Featured this year are three FREE events, with a tour of Rickwood Field, a talk on Birmingham Mineral Railroad, and a Community Preservation Spotlight in Titusville. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events! For more information, please contact Birmingham’s Historic Preservation Manager: Hannah.Garmon@birminghamal.gov
Mark your calendars for this upcoming event on Sunday, May 10th, 3:00 PM at 2827 Highland Avenue! James Lowery is an authority on the path of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad, and has installed 199 signs to indicate the former roadbed.
If you’ve ever wondered about the history of your house, mark your calendar for Saturday, April 18th!
For over 50 years, Marjorie White has been sharing her research and discoveries about her adopted city of Birmingham. Her story as told in Birmingham Lifestyle Magazine is one of dedication, curiosity, exploration, and documentation. She knows this city well, and shares her enthusiasm in her latest publication, Birmingham by the Book.
Currently available locally (and mailed) from Birmingham Historical Society offices on Highland Avenue, at Thank You Books in Crestwood, and Shoppe in Forest Park, and at Amazon.com. Use the QR code to buy via PayPal or click HERE
If you want to share Birmingham with out-of-towners, this is a comprehensive, well-illustrated, but easy to read overview. And locals may just find out something new about Birmingham! Check it out! And read more about Marjorie’s story below…
Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City
Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City is FREE to all new members! The heavily illustrated 8 x 10 guide is divided into chapters with photos, maps, and descriptions including:
A typical page is pictured below. Quickly access places to go and things to do with a particular emphasis on the history of the sites. Locals may discover a new appreciation for their city that they only thought they knew well. Tourists will find an easy-to-follow overview divided into regions with notable sites in each region. Use this guide so that you don’t miss important architectural or historical features. And JOIN US, as we continue to document Birmingham’s history and educate the public with annual publications per the words of Marjorie White, BHS Director, below.
Interview by Birmingham Business Journal with
Marjorie White
Chairman of the Board and Director, Birmingham Historical Society
Category: Volunteer of the Year, Birmingham Business Journal 2026
Why is the nonprofit mission so critical and needed in the Birmingham community?
Nonprofits tread where others will not. Case in point: Fifty years ago, when I was first elected as an officer of the Birmingham Historical Society that I continue to serve as chairman of the board and director, the general understanding was that Birmingham had no history. (History happened before or during antebellum times and Birmingham was not even here then), and that the city had no built heritage to preserve. Over the intervening years, the Society has researched and published more than 70 books, drafted National Register of Historic Places and National Landmark nominations, conducted educational programs for adults and school groups and worked to create awareness and stewardship of the significant heritage of our post-bellum industrial city, greatly spearheading its conservation and preservation. This year, we look forward to releasing and sharing our definitive guide to Birmingham that once and for all dispels the notion that there is nothing to see or do in the Magic City.
Birmingham Historical Society is a privately funded membership organization. The Society benefits from the philanthropy of others: their donations of money, time and skills. As is true for similar groups across the United States, the Society has no full-time staff and operates with an exceptionally strong volunteer base. Many individuals have made decades long contributions.
We look forward to continuing their service, recruiting other volunteers, and to building our endowment to support future staffed positions, fulfilling our mission to research, publish. and educate our community about its history and heritage.
First the PROGRAM! Birmingham boosters Stewart Dansby and Tom Cosby had the audience enthusiastically participating in a “Birmingham IQ” quiz highlighting the many superlatives that make Birmingham a great place to live. Did you know…? WOW! The audience was impressed by stats and amenities that are often overlooked by Birmingham natives.
Birmingham Historical Society President Wayne Hester begins the annual meeting as the audience reviews multiple choice answers to the “Birmingham IQ” quiz by Tom Cosby and Stewart Dansby.
Stewart Dansby and Tom Cosby created a list of multiple choice answers to test Birmingham’s knowledge of their city.
Next the BOOK!
