Category Archives: Birmingham Historical Society

Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Historic Preservation, Neighborhoods, Research

How Industry Shaped The Magic City’s Architecture, Neighborhoods & Churches

Birmingham grew “like magic” for a variety of reasons:

  • It had plenty of natural resources like iron ore, coal, and limestone;
  • It was perfectly located at the crossroads of major railroad lines;
  • Its founders had a clear vision; and
  • There was significant investment in industrial infrastructure.

All these elements played a role in its architectural journey and shaped how the city has developed. From its beginnings filled with warehouses and factories after it was incorporated in 1871, Birmingham has transformed into a city with historic homes, churches, and a range of contemporary architecture that we see today. Each era has left behind architectural treasures that give us a glimpse into Birmingham’s growth.

Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City is a compilation detailing many of Birmingham’s historic sites. It explores their architectural importance and how they contributed to the city’s growth. This book includes maps and recommendations for walking and driving tours, perfect for understanding its journey to becoming an industrial hub.

Cover of 'Birmingham by the Book' featuring an aerial view of Birmingham with highways, greenery, and the skyline at dusk.

Iron and Steel Industry Influence:
The iron and steel industries drove Birmingham’s early growth, leaving a mark on its architecture. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many sturdy industrial buildings – like warehouses, factories, and mills – sprang up around the city. Sloss Furnaces stands as a monument to the city’s industrial heritage. Another popular spot is Pepper Place, once home to the Martin Biscuit Company, which is now full of retail shops, businesses, and hosts special events while still showcasing its rich industrial past.

Aerial view of a commercial district featuring the Martin Biscuit Company building and surrounding parking areas, with a skyline of a city in the background.
Martin Biscuit Company
An industrial complex featuring large, rusty structures, including tall chimneys and storage tanks, set against a partly cloudy sky.
Sloss Furnaces

Boomtown Era Structures:
As the 20th century rolled in, Birmingham saw a boom that led to the construction of impressive public buildings, commercial spaces, and new neighborhoods. We can see this reflected in iconic sites like the Alabama Theater, which has become a cultural hub, the historic Tutwiler Hotel, and the striking City Federal and Florentine Buildings that highlight the city’s ambition.

Decorative architectural facade featuring ornate details, arches, and a vintage lantern.
Florentine Building
Interior view of an ornate theater featuring a red curtain stage, gold and decorative architectural details, and seating arrangements.
Alabama Theater

Art Deco Influence:
The Art Deco style made a splash in Birmingham during the 1920s and 1930s, with numerous buildings showcasing bold geometric shapes and vibrant designs. The Alabama Power Building and the McWane Science Center are perfect examples of this eye-catching style. The City Federal Building, Thomas Jefferson Hotel, Alabama Theatre, and Lyric Theatre all embrace the Art Deco aesthetic.

Facade of a tall building with a sign reading 'The Tower' at the top, under a clear blue sky, surrounded by green trees.
Thomas Jefferson Hotel
Art Deco style building at dusk with illuminated windows and a sign reading 'Alabama'.
McWane Building
Historic mid-rise building with architectural details, featuring a statue on top, surrounded by modern structures and trees.
Alabama Power
City Federal building with a prominent red sign atop against a clear blue sky.
City Federal
The front of the Lyric Theatre illuminated at night, featuring the marquee with the text 'Lyric' and 'Birmingham Theatre Arts District'. Street lights and traffic signals are visible in the scene.
Lyric Theater
Historic Alabama Theatre exterior featuring a prominent neon sign, showcasing the words 'Showplace of the South' on the marquee, with architectural details typical of early 20th-century design.
Alabama Theater

Historic Neighborhoods:
Birmingham boasts several historic neighborhoods, each with unique charm. From the elegant Victorian homes in Highland Park to the Craftsman bungalows in Forest Park, these areas reflect the city’s diverse residential architectural heritage. .

Historic Churches:
The city’s history shines through its historic churches, which have been vital to Birmingham’s cultural fabric. First Presbyterian is the oldest church, founded in 1872. The original church building at 6th Avenue and 22nd Street North, constructed in 1881, served the community until a new, beautiful sanctuary was built in 1906 that combined Romanesque and Gothic Revival styles.

Close-up view of the entrance to a historic brick church featuring Gothic architectural details and a stained glass window.
First Presbyterian Church

Modern and Contemporary Architecture:
In recent years, Birmingham has embraced modern and contemporary architecture, with new buildings and redevelopment projects reshaping the city’s landscape. The expansion of the Birmingham Museum of Art and the creation of Railroad Park are prime examples of contemporary designs. These projects enhance public spaces, encourage community interaction, and continue the legacy of Birmingham’s past.

