Much appreciation to the speaker at our 83rd Annual Meeting, Gerald Watkins, Director of Friends of Rickwood, along with all the other Rickwood Friends who were in attendance. Critical to the preservation of the nation’s OLDEST BALL PARK, these baseball enthusiasts are holding the HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) poster that certified Rickwood’s age and importance.

But before that 1993 certification, Tom Cosby, Terry Slaughter, and Coke Mathews recognized the importance of the ballpark, and led fundraising efforts which ultimately led to Birmingham Historical Society’s involvement in the HABS documentation. It’s a preservation success story that put Birmingham on the map, bringing its first Major League Baseball game to Rickwood in 2024. (View all the drawings and documentation at the Library of Congress HERE at HABS AL-897)

Gerald Watkins shared not only his enthusiasm for the sport, and the struggles in maintaining the park, but also the ongoing support that will be necessary to sustain it. Want to help? Attend an event! Or contribute to its support HERE

photos by Louise McPhillips

Read more about Rickwood’s history in our BHS newsletter HERE (downloadable pdf document) and in our archives HERE