Category Archives: Birmingham Landmarks

Bethel Baptist Church, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Landmarks

Birmingham’s Legacy of Historic Churches

Birmingham has a rich history in churches and Birmingham by the Book highlights the historical significance of many of them. Over 50 churches active in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement from 1956-1963 are listed on page 9 the guide, and three are within the Civil Rights District.

In 1972, city directories listed 608 churches and synagogues. Early churches were encouraged to build by developers offering congregations lots at well below market cost. A 2000 publication by Birmingham Historical Society entitled Aspiration: Birmingham’s Houses of Worship celebrates this legacy and is full of photographs by noted photographer, Richard Payne, many of which are included below.

A row of gravestones in a cemetery, with green trees and a road visible in the background.
Wilson Chapel
1916
A stone church with two conical towers, featuring a large circular stained glass window and a wooden entrance, surrounded by a grassy area and walkway.
Union Missionary Baptist
1887 (1914)
Front view of Greater Saint Thomas Baptist Church, featuring a red brick exterior, a pointed roof, and a sign over the entrance.
Thomas Presbyterian 1891
Close-up of classical architectural details featuring ornate columns and decorative cornice, in black and white.
Temple Emanu-El
1913
A stone church building with a cross on the roof, large stained glass windows, and a set of stairs leading to the entrance, surrounded by neatly trimmed bushes and a road in front.
St. Mark’s Catholic 1905 (1937-1939)
Historic South Baptist Church with classical architecture, featuring tall columns and a prominent entrance, surrounded by trees and parked cars in black and white.
Southside Baptist
1911
Historic church with a tall steeple and stained glass window, set against a clear sky.
South Highland Presbyterian
1892
A historic stone church building with large stained glass windows, set against a clear blue sky, surrounded by trees.
Independent Presbyterian
1922-1926
Interior view of a church featuring a vaulted ceiling with intricate artwork and icons, including a prominent depiction of Christ above the altar.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox
1906 (1949)
Exterior view of a white church with a green roof, surrounded by colorful flowers and lush grass under a blue sky with clouds.
Holy Rosary Catholic 1889
A historic stone church in the foreground contrasts with a modern skyscraper in the background, set against a bustling city street.
First United Methodist 1890-1891
Historic brick church facade with intricate architectural details and stained glass windows, set against a backdrop of modern buildings.
First Presbyterian 1886-1888
Historic church with a tall steeple, intricate stained glass windows, and surrounding urban landscape.
First Presbyterian 1886-1888
A black and white photograph of a large brick church featuring a prominent rose window, arched entrances, and a bell tower, surrounded by greenery.
East Lake Methodist 1887 (1948)
Interior of a church featuring large stained glass windows, gothic arches, and wooden pews in a monochrome style.
Cathedral of St. Paul 1890-1893
Black and white photograph of a large church with two tall steeples, featuring intricate architectural details, surrounded by trees and parked cars on a city street.
Cathedral of St. Paul 1890-1893
A brick building with a distinctive architectural design, featuring a large entrance, multiple windows, and decorative details. In front, there is a small park-like area with green grass, a flagpole, and a historical marker.
Bethel Baptist
1926, 2006
A historic brick building with a dome, featuring large columns and arched windows, surrounded by trees on a quiet street.
Avondale Baptist
1916
Historic brick building with ornate windows and a prominent tower, showcasing architectural details typical of early 20th-century religious structures.
16th Street Baptist 1909-1911
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!
Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers

Did you know Birmingham had a Red Light District?

The City of Birmingham sanctioned a red light district which operated from 1905 to 1915 along 1st Avenue South, east of 20th Street. (Birmingham by the Book, pg 58) Madame Blanche Bernard offered free carriage rides from her ‘house of ill repute’ to guests’ hotels. She was among several proprietors who ran ‘classy sporting houses’. Statewide prohibition in 1915 shut these down as well as more than 100 saloons on Birmingham’s Southside.

Today’s Rotary Trail follows the stretch of tracks along 1st Avenue South linking Railroad Park to Sloss Furnaces as part of the Freshwater Land Trust’s Red Rock Trail System. And breweries once again flourish in the area.

Historic brick buildings with green awnings and large windows, under a partly cloudy sky.
Seaboard Saloon (1897) 2131 1st Avenue South
Front view of a brick building with large windows and a balcony, surrounded by trees and greenery, with a person standing near a streetlight.
Madam Blance Bernard (1907) 2227 1st Avenue South
A night view of the Rotary Trail sign in Birmingham, Alabama, illuminated with lights, showcasing the words 'Rotary Trail in the Magic City' against a backdrop of a full moon and modern buildings.
Rotary Trail (2016) 1st Avenue South from 20th Street to 24th Street South
Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, Heritage Society

What is Birmingham’s Heritage Society?

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.