Birmingham Historical Society, Book Sale, civil rights, Fred Shuttlesworth

Kelly Ingram Park and A Walk to Freedom

This year’s Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation conference featured Kelly Ingram Park as an example of landscape art that is not static but invites ongoing interpretation. They use the term ‘counter-memorial’ to describe an historic landscape that “continually negotiate(s) the boundaries between history, memory, representation, and contemporary experience.” Kelly Ingram is considered an excellent example of this interpretation.

To illustrate the point, the video above produced for the conference references maps and photographs from Birmingham Historical Society’s 1999 publication, A Walk to Freedom by Marjorie White.

Cover of 'A Walk to Freedom' featuring the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, 1956-1964.

The book is an in-depth publication that contains 225 photographs from the Civil Rights era in Birmingham, original news accounts, and recollections from those who conceived and lived the era. It’s a best-selling guide to the Civil Rights era from 1956-1964, and credits the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth as the prime mover behind the Birmingham Movement.

Black and white sculpture depicting three figures in prayer, set against a background of trees and buildings.
A woman in a red jumpsuit stands near a large sculpture featuring two children holding hands, surrounded by greenery. The sculpture includes the inscription 'I AIN'T AFRAID OF YOUR JAIL.'
Images of Kelly Ingram Park, pg. 46 in Birmingham by the Book
Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, Historic Preservation, Map, Publications

FREE City Center Historic Architecture Tours

Did you know that a FREE self-guided downtown architectural tour is available! Download and print the 64 page pdf file and use it in conjunction with our newest publication, Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City, and this map below. Clicking on the icons on the map provides additional information about each building as well as the page number where it is referenced in the guide book.

This Third Edition of the Downtown Discovery Tour was created in honour of Patricia Hough Camp & Marjorie Lee White and was published with the financial support of:

The Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust, Alabama Power Foundation
Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
City of Birmingham, Alabama Historical Commission and
Birmingham Realty Company, the real estate firm that founded
our city in 1871, in honor of its 125th Anniversary

An historical black-and-white photograph showing a busy urban street in Birmingham, Alabama in 1913, featuring horse-drawn carriages, streetcars, and tall skyscrapers. The image captures the 'Heaviest Corner on Earth' at the intersection of 20th Street, with signs indicating the Brown Marx and Empire buildings.
Black and white image of a decorative building facade featuring arched windows, ornamental stonework, and a hanging lantern.
Historical image depicting the founding of Birmingham, showcasing railroad tracks that symbolize the city's beginnings, alongside portraits of key figures: John T. Milner, Josiah Morris, and Colonel James R. Powell.

Map of Birmingham highlighting an architectural tour in the city center, with marked buildings and a list of notable structures.
Birmingham Historical Society, Exhibition, Highland Avenue, Historic Preservation, Neighborhoods, Southside

Fun Family FREE events October 18th! Come Visit Historic Highland Park!

Enjoy a Historic Highland Park History Hunt of architectural details on a self guided hunt, and MORE!

  • An aerial exhibition of photos from Birmingham by the Book
  • Information on historic markers, and restoration
  • BHS books for sale
  • A haunted scavenger hunt organized by UAB public relations students, Ava & Grace
  • AND a scroll through Highland Park with music, light refreshments, and neighborhood camaraderie!
A flyer for 'The Great Highland History Hunt' featuring a map and a list of participating historical sites and their architectural features.
Event flyer for Highland Park community celebration on October 18th from 3-5pm, featuring live music, refreshments, and an after-party at Rojo.
Promotional poster for a haunted scavenger hunt hosted by the Birmingham Historical Society, featuring decorative elements like ghosts, a skeleton, and bats. Includes event details: October 18th from 2 to 5 PM at 2827 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL. Prizes, sweets, and costumes encouraged.
Announcement flyer for 'It’s Nice to Have You in Highland Park' event hosted by the Birmingham Historical Society, featuring activities like scavenger hunts, face painting, music, and more on October 18.
Promotional flyer for the Birmingham Historical Society's event titled 'The Great Highland History Hunt' on October 18th, featuring details about a haunted scavenger hunt from 2-5 p.m. with prizes, sweets, and a family-friendly atmosphere. Costumes are encouraged.

Highland Park has five national historic districts located within its boundaries.

Chestnut Hill National District (added to the National Register in 1987)
The district includes 31st Street South, 32nd Street South, Highland Drive, and Lakeview Crescent. It also includes the Independent Presbyterian Church and the First Church of Christ Scientist in the 3100 block of Highland Avenue and St. Symeon Orthodox Church on the 3100 block of Clairmont Avenue. It also includes Rushton Park.

