Anniston was founded by Samuel Noble, an Englishman who headed the ironworks in Rome, Georgia, and Daniel Tyler, a Connecticut capitalist. They established textile mills and blast furnaces designed to help launch the South into the industrial revolution after the devastation of the Civil War. In 1879, the owners hired accomplished Eastern architects, including the renowned Stanford White, to design and build a modern company town. The town was named after Mrs. Anne Scott Taylor (Annie's Town), wife of one of the local iron magnates. Anniston remained a private company town until 1883, when it was opened to the public. Today, Anniston retains many historic structures and much of its original character.