s. The two Courthouses which followed the original faced west rather than south and remained adjacent to the Bricken building.

The Bricken building has served as a landmark in the field of law in Crenshaw County since it was constructed. It was originally built by Benjamin R. Bricken who was the first Attorney at Law in Crenshaw County, in 1893, the same year the first Courthouse was built in Luverne, the county seat. From 1893 the building was occupied by the law firm of Bricken, Bricken and Bricken, composed of Benjamin R. Bricken, Judge Charles R. Bricken and Frank B. Bricken. This firm practiced in the office until the death of Benjamin R. Bricken in 1909, and until the election of Judge Charles R. Bricken to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Frank B. Bricken continued to practice law in the building until his death in 1933. In 1933, Ben H. Lightfoot and Horton H. Little practiced law in the building under the name of Little and Lightfoot until 1936 when Ben H. Lightfoot was elected as the prosecuting attorney for Crenshaw County, at which time he moved his office into the Courthouse.

Ben H LightfootThe building continued to operate as a law office from 1936 to 1945 by Thompson & Little, a law firm composed of Ira B. Thompson and Horton H. Little. In 1945, the building was occupied by Ben H. Lightfoot and Llewellyn P. Bricken, both of whom were grandsons of Benjamin R. Bricken, the original occupant and builder of the building and the first lawyer in Crenshaw County. The firm practiced in the building until 1957 at which time it was dissolved. Ben H. Lightfoot continued his law practice in the building and was joined by his apprentice attorney, John A. Nichols, in 1980. Ben H. Lightfoot continued to practice law in the building until his death in 1985.

John A. Nichols continued his law practice in the building after Mr. Lightfoot passed in 1985 and continues to carry the name “Lightfoot & Nichols.” The building was originally owned by Benjamin R. Bricken and then Llewellyn P. Bricken and then Ben H. Lightfoot.  After Mr. Lightfoot passed, John A. Nichols purchased the building from Mr. Lightfoot’s estate and fully restored the building in 2004.  John A. Nichols was joined by his son, J. Levi Nichols, in 2008 and the building continues to house the law firm “Lightfoot & Nichols.”

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