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.
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.
Birmingham emerged as the industrial capital of The South by 1900, and its growth was so fast, it was nicknamed The Magic City. For those curious about Birmingham’s resources, mines, and mineral lands, there are lots of sites to see (see pg. 11 of Birmingham by the Book for a list of 15 )! The historic Lone Pine Iron Mine opened around 1900 and can be viewed from The Vulcan Trail. It was a part of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad but the mine was closed shortly before WWI.
(photo above by Art Meripol 2025)
Tannehill Furnace (photo by Marjorie White)
During the Civil War, the Tannehill site expanded into three large stone cold blast furnaces producing up to 22 tons of pig iron daily for the Confederacy. The Union Cavalry under General James H. Wilson destroyed and burned the furnaces on March 31, 1865. But because it had successfully produced pig iron, the site is considered to be the birthplace of iron and steel making in the Birmingham District.
Birmingham has firmly established itself as a sought after town for foodies. Thanks to the talent and mentorship of Frank Stitt, (whose restaurant Highlands Bar & Grill won James Beard’s most outstanding restaurant in the country) Birmingham now has numerous white tablecloth dining experiences in addition to these old favorites below.
Irondale Cafe specializes in Southern comfort foodDreamland Barbeque’s Southside location.
But The Bright Star in Bessemer, claims the title of Alabama’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. Established in 1907, the 300 seat restaurant is a James Beard “American Classic Winner”with down-home cooking, hand-painted murals, and a legendary star sign welcoming guests for over 100 years.
The Bright Start restaurant in 1915 (4th location)
For a list of over 25 historic eateries and their locations, check out Birmingham by the Book (pg. 11)!
A group of women were inspired to provide medical care for the poor, leading them to build and operate Hillman Hospital, the city’s oldest hospital. It was opened in 1888 and has grown to be a part of Birmingham’s largest employer, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, or UAB.
As Alabama’s single largest employer, UAB currently employs more than 28,000 people, serves over 2 million, and occupies more than 100 city blocks. Attesting to its importance to our city, Birmingham by the Book devotes 15 pages (pgs. 60-75) to describing the buildings, the history, the architecture, the research, the medical center, and the arts, athletic, and residential centers in a concise, mapped, and heavily photographed format.
It also includes a nod to the facilities remaining from the earlier residential neighborhood dating to 1901, and notes the years each of the current buildings were constructed. For this and much, much more, check out Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City
For an in depth study of the medical school’s history, the book Order from Chaos, by Dr. Arnold Diethelm tells the story of his years as Chairman of UAB’s Department of Surgery from 1982 to 1999, as well as the first kidney transplant.
Birmingham has struggled to shed the images of violence and destruction from 1956-1963 and today is home to several memorials and a premier civil rights museum.
President Barack Obama signed a proclamation on January 12, 2017, which designated half of the 36-acre (15 ha) Birmingham Civil Rights District as a U.S. National Monument.
Follow the Birmingham Civil Rights Trail using Birmingham by the Book, (pg. 6) available on Amazon.com. Or for in depth information, A Walk To Freedom has first hand recollections, and 225 photographs.
Ever thought about what historic organizations do and how they do it? What’s the organizational hierarchy?
Federal Agencies
Non Profit Organizations
State Organizations
Local Historical Organizations
Curious to learn more about a historic property? Living in a historic district, maybe? Let’s start with the National Register and answer those questions!
Federal Agencies & Non Profits
The National Register is a federal agency1 supported by tax dollars that promotes the restoration of significant historic properties. It maintains the official list of historic places in the United States worthy of preservation and is managed by the National Park Service.
It is NOT related to the National Trust for Historic Preservation which is a non-profit organization2 privately supported by their membership which advocates for historic properties. However, they do not manage nor approve register listings.
State
Properties included on the National Register must first be nominated or approved by state organizations3 and are subject to state laws, which in Alabama is the Alabama Historical Commission. Generally, nominated properties are at least 50 years old unless they are exceptionally important.
