Do you remember some old fashioned favorites like angel food cake, pineapple upside down cake, icebox cake, or chocolate mayonnaise cake? Do they bring back memories of baking or sharing with family members? Do you have other baking memories of 50~plus years ago? Then please enter your cake in this annual contest! Judging will be at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium between 3:30 and 4:00PM on Monday, February 23rd, 2026 . A tasting and announcement of the winners will follow the annual meeting at 7:00PM during which the latest publication, BIRMINGHAMby theBOOK, will be introduced.
So search those recipe boxes! We can’t wait to see what you create along with its memorable story!
This past weekend, neighborhood Highland Park residents, Annie Leardine and Elizabeth Sanfelippo as community liaisons and co-chairs, assembled various property owners willing to share their houses, and garnered the support of local realtors as sponsors. Along with Friends of Highland Park – the neighborhood 501c3, the group successfully created a walking tour and porch visits entitled “It’s Nice to have you in Highland Park“.
Don’t miss the two videos below by Jacob delaRosa! Click on images for links
Video produced by Jacob delaRosa. Check out more of his work at www.jacobdelarosa.com or reach out about collaborations or inquiries at jacob.delarosa.letschat@gmail.comListen to neighborhood advocates talk of their appreciation for Highland Park. Video produced by Jacob delaRosa.
Historical costumes from the period were encouraged and one of the event sponsors, Priscilla LeBerte and her husband Adam, were among those wearing period clothing. In the photos below, Elizabeth is wearing a costume originally made for Mrs. George Ward, but is representing Florence Jordan – the widow of Mortimer Jordan, who built the Jordan house after his death. This 2nd annual event with live music and refreshments highlighted the warmth and charm of this historic neighborhood while inviting guests to explore its architectural treasures.
BHS Director Marjorie WhiteStanding in front of the Mortimer Jordan House on Highland AvenueBHS President Wayne Hester withTrustee Linda NelsonOn the right is Elizabeth Sanfelippo as Mrs. Mortimer Jordan, the builder of the Jordan houseHeritage Hunt participantsPriscilla (one of event sponsors) & Adam LeBerte stand next to event co-chair, Elizabeth SanfelippoTrustees Barbara Shores and Dan Weathers with refreshments at BHS officesBHS Trustees Katie Tipton, Gerry Waters, and VP Carol SlaughterAll photos courtesy of Jacob delaRosa, http://www.jacobdelarosa.com
Developer Bob McKenna generously opened his doors to showcase the restoration work currently in progress at the historic Warner House, one of the soon to be restored “Three Sisters“. Additionally, tours were offered at the celebrated Brown House, known today as the Clubhouse on Highland, providing insight into the neighborhood’s rich heritage and architectural diversity.
The event saw an impressive turnout, with approximately 350 participants. Sixty-six individuals and groups enthusiastically completed their scavenger hunt known as Highland Heritage Hunts. Each of these participants was rewarded for their efforts with a copy of Birmingham Homes: A Guide to Architectural Styles, which serves as a resource for those interested in the historical and architectural significance of the houses in the area.
The success of this event would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of its organizers, as well as the enthusiastic participation of all those who turned out. Many thanks to everyone involved for making this such a memorable occasion!
Co-chair Annie Chester Leardine and her familyAn exhibit of architectural styles was displayed at BHS offices (behind Joseph Bostany and Sheila Chaffin)Birmingham Homes: A Guide to Architectural Styles was the scavenger hunt prize, displayed hereExhibition of houses in Highland Park as they looked at the turn of the century was displayed at BHS offices on Highland AvenueAll photos by Jacob delaRosa
Are you familiar with the three homes built around 1905 on Highland Avenue that once belonged to three sisters? While one has been fully restored, two of them have been abandoned for many years. But the good news is that the restoration of the other two will soon follow! Even better, the neighborhood will have some involvement. Take a look at these videos! And follow the progress on Facebook using this hashtag: #sisterhouserenovation.
Birmingham Historical Society is often asked if we’d like old family photos, artifacts, or local memorabilia. As much as we would like to archive and even permanently exhibit these historic collections, we do not currently have the space or resources to adequately catalog and preserve them. While we appreciate their importance, we are primarily a research and educational organization. Rather, we encourage individuals to consider donating their items to larger institutions that have the capability to properly care for and display such collections.
There are two places that we recommend: The Southern History Department at the Birmingham Public Library focuses on items regarding Birmingham and Jefferson County. Open to the public by appointment only, the downtown location also maintains a digital library available on demand.
City directories, local newspapers on microfilm, and state and local histories are the Southern History Department’s most used items. Research class projects, books and articles, and the histories of local houses and buildings are also popular searches.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History In Montgomery is about all things Alabama. “Founded in 1901, the Alabama Department of Archives & History is the state’s government-records repository, a special-collections library and research facility, and home to the self-guided Museum of Alabama, the state history museum.” Their vast digital collection features genealogy and family histories, maps & architectural drawings, photos, video, posters and much more.