National Register of Historic Places Inventory Form

CHESTNUT HILL APPLICATION

Country Club National District (added to the National Register in 2003)
The district includes 31st Street South south of Highland Avenue, 13th Avenue South (2800 to 3100 blocks), short Cliff Road, 32nd Street South (from 33rd Street South to Highland Avenue), a portion of long Cliff Road, 34th Street South, a small portion of Highland Avenue and Altamont Road, and two houses on Pawnee Avenue.

Hanover Circle National District (added to the National Register in 2003)
The district includes 27th Street South, 26th Street South, 24th Street South, Hanover Circle, 2300 to 2700 blocks of Highland Avenue, and portions of 11th Avenue South. It also includes the Virginia Samford Theatre and Caldwell Park.

Milner Heights National District (added to the National Register in 2003)
The district includes Milner Crescent, Milner Street, Milner Court, Caldwell Avenue, 27th Place South, Arlington Crescent, 22nd and 23rd Streets South, and Arlington Avenue. The portions of the district covering Arlington Avenue, Arlington Crescent, 22nd and 23rd Streets South, and Smolian Place are in the Redmont Park neighborhood and are subject to Redmont Park design review.

Rhodes Park/Highland Avenue National District (added to the National Register in 1982.)
The district includes 30th Street South, 29th Street South, 28th Street South, the cross streets that run between these streets, 10th Avenue South, 10th Court South, 11th Avenue South, and 13th Avenue South, and that part of Highland Avenue between 28th and 30th Streets South. It includes Rhodes Park and Unity Church in the 2800 block of Highland Avenue.

The Highland Park Local Historic District, which is subject to City Design Review as well as the Local Historic Advisory Committee, encompasses all the properties in these five national historic districts.  Click here for more details on Design Review.

Historic scene of Highland Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama, showcasing large homes, lush greenery, and a tree-lined sidewalk.
Historic view of the Highland Plaza Apartments in Birmingham, Alabama, featuring the building's brick facade surrounded by trees and vintage cars.
Historic brick building surrounded by trees and gardens, showcasing an architectural style typical of early 20th century design.
Historic postcard view of Highland Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama, featuring trees, houses, and a streetcar track.
A historical view of Highland Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama, looking east from Terrace Court, featuring a tree-lined street with various large houses and distant hills.
Historic view of Highland Avenue near Crescent Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama, showcasing early 20th-century architecture and a tree-lined street.
A scenic view of Highland Avenue and Lakeview showing a winding path, a pond with a bridge, and trees in a lush green landscape.
Historical postcard view of Highland Avenue looking east in Birmingham, Alabama, featuring a winding road, horse riders, vintage automobiles, and early 20th-century homes.
Scenic view of a lake with a wooden bridge, surrounded by greenery and trees in Birmingham, Alabama.
Illustration of the Claridge Manor Apartments building located at Highland Avenue and Hanover Circle in Birmingham, Alabama. The structure features a red brick facade, multiple windows, and an orange awning at the entrance, surrounded by trees and vintage cars.
A scenic view of Chestnut Hill featuring pathways and landscaped areas, with several houses visible on the hillside.
A historic postcard showing Highland Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama, featuring a tree-lined sidewalk, a woman walking, and a view of elegant homes and an older red building in the background.
Thanks Rick Lovelady for posting these wonderful postcards of Historic Highland Park!

Annual Gathering, Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, family history, Heritage Society, Historic Preservation, Membership

Did you miss these Heritage Society Home Tours?

Sunday afternoon offered a perfect fall day to tour and appreciate several of Forest Park’s finest homes as a member of the Heritage Society. Although thoughtfully updated with modern conveniences, many of the original features remained or had been restored and it was easy to imagine how families lived at the turn of the century.

The histories of their prominent original owners were shared in a booklet that also included the original 1909 plat of Forest Park. The T. Felton Wimberly home was built in 1911, and the J.F. Leary residence was constructed in 1910. This very popular annual event directly supports the mission of the Birmingham Historical Society.

Established in 1942, the Birmingham Historical Society enhances the quality of life in Birmingham, Alabama, by preserving, studying, and celebrating its past while helping to shape its future. The Society celebrates Birmingham’s history through research, publishing, and education, and it engages the public to make our shared history and heritage more visible, clarify their value, and empower their stewards.

 Heritage Society members are acknowledged in the annual report, AND receive an invitation to the annual Heritage Society gathering in an historic home. Heritage Society memberships are $500.

Interested in joining us? Here’s more info!