Birmingham Historical Society is among the local historical organizations4 which take great pride in their cities, researching their surroundings to educate and make recommendations about significant historic properties and people. It is often involved in the nomination process of historic properties and districts. Available publications document their research since their start in 1942.
Since that time, we’ve enjoyed exploring our new home in more depth. Our Highland Avenue neighbor, Randy Merritt, has been documenting the remaining historic homes on Highland Avenue as well as collecting archival photos of those that have been demolished.
The assortment tells the story of Birmingham’s pioneering residents whose strong belief propelled the city’s growth. It’s a tale of architectural innovation, economic power, social norms, financial successes, and the complex local politics of that time.
So, whether intrigued by the people, the location, the event, or by the lessons learned, history at all levels creates a compelling story worth preserving and telling. Grateful for the organizations that continue to tell those stories! One can’t help but appreciate the efforts of all of the organizations dedicated to upholding and conveying this history.
Below shows some of the process in registering the Highland Avenue Historic District. The Birmingham Historical Society offices are on the ground floor retail space in what was originally the Altamont Apartment Building on lot #4 on diagram below.
Historic Sloss Furnaces, an iconic Birmingham landmark and a lasting tribute to Birmingham’s industrial beginnings, will be permanently illuminated on July 23rd! This free event and celebration is thanks to the contributions of a corporate donor and Cathy & Paul Jones, You must REGISTER to attend. The public celebration and lighting ceremony will also include 1,000 feet under the 1st Avenue North viaduct.
Sloss Furnaces is a National Historic Landmark that operated until 1971. After closing, it became one of the first industrial sites in the United States to be preserved for public use. Act No. 517 was a crucial piece of local legislation enacted by the Alabama State Legislature in 1973 that granted the City of Birmingham the police power to halt the demolition of historic properties and mandate changes to buildings.
Why Act No. 517 Matters
In the 1970s, Birmingham’s industrial sector experienced a sharp decline. As a result, many massive, abandoned 19th-century and 20th-century industrial facilities—like the sprawling Sloss Furnaces—were slated for total demolition. (Birmingham’s Terminal Station was demolished in 1969.)
Many thanks to photographer Steve Dunlap for giving us a preview of the extensive lighting project!
At the time, grassroots organizations and the Birmingham Historical Society recognized the profound historical and economic importance of saving these remnants of America’s industrial growth. Using the legal tools provided by Act 517, the city was able to freeze demolitions, secure the land, and prevent the loss of Birmingham’s signature “Iron Empire”. Let’s celebrate this historic landmark on July 23rd!
In the early 1970’s, because Alabama’s strict 1901 Constitution severely limited municipal power, Birmingham could not simply pass a city ordinance to enforce historic preservation or restrict property modifications. A bill, sponsored locally by State Senator Richard Dominick and pushed through the House under Speaker Jimmy Clark, Act No. 517 legally empowered the City of Birmingham to establish its own regulatory bodies, leading to the formation of the Birmingham Historical Commission and its Architectural Review/Design Review frameworks.
The 1973 legislative authority was specifically engineered to save and legally protect Birmingham’s rapidly disappearing downtown architectural footprint. (Birmingham’s Terminal Station was demolished in 1969.) The very first project to utilize these new legal and financial protections was:
The Morris Avenue Historic District: This was the fundamental “pilot project” for the 1973 legislation. Morris Avenue was Birmingham’s original 19th-century commercial wholesaling district, filled with cobblestone streets and heavy brick warehouses. Under the new legal framework, the city successfully blocked demolition and forced exterior design reviews, transforming it into the city’s first revitalized historic office and entertainment district.
It’s the very birthplace of Birmingham’s historic preservation movement and serves as an example of how state legislation, local activist energy, and real estate development collided in the early 1970s. By the late 1960s, Morris Avenue sat largely vacant and decaying. Because it was right next to the downtown railroad tracks, there was immense pressure to clear the old masonry warehouses for modern industrial use, surface parking, or highway infrastructure.
