Railroad depots and limestone quarries
Calera takes its name from the Spanish word for quarry, and trains still run here on weekends. RBC Buildings serves Calera and the rest of the area from our Blountsville office.
We have one office, in Blountsville. We do not have an office in Calera.
Calera was incorporated in 1887, and its name comes from the Spanish word for a quarry because of the limestone found nearby. The downtown historic district is on the National Register, and two buildings from 1885, a church and a drug store, are still part of the story.[2]
Today the town is also known for the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, which runs excursion trains on part of a former Alabama Mineral Railroad line. Many properties around a railroad and quarry town are working land, and steel buildings are a practical match for shops, storage and equipment.[2,3]
General information. Every project is different, so call us about yours.
Steel is often used for equipment storage and work shops because the frame is open inside and built for heavy use. The right design depends on what you will store and how the lot is laid out.[2]
Metal siding and roofing can give a building a classic look in many colors. Matching a historic style depends on your design goals and any rules that apply, so ask the town first.[3]
Because the city spans two counties, start with the city office and then the county office that covers your parcel. This is a general step, not a statement of any local rule.[2]
RBC keeps price lists for trusses, lumber, doors, insulation, metal sheathing and trim, and prices are subject to change. Looking them over helps you shape your questions.[3]
Calera counted 16,494 people in the 2020 Census.[2]
The population grew 268 percent from 2000 to 2010 and another 41.9 percent from 2010 to 2020.[2]
The city lies in both Shelby and Chilton counties and is home to Shelby County Airport.[2]
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera runs two excursion trains every Saturday from March to December and keeps over forty pieces of rolling stock.[3]
The museum began as a railroad club in downtown Birmingham in the 1960s and moved to Calera in the 1980s.[3]
Call (205) 429-4411 to talk about a pole barn, shop or roofing project in Calera. There are no promises on the phone, only an honest conversation.
Local details on this page come from these public sources, checked in October 2026.