Birmingham Historical Society members all received a copy of Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City, a definitive guide of over 50 years of research by Marjorie White about her adopted city. Tasked with directing the organization as a newcomer, one of her first goals was to create a guide and many years and over 70 publications later, this is the not-to-be-missed result. A book signing by Marjorie White followed the meeting.
Available locally at Thank You Books, Shoppe, Birmingham Museum of Art, and at Birmingham Historical Society.
After the quiz, Birmingham Historical Society VP, Rick Sprague, reported on the progress of the society since a survey produced a strategic plan that was published in 2020. He noted that ALL goals have been achieved and in some cases surpassed!
Followed by the CAKES! In recognition of the guide book’s history, all of the cakes entered used recipes that were over 50 years old with some interesting stories to accompany them.
And finally many thanks to the JUDGES! Three members of Les Dames d’Escoffier Birmingham agreed to judge the cakes. Christiana Roussel, Sonthe Burge, and Charbett Cauthen. We were delighted to have their expertise and share in their enthusiasm for all things culinary!
Thank you to all who participated and especially to all who attended!
The film produced by Katie Rogers and Brandon McCray tells the story of how jazz was cultivated and popularized in Ensley, centered around what is now known as the Nixon Building, located at the junction of two streetcar lines. During the 1920s and 1930s, the nightclub on this corner was a vibrant social hub and dance venue. Admission required tuxedos and proper evening attire, a standard that gave rise to the club’s legendary name: Tuxedo Junction.
This era also marked the emergence of some of Birmingham’s most influential jazz musicians, many of whom were trained by renowned band director Fess Whatley at Parker Industrial School. At the time, Parker Industrial was the only Black high school in Alabama, and its students honed their musical skills by performing at Tuxedo Junction, helping to shape a distinctive jazz tradition that would resonate far beyond Birmingham. The song Tuxedo Junction performed there and written by Erskine Hawkins cemented its place in history.
The good news is that the documentary Tuxedo Junction will air on PBS on February 19. Those who attended the special screening on Sunday can attest that it is well worth the wait—don’t miss it! Sunday’s event also featured a book signing by Burgin Mathews, author of Magic City: How the Birmingham Jazz Tradition Shaped the Sound of America, his 10 year passion project that further highlights the city’s enduring impact on American music. Jazz music by Birmingham legends, Bo Berry and Jose Carr, created the magic that continues to captivate music lovers everywhere.
Tuxedo Junction by Erskine Hawkins
with lyrics by Buddy Feyne
Feelin' low
Rockin' slow
I want to go
Right back where I belong
Way down south in Birmingham
I mean south in Alabam'
There's an old place where people go
To dance the night away
They all drive or walk for miles
To get jive that southern style
It's an old jive that makes you want
To dance till break of day
It's a junction where the town folks meet
At each function in a tux they greet you
Come on down, forget your care
Come on down, you'll find me there
So long town, I'm heading for
Tuxedo Junction now
[Instrumental]
Feelin' low
Rockin' slow
I want to go
Right back where I belong
Way down south in Birmingham
I mean south in Alabam'
There's an old place where people go
To dance the night away
They all drive or walk for miles
To get jive that southern style
It's an old jive that makes you want
To dance till break of day
It's a junction where the town folks meet
At each function in a tux they greet you
Come on down, forget your care
Come on down, you'll find me there
So long town, I'm heading for
Tuxedo Junction now
Tuxedo Junction now
BUY HERE ON AMAZON.COM
or support our local vendors: Shoppe in Forest Park and Thank You Books in Crestwood
What’s Your Birmingham IQ? with Birmingham boosters Tom Cosby and Stewart Dansby
Cosby and Dansby are former public relations and marketing officers of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and leaders in our city and in the saving and conserving of its landmarks, notably Vulcan, Rickwood Field, and the Lyric
And featuring Birmingham Historical Society’s annual cake contest with this year’s theme: Cakes with a Past
