This beautiful but heavily forested and neglected overlook at the crest of the mountain in Redmont Park needed attention to preserve its beauty and longevity. So neighbors and parkgoers alike called upon landscape architect and long-time Birmingham Historical Society Trustee, Birgit Kibelka, to develop a Master Plan. Watercolors by local artist Adrienne Retief illustrate the goals they commissioned. Read about its history and follow along on their website as they execute their plan!
Lots of interest in our Highland Park neighborhood, at an event in which Birmingham Historical Society displayed photographs of nearly all the original homes constructed along Highland Avenue (many courtesy of historian and neighbor Randy Merritt). Our Open House included not only our extensive exhibit, but also tours of the offices of our new neighbor, Alabama Audubon, The Greenbriar lobby in the historic Altamont building, and the front porches of several neighboring historic homes. The tour ended with music at Rojo.
Note that the BHS book, A Guide to Architectural Styles, provides context and recognition tips as to the style of many of the homes in Southside. And our latest book, a reprint of the 1962 book published by The Birmingham News, It’s Nice to Live in Birmingham, is now available for $20 via link above and will not be sold on Amazon.
Thank you to all who attended and we hope to see you again soon!
Sunday afternoon, the Birmingham Historical Society hosted a going away reception for a much appreciated member and BHS Trustee who is moving to Tampa, Florida; Birgit Kibelka. A gifted landscape architect, Birgit was responsible for a massive amount of work for BHS as well as for the community which was displayed throughout the BHS offices.
Birgit researched and documented historic sites with BHS during 14 years from 2010 until 2024. Together with BHS Director Marjorie White, they explored, mapped and documented early residential developments, parks, trails, culverts, railroad cuts and creeks.
These historic sites include Warren Manning’s plan for Mountain Brook, Ross Bridge, Altamont Park, the George Ward Preserve, Brock’s Gap, Bluff Park and the Shades Creek watershed.
Birgit initiated the Brock’s Gap research project after discovering plans for a road that could potentially harm the significant historic site. It ultimately led to the inclusion of historic sites in Hoover’s 2023 Parks & Public Spaces Plan (pgs 44-47).
During the reception, Marjorie White acknowledged Birgit’s dedication and highlighted her impressive contributions to the Society. Birgit then spoke, sharing her insights and passion for the historical value of traditional paper maps, and explaining their importance in today’s time of continually updated online maps. She explained that maps are important for historic documentation in that historic sites are otherwise not found. She later provided the example below of Brock’s Gap.
The history of the gap is well described in the 1992 book “A History of Hoover, Alabama and Its People” by Marilyn Davis Barefield. Nevertheless, the historic marker was located facing the second railroad cut and not the original one and no one – except for Sam Curren – knew where the site was. A map would have prevented such a general loss of knowledge.
Good luck, Birgit, in your new home. You will be greatly missed!
After vacating 37 years at the Duncan House at Sloss Quarters, we celebrated the move to our new home at the historic Altamont Apartments on Highland Avenue this afternoon. Our well-attended Open House today featured book signings of this year’s publication, Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill, signed by Barbara Shores and Jeff Hunt ((with whom Martin Luther King stayed) as well as a history hunt, book sales, membership information, historical marker guidelines by Jefferson County Historical Commission historian, Linda Nelson, and light refreshments. Thank you to all who joined us!
Guests were also invited to tour the lobby of the historic Greenbriar at Altamont next door.
Photo credits: Louise McPhillips & Rebecca Moody
You’re invited to the official opening of our new location, 2827 Highland Avenue, on Birmingham’s Southside, in the historic Altamont Apartments, now called the Greenbriar at Altamont. Read more about it HERE!
FREE and open to the public
When: Sunday afternoon, November 13 from 2-4 P.M.
What: We will have punch and cookies and lots of books to sell, including a preview of the soon to be released Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill. (expected mid-November)
Where: The courtyard and historic lobby of The Altamont will also be open to the public at this time.
Long time residents of Birmingham know that the Altamont ridge has one of the best views in the city, a forested overlook perched 400 feet above Jones Valley.
But did you know that Boston architect, George H. Miller, originally created a plan for the Altamont ridge in 1911, specifically providing for both public and private forested views? In fact, the guiding principal, reiterated in an interview by City Forester Hugh Sloss in 1931, was that:
“Altamont Park was intended to remain a natural, forested green space, enhanced only by selective cleaning and pruning. It was conceived as a neighborhood park, whereas Altamont Road, one link in an imagined longer parkway, was meant for the enjoyment of all of Birmingham’s citizens and visitors. Furthermore, preserving as much vegetation as possible on the north face of Red Mountain allows the City of Birmingham to retain its most notable and defining natural feature.”
Read the entire history in Birmingham Historical Society’s latest publication, Altamont – A Portion of Red Mountain and Its Park. Or click image below to order a copy.