Cozy living room with wooden beams, comfortable seating, and decorative elements, leading to another room featuring a vintage lamp and artwork.
A group of people conversing in a covered patio area with brick walls and decorative tiles, featuring outdoor furniture and greenery visible in the background.
View from a porch showcasing a gathering of people conversing, with a decorative outdoor setting featuring pumpkins and a garden in the background.
An outdoor gathering on a porch with a large wooden table set for dining, featuring decorative pumpkins and flowers, while guests converse in the background.
A group of four people conversing outdoors in a garden setting, surrounded by greenery and parked cars. The scene features pumpkins and decorative elements on the porch.
A social gathering on a warmly lit patio with people conversing, surrounded by greenery and decorative pumpkins.
An outdoor scene with people socializing, featuring a man in a blazer and light-colored pants standing next to a bush. In the background, there are individuals engaging around a table.
A group of four people standing on a covered patio, engaged in conversation, with lush greenery visible through large open windows. The patio features wicker furniture, including chairs and a small table, against a patterned tiled floor.
Interior of a dining room featuring a wooden table, elegant chairs, floral arrangements, and artworks on the walls, with people engaged in conversation.
A lavishly decorated dining room featuring a long table adorned with floral arrangements and assorted appetizers. Two men are engaged in conversation in the background, while elegant artwork and a chandelier enhance the ambiance.
A large, multi-story brick house with a green tile roof and decorative details, surrounded by trees and a lamppost.
Birmingham Historical Society, Exhibition, Highland Avenue, Historic Preservation, Neighborhoods

Haunted Highland & History Hunt – Oct 18th

Mark your calendars for a fun afternoon of ghosting, hunting, music, costumes, prizes, exhibits, and more. The second annual porch crawl event is organized in association with the Highland Park Neighborhood Association.

The haunted scavenger hunt was created by UAB public relations students, Grace and Ava, who will be available for questions (in costume) at Birmingham Historical Society headquarters. There will be activities for all ages including prizes for best period and Halloween costumes. Note that locations and QR codes will not be posted until the day of the event.

Promotional flyer for a haunted scavenger hunt organized by the Birmingham Historical Society, featuring event details, time, and activities.
Event flyer for the Birmingham Historical Society's 'It's Nice to Have You in Highland Park' celebration, featuring details about a scavenger hunt, music, quilting, face painting, and prizes, scheduled for October 18 from 3 to 5 p.m.
A map of Highland Avenue highlighting participating sites for a self-guided history scavenger hunt, with images of historical buildings and their features listed.
A Guide to Architectural Styles, Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Neighborhoods

What does your (House) style reveal?

Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City highlights the wide range of architectural styles that define the city’s neighborhoods. Some styles are unique to a single area, some respond directly to the local terrain, some grew out of distinct forms of company housing, and others—especially in more prosperous districts—showcase an eclectic mix of architectural influences.

In Homewood, the Hollywood neighborhood reflects the mission-style architecture inspired by the popularity of Hollywood, California in the 1920s. Roebuck Springs makes distinctive use of local fieldstone from a nearby quarry, incorporating it into retaining walls along roads and driveways, entrance gates, and the foundations and siding of residences—features that set this district apart. Early Norwood, home to many prosperous residents, developed with a rich variety of bungalow, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival houses set on generous lots.

A two-story brick house with a landscaped yard, surrounded by trees and greenery, under a clear blue sky with a few clouds.
Roebuck Springs
A large, two-story white house with a gray roof, surrounded by lush green grass and trees under a bright blue sky.
Roebuck Springs
A charming house surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees, with a clear blue sky in the background.
Roebuck Springs
Lush green landscape featuring a narrow waterway surrounded by trees and wild grass under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Roebuck Springs

Workers’ residences in Thomas and Pratt City were typically shotgun houses interspersed with modest Victorian cottages, sometimes accented with simple decorative details. In Fairfield, company housing usually consisted of single-family cottages with three to eight rooms and landscaped front and back yards. Crestwood North and South, among Birmingham’s first post–World War II subdivisions, were dominated by ranch and minimal traditional style homes, reflecting mid-twentieth-century suburban trends.

Abandoned green house with a rusty roof, boarded-up front window, and porch surrounded by overgrown grass.
Worker’s House, Thomas
A vibrant yellow house with a red porch and colorful plants, situated on a street with a grassy area and a neighboring white house with a metal roof.
Worker’s House, Thomas
A two-story green house with a front porch, surrounded by grass. A red car is parked in front of the house, and there are trees in the background.
Foreman’s House, Thomas
A row of traditional-style houses with porches, featuring white and dark-colored exteriors, set in a green residential area with neatly trimmed lawns and a sidewalk.
Fairfield Cottages

Topography often shaped the design of driveways and streetscapes. In 1909, Ensley Highlands featured more than 100 homes situated high along a ridge, taking advantage of elevated views, while Irondale, platted in 1887, was laid out in a linear pattern parallel to the railroad tracks.