The Alabama State Museum, as part of the Department of Archives and History, was first housed in the State Capitol. Thanks to the efforts of Thomas & Marie Owen, the current Archives and History building was opened in 1940 and the final wing was completed in 2005. Visit the beautiful building virtually HERE or plan a visit to Montgomery. To donate a personal collection to the state archives, please submit a donation form HERE, or if you have a very specific item, consider one of these history museums.
And thank you for your interest in donating historic materials!
President and longtime Trustee and Honorary Trustee of Birmingham Historical Society, among his many other leadership roles, Sam Frazier died May 12th and was honored May 31 with a service at Grace Episcopal Church and a reception at The Club.
President and longtime Trustee and Honorary Trustee of Birmingham Historical Society, among his many other leadership roles, Sam Frazier died May 12th and was honored May 31 with a service at Grace Episcopal Church and a reception at The Club.
Sam Frazier, then a young attorney with a specialty in tax law and a passion for preservation of country estates, came to Birmingham in the early 1970s. Over the next 50 years, his corporate practice and civic service would include municipal law, public finance, real estate, counsel to four mayors, and innovative strategies for financing and preserving Birmingham’s special places and neighborhoods. Sam played key roles in both private and City and state preservation as components of a broader urban planning strategy.
Upon buying a home in Forest Park, he led the charge for researching the neighborhood’s history and nominating it for federal recognition. In 1980, Forest Park became the first Birmingham neighborhood to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places (the nation’s list of properties worthy of preservation), thereby thwarting a planned US highway that would have obliterated the neighborhood. The next year, Birmingham Historical Society joined in dedicating an historical marker to commemorate this preservation victory. Continuing to lead neighborhood revitalization over several decades, Sam served as the South Avondale-Forest Park neighborhood president and chaired its design review committee to maintain the historic fabric of its early 20th century homes. Forest Park was the first neighborhood to become a Local Historic District and institute the design review process.
Closed in 1972, Sloss Furnaces reopened following initial preservation in 1983 with Sam Frazier as president of the City of Birmingham Board and a dynamic director whom Frazier had recruited to set the vision for the open-air museum (then the only industrial site under preservation in the world). Sam was also President of Birmingham Historical Society and in 1985 recruited the Society to move to the site and move and restore an historic house there. He drafted the many contracts between Sloss, the City, and the Society and located and supervised the craftsmen to make possible our home for the next 37 years.
Also in 1985, Frazier spearheaded the renovation of the pigeon-infested and deteriorated Peter Zinszer’s Mammoth Furniture Store. Recasting cast-iron columns and capitals, the heavily corroded and sign covered storefront was restored and its interior rebuilt. Frazier’s law firm, Spain Gillion, took up residence on Second Avenue North. Participants in Society’s Downtown Discovery Tour enjoyed a special welcome in the Zinszer Building atrium. Many Society committees met in the second floor conference room. The Society’s initial Endowment policy was drafted here.
In the 1980s, the City of Birmingham instituted new commercial revitalization programs, offering rebates for façade fix-ups. In 1987, The City instituted design review to ensure appropriate treatment and protect the character and historic significance of these and other designated areas. Sam Frazier drafted the ordinance creating the City’s Design Review program and for the next 40 years served as chairman of the Design Review Committee that oversaw work in downtown and Five Points South. Both historic renovations and new construction came before the committee. Frazier’s understanding of the urban fabric, memory, and command were legendary. And he had no qualms in eloquently expressing his opinion, even to the internationally admired architect I. M. Pei who appeared with early designs for the Kirklin Clinic before the committee.
Sam continued to advocate for city and state tax incentives to equalize investment opportunities in historic properties with those that had long favored new construction. In the 1990s, he pioneered the use of façade easements (that preserve historic structures by restricting changes to the exteriors or facades of the buildings) to help provide favorable incentives to renovate large residential and commercial projects. The easements are legally binding and enforced by the agency holding the easement. Thanks to Sam, Birmingham Historical Society received 11 easements and gifts of funds to monitor the conservation of these properties in perpetuity. Funds received formed the initial corpus of the Society’s endowment.
Also in the 1990s, Sam led the five-year long Mayor’s Committee for the Preservation of Vulcan whose members were Society Trustees. With the 120,000 ton cast-iron statue disintegrating and the Mayor and business community reluctant to commit funds, the committee explored methods to fix and pay for the project. The committee brought the conservator of large statues for the National Park Service in Washington came to appraise the situation, worked with Robinson Iron (the firm that had recast the iron on the Zinszer Building who with the conservator would later lead the dismantling, conservation, and reassembly of the statute), created the framework for public-private management of the site (that became today’s Vulcan Park Foundation that operates the site for the City), and pioneered the highly successful offering of educational opportunities at the park and along the mineral railroad during the Olympic summer of 1996. When the committee disbanded, the Society continued the public relations campaign to save the City’s symbol.
