Birmingham, also known as The Magic City, was nicknamed for its amazingly fast growth fueled by iron ore, limestone, and coal. Sloss Furnaces was America’s largest producer of iron in the 1920s.
Now a National Historic Landmark, it defines Birmingham’s skyline with its towering blast furnaces which quit operating in 1971. The open air museum features events, festivals, and metal workers. Read more about it in Birmingham by the Book (pgs. 34-35)
Members of Birmingham’s Heritage Society receive all the benefits of membership in addition to an invitation to an annual gathering in one of Birmingham’s finest historic homes. It’s Birmingham Historical Society’s most popular event, and also its biggest fundraiser of the year. Spoiler alert! There are two featured homes in Forest Park this month. Interested? Join the Heritage Society!
Members are mailed a brochure with the history of the home, historic photographs, and information about the development of the area. Two of the homes featured in the past appear below. It’s a great way to learn about founding families of Birmingham and tour the estates that they created.
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.
All Society Members receive newsletters, invitations to Society events, and the annual publication that is mailed if not picked up at the publication celebration. Annual memberships begin at $50. All memberships are for individuals or couples. Membership operates on the calendar year, January 1 to December 31.
For more than 80 years, the Birmingham Historical Society has explored, documented, and shared the stories of our city—its people, neighborhoods, architecture, landscapes, and remarkable history.
Your membership helps support the Society’s research, publications, educational programs, and special events while connecting you with others who share an interest in Birmingham and its history.
Members receive:
Whether you have lived in Birmingham all your life or have only recently discovered its fascinating history, there is a place for you in the Birmingham Historical Society.
Warren Manning and Jemison & Co. designed and developed Mountain Brook Estates from 1926 – 1929. (pgs. 114-115 of Birmingham by the Book) The main avenue in the newly developed Mountain Brook Estates was Mountain Brook Parkway, which parallels Jemison Park, designed as a linear parkway in the floodplain of Shades Creek.
The Tutwiler-McDonald Estate was built on the parkway as a replica of George Washington’s Mt. Vernon to showcase standards for Jemison & Co.’s new subdivision. The Old Mill facing the estate, was designed in 1927 as a promotional landmark for the new community, and was never a functioning mill. Other improvements included stone gates, bridges, bridle trails, and Mountain Brook Village, intended to mimic an English countryside village.
The oldest homes in Birmingham tell the story of prosperous early industrialists and real estate developers, the struggles of the working classes, architectural trends, and the civil rights era.
Other significant early neighborhoods included :
See more neighborhood history as well as over the mountain areas, all divided by region in Birmingham by the Book. Some early examples are included below.
Birmingham Historical Society is excited to participate in the 2nd annual Porch Crawl in Highland Park, Sunday, October 18th, 3-5 PM! It’s FREE and open to the public, rain or shine, but hoping for beautiful October weather. It was very well attended last year! Take a look in the video below! And then read more about it and browse photos on Highland Parks Neighborhood Association website. Hope to see you in October!
Featuring 16 stops in no particular order, here’s a map:
And at our stop, you can expect the following:
Birmingham Historical Society 2827 Highland Ave
Pick up a copy of the Historic Highland Scavenger Hunt! Complete and return it to BHS by 5 p.m. to win a copy of True Tales of Birmingham, one of the Society’s most popular books. While at BHS, browse an exhibit of aerial photographs from the Society’s newest release Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City and the Society’s other books for sale, learn about Highland Avenue’s grand residences, and get tips on researching the history of your home or apartment and how to get an historical marker.
Over 1,000 acres just minutes from downtown Birmingham (and covering an area larger than Central Park) is the reclaimed mining land of Ruffner Mountain. Mining operations began on the mountain under the Sloss Iron and Steel Company to supply iron ore to nearby Sloss Furnaces from the late 1880s until operations finally closed on June 1, 1953.
It’s the highest point in the city of Birmingham and now features over 12 miles of hiking trails. The preserved panoramic view began with 25 acres of the former limestone quarry and surrounding land in 1977. Additional land was provided by the city, by various conservation organizations, and the state’s Forever Wild Land Trust.
The Red Rock Trail System® (RRTS) is a 750-mile master plan connecting 6 main trail corridors including Ruffner Mountain. An interactive map shows the complete system and according to Birmingham Historical Society Director Marjorie White, the map looks very similar to what the Olmsted Brothers firm proposed for Birmingham in 1924.
In 2017, Ruffner Mountain was one of six Birmingham historical sites celebrating Alabama’s industrial and economic history.
Interested in hiking, biking, or nature trails? There’s lots from which to choose and you can find a comprehensive list located on pgs 12-13 of Birmingham by the Book.
From neighborhood histories and iconic venues to landmark sites, this guide traces Birmingham’s story from its beginnings before the Civil War to the city’s most memorable places and landscapes today. Drawing on 50 years of research, it offers a rich, comprehensive portrait of our Magic City—with something to captivate every reader.
Now available on Amazon! Just in time for fall holiday guests!
New to Birmingham – or just visiting? Our Birmingham by the Book guide is an excellent source of activities for history buffs. But it also includes venues for those interested in architecture, sports, civil rights, iron ore, railroads, food, parks, or even motorcycles!
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum contains the world’s foremost collection of restored motorcycles, cars, and bicycles, along with an official U.S. Porsche driving school. The beautiful 880 acre park through rolling hills allows picnics on the grounds while watching world class racing. Named “World’s Largest Motorcycle Museum” by the Guinness World Record, it was built by George Barber and opened in 2003.
Any visit to Birmingham should include Barber Motorsports. For this and other great sites, check out the extensive Guide to the Magic City which includes over 150 sites in the Birmingham area and 50 years of Birmingham Historical Society research.
Rickwood Field, the nation’s oldest ball park opened in the West End community of Birmingham in 1910. The popularity of baseball was such at that time that the entire city of Birmingham closed up shop for the day in anticipation of its opening.
It is also revered as the oldest remaining park that was home to a Negro League ball club, the legendary Birmingham Black Barons. Legends like Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron all played there.
After the minor league Barons left for the suburbs, the park was preserved as a historic landmark and working museum, hosting amateur games and an annual Rickwood Classic. And with the help of the Birmingham Historical Society, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Open for both self-guided or guided tours upon request, the ball park is listed by Birmingham Historical Society as one of Birmingham by the Book‘s Must-Sees (pg. 6)!
The Negro Southern League Museum near Regions Field in the Parkside District tells the story of black baseball in America through the lens of Birmingham’s experiences. A map along with other attractions in the area is included on pg 57 of Birmingham by the Book.
