It survived the Battle of Selma near the end of the war and served as a Freedman's Bureau Hospital for a short time following it.

[2] It was then purchased by local civic leaders in an effort to lure the Dallas county seat from Cahaba to Selma.

[3] The trustees of the Henry W. Vaughan estate purchased the building for $5,025 in 1904 and leased the former courthouse to a new school, the Selma Military Institute.

It was renamed in honor of Smitherman by the Selma City Council in 1979, for his role in preserving and restoring the building.

The wrought iron balcony railings utilize a design with an open diamond pattern, also known as a crowfoot baluster.

Additionally, the museum has mid-19th century antique furniture, a collection of Native American artifacts, meeting rooms for clubs and civic groups, and parlors for social events.