When local preservationists stepped in to save the iconic cobblestone street and structures, they realized the city had no legal authority to stop property owners from tearing them down. Act 517 was custom-tailored to fix this exact crisis. It gave the city the police power to freeze demolitions and legally mandate that any changes to building exteriors pass a design review board.
The newly formed Jefferson County Historical Commission hurried to establish the district boundaries and in 1973, preservationists successfully placed the Morris Avenue–First Avenue North Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. This was the critical first step required to unlock the federal tax incentives and municipal protections granted under the new state framework.
Bob Moody was the visionary designer and artist who created the original conceptual blueprint and visual pitch that saved Morris Avenue from demolition. Moody provided the aesthetic inspiration that convinced city leaders, property owners, and investors that the decaying warehouse district was worth saving.
His involvement can be broken down into three critical phases:
1. The “Underground Atlanta” Concept (Late 1960s)
In the late 1960s, Morris Avenue was widely viewed as an eyesore destined to be razed for surface parking lots. Moody—a multi-talented designer with a background in architecture who had previously worked for NASA—saw things differently. Inspired by historic entertainment revivals like Gaslight Square in St. Louis and Underground Atlanta, Moody envisioned transforming the old warehouses into a bustling district of restaurants, nightclubs, and shops.
2. The Power of Watercolor Renderings
Because city leaders and investors could not visualize how grimy, abandoned industrial structures could become a premier destination, Moody used his extraordinary skill as a watercolorist. He sketched and painted vivid architectural renderings of a reimagined Morris Avenue.
The Visual Pitch: His paintings featured gas lantern streetlights, active storefronts, and outdoor patrons walking along the avenue’s historic paving blocks.
The Impact: Moody openly stated that if it wasn’t for those watercolor renderings to sway public opinion and secure backing from civic groups like Operation New Birmingham, the entire area would have been flattened into a giant parking lot.
3. Executing the Restorations (1974 and Beyond)
After the 1973 legislative framework was passed, Moody founded his own firm, Moody & Associates, in 1974. He transitioned from conceptual visionary to hands-on preservationist. Over the next several decades, his firm provided the interior design and architectural plans for more than 40 historic restoration and “Cinderella stories” adaptive reuse projects throughout downtown Birmingham, working alongside real estate partner John Lauriello.
Mercantile on Morris July 2026, as tomorrow’s history is made today
Today, many of the buildings are occupied by restaurants and offices. One of the more ambitious projects is The Mercantile on Morris Building. Developed by Orchestra Partners, it’s a mixed use project with a plaza linking Morris Avenue to 1st Avenue North, containing 47 condominiums and 12,000 square feet of retail.
Morris Avenue conceptual promotion 1973
Morris Avenue conceptual promotion 1973
Fireworks from the Mercantile on Morris looking toward Vulcan July 2026! Here’s to preserving tomorrow’s history!
Did you know that there are over 9 wind or water gaps in the Birmingham vicinity? The interactive topographical map below locates and names the gaps, many of which formed the rail bed for the Birmingham Mineral Railroad. Others form hiking trails today including the popular Grace’s Gap hiking trail at Red Mountain Park and the historic Brock’s Gap in Hoover.
Click on the location or select the name of the gap in the list following the map for more information on its location, elevation, and in some cases, water source. Thanks to John Troulias for finding the map and James Lowery for sharing it with Birmingham Historical Society.
At least nine gaps are located in the immediate vicinity of Birmingham . Thanks to John Troulias for finding the map and James Lowery for sharing it with Birmingham Historical Society.
The 4.2-mile Grace’s Gap Overlook trail in Red Mountain Park features sweeping valley views and abandoned mining ruins.
Nineteen gaps are located within Birmingham metro area with an additional eleven outside Interstate 459. Click on map above and select location for detailed information.