A large, historical Tudor-style house with a mix of brick and wooden features, set in a green landscape with a well-maintained lawn.

2023 Heritage Home

A stone-clad historic house with a group of people gathered outside, engaging in conversation. The scene features well-manicured lawns and green shrubs, with some individuals walking towards the entrance.
Bush-Hill-Cooley Heritage Society Party 2022. Photo: Louise McPhillips

2022 Heritage Home

A Guide to Architectural Styles, Architecture, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, civil rights, Dynamite Hill, family history, Farming, Highland Avenue, Housing, Neighborhoods, Smithfield, Southside

Historically Significant Architecture of Birmingham

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.

  • The Smithfield/Dynamite hill homes of the civil rights era are described on pg. 90 of Birmingham by the Book.
  • Some of the most expensive homes were built on 30 acres in Glen Iris Park (pgs 102-103) prior to 1920 and along Highland Avenue in Southside.
  • More modest homes were in the Five Points South area and along Cullom Street, built in the 1890s.
  • In the late 1880s, Thomas was a company town with rented housing for those who needed to live close to the iron producing furnaces. By 1912, 550 workers lived in this community.
  • Pioneering early planters who became prominent citizens of Birmingham included Isaac Sadler, Thomas McAdory, and Thomas Owen who built flourishing plantations from 1820s to early 1900s. (pg. 26 of Birmingham by the Book)

Other significant early neighborhoods included :

  • Anderson Place, Milner Heights, Forest Park and Mountain Terrace. (pgs. 104-109).
  • The Hollywood homes in Homewood were designed in 1924, influenced by Hollywood, California, and including some of Birmingham’s first mission style architecture.
  • Roebuck Springs was contoured around knolls, and boasted an English Garden aesthetic as well as the first designed 18-hole golf course and country club grounds. (pg. 98 of Birmingham by the Book).

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.

W.P.G. Harding House, Glen Iris
Worker House, East Thomas
Worker House, East Thomas
T.O. Smith House, Roebuck Springs
Schwab House, Highland Avenue Area
Sadler House, McCalla, 1827
Robley Munger House, Arlington Park
Robert Jemison House, Glen Iris
Parker Bown House, Smithfield
Owen House, Bessemer, 1833
Mission Style House, Homewood
McAdory House, Bessemer, 1840
Mary M Means House, Dynamite Hill, Smithfield
Luffman House,
Glen Iris
Loveman House, Southside
Jordan House, Highland Avenue
John Drew House, Dynamite Hill, Smithfield
J. Cary Thompson House,
Five Points South
Hollywood House, Homewood
H.K. Milner House, Milner Crescent
Hayes Davis House, East Thomas
Hassinger House, Highland Avenue
Forest Park House
Forest Park House
Ensley Houses
Cullom Street Houses, Southside
Cullom Street House, Southside
Cullom Street House, Southside
Cullom Street Houses, Southside
Brown and A.G. Gaston House, Smithfield
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Alabama Theater, Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, Carver Theater

Exploring Birmingham’s Jazz Roots and Grand Historic Theaters

Birmingham has a number of historic museums, theaters, and cultural venues to explore that are listed on page 10-11 of Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City. An excellent starting point is a visit to one of Birmingham’s three historic theaters.

Tuxedo Junction is a famous historic jazz intersection and neighborhood in the Ensley area of Birmingham, Alabama, that inspired the 1939 hit swing song by Erskine Hawkins. The Jazz Hall of Fame celebrates the great musicians of this era. The museum is now located downtown in the historic Carver Theater, which was originally opened in 1935 as a movie house. A refurbished performance hall hosts live performances as well as movies.

The Lyric and Alabama Theaters face each other on 3rd Avenue North in the City Center. The Lyric is the oldest theatre in Birmingham and was opened in 1914 as a vaudeville house. Following an $11 million restoration it has reopened as a 750 seat performing arts center. The Alabama Theater was built in 1927 by Paramount Studios as an Alabama showcase for Paramount films . It now hosts over 150 events per year and was beautifully restored in 1998.

Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, family history, Food History

Labor Day Barbeque at the Historic Golden Rule

One of the oldest barbecue joints in the USA still in operation is the Golden Rule in Irondale. Established in 1891 by the Williams family, it’s operated under multiple owners since then. But over 130 years, it’s expanded not only its menu, but its presence throughout Alabama and the South.

Nationwide shipping attests to the ongoing popularity of this historic location. See pg. 86 of Birmingham by the Book for other must-sees near this Irondale location!

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, Publications

150 Sites to See in Birmingham: From Motorsports to History

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.

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Historic Preservation, Rickwood Field

Take Me Out to the Ball Game! 🎶

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.

The Negro Southern League Museum is near Regions Field in the Parkside District. A map along with other attractions is included on pg. 57 of Birmingham by the Book.