Category Archives: Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham Public Library, City of Birmingham, family history, Historic Preservation, Historic Preservation Month, lecture, Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Research

Historic Building Research & Markers

A series of Birmingham lectures as part of the National Historic Preservation Month includes one on “How to Conduct Historic Building Research and How to Obtain a Historical Marker” THIS TUESDAY AT NOON.

Presented by the City of Birmingham’s Department of Planning, Engineering, and Permits, hear directly from the city authorities what you need to know to comply to historic requirements.

The lecture will be in the Birmingham Public Library – Arrington Auditorium, 2100 Park Place. Learn how to use sources in the public library and the county courthouse to research historic homes and buildings…and how to get a historical marker to recognize them. Should be an interesting lecture! Please plan to attend.

Historic Preservation Education Lecture Series

  • Tuesday, May 9: “The National Register of Historic Places.” Boutwell Auditorium.
  • Tuesday, May 16: “How to Conduct Historic Building Research & How to Obtain a Historical Marker.” Birmingham Public Library, Arrington Auditorium (Enter through main library, 3rd floor skywalk)
  • Tuesday, May 23: “Historic Preservation Tax Incentives.” Boutwell Auditorium.
  • Tuesday, May 30: “Birmingham’s New Adaptive Reuse Incentive for Historic Buildings.” Birmingham Public Library, Arrington Auditorium (Enter through main library, 3rd floor skywalk)

Click here for a printable schedule of events for Historic Preservation Month.

For more information, contact Hannah Garmon, Historic Preservation Manager, at 205-254-2424or Hannah.Garmon@birminghamal.gov. You can also reach Karla Calvert, Urban Design Administrator, at 205-254-2479or Karla.Calvert@birminghamal.gov.

Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Public Library, BOOK, civil rights, family history

From the Pantheon in Rome to Lawson State Community College

The anti-slavery story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, is one of the most influential books in American History. First published in 1852, prior to the Civil War, it pointed out the appalling realities of American slavery and subsequently, it was once banned in Alabama. So when a very rare 1880 edition was discovered in Rome, Italy, by Italian lawyer Arlene Rochlin, a descendant of the Blach family department stores in Birmingham, she knew it needed to be housed in an historically Black college in her grandparent’s hometown. (Read the entire article by Kyra Miles on WBHM.org)

Lawson State Community College now has the book proudly on display in their library and it is a part of their permanent collection.

Some modern scholars have called the book condescending but in the 19th century, it was recognized as a best selling novel, second in sales only to The Bible. However, by the 20th century, unauthorized stage plays & films were too often demeaning and insensitive with a political or financial agenda and were loathed by the African American community. The character of Uncle Tom was distorted and offensive. Unfortunately, Stowe had no control over these alterations of her story and the resulting stereotypes. Despite this, today, the original novel is still considered a landmark of ‘protest literature’ and Christian forbearance.

The story of its publication is interesting as well as it’s been in continuous print since 1852, although with ever-changing publishers and controversy. Read more about it HERE and then re-read the novel!

Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham Public Library, Churches, Elyton, Historic Preservation, Research

Celebrating 150 Years of Religious & Civic Growth: A Panel Discussion

“Sacred Spaces, Civic Places,
and the Building of a Magic City”

February 27, 2022
3:00PM to 4:30PM
First United Methodist Church Sanctuary
518 19th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203

Panelists:

  • Pam King, Assistant Professor of History and Historic Preservation, UAB Dept of History (retired)
  • Jim Baggett, Head, Archives Department, Birmingham Public Library
  • Barry McNealy, Historical Content Expert, Birmingham Civil RIghts Institute & Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Historian

Participating Congregations:

  • St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1869
  • First United Methodist Church, 1872
  • Cathedral Church of theAdvent, 1872
  • First Presbyterian Church, 1872
  • The Cathedral of St. Paul, 1872
  • First Baptist Church, 1872
  • Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 1873
  • Temple Emanu-EL, 1882

This event is free and open to the public and childcare will be available


In 1871 the City of Birmingham was incorporated by the Elyton Land Company on farmland that would soon be the juncture of two major railroads. The location had everything – coal, iron ore and limestone, all necessary for the soon to be thriving industrial city.

At that time, there existed an African-American Methodist congregation that, according to church records, began meeting in tents in 1869. In 1872 Elyton gave five land grants to establish houses of worship for white congregants of five major denominations – Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, United Methodist and Baptist.

In 1873 the first Black Baptist church was established downtown. Then in 1882 the first temple was built for the growing Jewish community. These eight congregations comprise Birmingham’s earliest houses of worship, and they are still thriving today and have over a hundred years of sacred and civic commitment to the Magic City..

View the reprint of the 1997 newsletter with MAP here