Arlington House, one of Birmingham’s oldest surviving residences, illustrates how a single property can evolve over time. Built in the 1840s by the Mudd family in the Greek Revival style, it originally stood at the center of plantation farmlands that were sold after the Civil War for residential development. The Munger family purchased the property in 1902 and subdivided the remaining land. Although the house itself remains, it now serves as a museum and is open to the public.

Historic mansion with large columns surrounded by greenery and blue skies.

Want to identify home styles? Check out A Guide to Architectural Styles Featuring Birmingham Homes!

Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, family history, Music

Fiddlin’, Freeman, and Bug Tussle, Alabama

This promises to be a lively afternoon as Alabama historian and folklorist Joyce Cauthen brings the story of her favorite fiddler, Tom Freeman, to Birmingham Historical Society on Sunday, October 4th, from 3–5 p.m. This charming, self-educated fiddler used his talent to evade law enforcement, to sell moonshine, and to play for community gatherings and political rallies.

Book cover of 'The Ballad of Fiddling Tom Freeman' featuring a sepia-toned image of a man playing the violin. The title and subtitle are prominently displayed, along with the authors' names.

Sunday, October 4th, 3-5 p.m.
Birmingham Historical Society
2827 Highland Avenue
Birmingham, AL 35205

Free and Open to the Public

Freeman was born in rural Cullman County in 1883. He taught himself on a homemade fiddle at the age of 9, and from then on it was his constant companion. He later lived and played music in Bug Tussle and Cold Springs. His descendants, who still live in Bug Tussle, preserved his handwritten—and sometimes difficult to read—manuscripts recounting his colorful life, from his time in prison and his moonshine adventures, to his grandfather’s service in the Civil War. Joyce Cauthen transcribed these manuscripts from the originals. They are now in the collection of Southern Music Research Center.

The collection documenting his music and life was developed in collaboration with author Joyce Cauthen as a supplement to her book The Ballad of Fiddling Tom Freeman: Music, Moonshine, and Murder in Bug Tussle, Alabama, published June 2026 by the University of Alabama Press. In this book, Joyce Cauthen brings to life his stories, his community, and his music. Nine home audio recordings are available at the Southern Music Research Center.

If you love music!

Don’t miss Burgin Mathew’s book, Magic City: How the Birmingham Jazz Tradition Shaped the Sound of America.

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, TRUE TALES, True Tales of Birmingham

From Comic Pages to ‘True Tales’: Birmingham’s Early Pioneers

In the days before digital news, the comic pages were a favorite fixture of the newspaper by kids and adults alike. The Birmingham Historical Society used its popularity to promote early leaders of the city in quick profiles published every Saturday from February 1991 to April 1992.

The series, entitled True Tales, highlighted the accomplishments of the people who contributed much to the early development of Birmingham. Its 128 pages tell the stories of industrialists, educators, church leaders, activists, settlers, developers, architects, entertainers, philanthropists and more! And for a definitive current guide to Birmingham and its history, check out Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City.

Join our Highland Park Historical Scavenger Hunt Sunday, October 18th from 3-5 and you might even win a copy of True Tales!

Invitation to Highland Park community event on Sunday, October 18th from 3-5pm, featuring an after-party at Rojo. Includes details about enjoying local businesses, live music, and community camaraderie.
For more info: https://highland-park.org/10-18-26/
Table of contents for a book featuring various historical figures, including engineers, educators, and entrepreneurs, with associated page numbers.

Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, civil rights, Map, Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, Railroads

Map Your Visit to the Magic City

Birmingham by the Book Cover

Use this guide and the map below to plan your visit to Birmingham. Each location includes the matching page number from Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City, so you can easily read more about it.

Using the map: Tap or click the white menu icon in the upper-left corner of the map (legend button), immediately to the left of the blue B to chose a category, then select any map marker to see the site name, photographs, information, and its page number in the book.

On a phone or tablet: You can move around the map and zoom in to explore different areas of Birmingham. Use the map’s legend button to switch between categories. Choose a category before expanding the map in the upper right hand corner.

When you click or tap a pin on the map, a little popup will appear with the site’s name and the matching page number from the book, so you can easily find it.

Using an iPad and it won’t open? Try this link instead and open in a new tab.

What’s in Birmingham by the Book? All these sites above and MORE!

Visit the Magic City of Birmingham using Birmingham by the Book!