Sam also provided leadership to St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Southside and to Grace Episcopal Church in Woodlawn.
While stationed with the army in England following his college years, this Southern gentleman from Decatur, Alabama, learned of the Irish Georgian Society, Ireland’s agency for promoting and protecting this nation’s heritage, historic gardens, and decorative arts. Carol McCroarty, his future wife, was working for the Society. These Irish associations nurtured his passion for preserving Birmingham heritage.
Sam loved to collect, preferably antiques of Georgian provenance. He also loved to entertain and was the consummate host at his homes in Forest Park and later at “Woodside,” his home in Belle Mina, Alabama. In his living rooms, a silver galley tray remained set with Irish crystal and Irish whiskeys, a ready welcome for family and friends. True leaders serve others, and Sam was ever ready to serve not only at home, but in his community. And he did.
~ Marjorie White, Director, Birmingham Historical Society
As we remember the courageous veterans who served our country, graveside flowers have become one important token of our respect and gratitude. Beginning on May 30, 1868, the first flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Soon, Memorial Day also became known as Decoration Day as Americans began the tradition of gathering every May to tend to the grave sites and honor those who died serving the country during the Civil War.
After World War I, the tradition evolved to commemorate ALL those who died in wars. Poppies in particular became a symbol of respect, gratitude, and remembrance, with the vibrant red color representing the blood that was shed.
If you grew up in the South, or have family members buried in the South, you may have attended Decoration Day. May has become a month for not only commemorating our veterans and their families, but also for remembering our own family members who have died. By gathering and placing flowers at grave sites, telling stories, and making photographs, memories are preserved in order to be passed on to the youngest family members.
The safekeeping of many of these older cemeteries has become increasingly important as landscape development converts old farms and homesteads. The Alabama Historical Commission encourages documentation of these sites, and has created the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register, the only official listing of historic cemeteries. Many of these cemeteries have no official owners or caretakers. So it has become the responsibility of family members and volunteers to record and maintain these sacred places.
Today is a day of Remembrance, of those who served, and of those we’ve loved. Let’s not forget them.
The highly anticipated annual event for the 2025 Heritage Society Gathering was at the residence built for Herbert Clark and Virginia Stockham in 1924 by Miller & Martin Architects. Atop Red Mountain on Argyle Road, the Tudor-styled home was called ‘Cragmoor’ in reference to the stone cottages and mists of the English Lake Country.
Herbert’s father, William Stockham, purchased the ‘Cragmoor’-lot 24 of Milner Heights-in 1919 and gave it to his oldest son Herbert Clark several years later. Herbert then immediately married Virginia Cannon, and began construction on the home (2930 Argyle Road) where he raised his children, Virginia Lee and Herbert Cannon, for the next 30 years.
A greatly-respected business industrialist, Herbert Clark Stockham proceeded to lead Stockham Pipe founded by his father in 1903 to national and international success. Herbert Clark Stockham died in 1958, and his wife Virginia in 1964, and the home was purchased by Martha & Marion Brodnax.
Improvements to the front entrance, kitchen, porch area, and garage were added in 1984 by new homeowners Virginia & Richard Scruggs, who sold it to Doug Click and Gregg MCormick in 2023, our generous hosts for this event. They recently added a pool/activity area and are landscaping the forested ridge.
Our Heritage Society Hosts: Doug Click, Gregg McCormick, and Virginia Scruggs
Party Planners; Virginia Markstein, Jay Draper, Mark Thompson
In the meantime, Herbert Clark’s father, William, had purchased another 200 acres on Red Mountain’s crest and southern slope in 1922 for $250,000, the city’s largest real estate transaction at the time. William Stockham subdivided 50 acres at the crest for his 10-acre personal residence at 2950 Argyle Road, and set aside lots for his two younger sons, Douglass and Richard. His two younger sons never built on their property and sold it in the mid-1950’s.
Herbert Clark’s son, Herbert Cannon Stockham, married Peggy Roundtree in 1954 and built a home on portions of Lot 24 adjacent to his parent’s home at 2940 Argyle Road This home remained in the Stockham family until 2021. Read the complete history here.
So very proud of Birmingham Historical Society Trustee Barbara Shores who continues to share the story of her life on Dynamite Hill. As the daughter of civil rights activist Arthur Shores, she has preserved her family’s involvement in Birmingham’s civil right’s history in the book, “Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill”, and in the videos below.
During this Black History Month, we encourage reflection on the acts of violence that necessitated struggles against racial barriers in the pursuit of a more equitable Birmingham.
Alabama Public Television Presents is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Birmingham Historical Society is excited to be assembling a vibrant photographic collection of all of the historic homes that were constructed along Highland Avenue South. Director Marjorie White highlights the neighborhood’s significance to Birmingham’s rich history in the attached CBS 42 video. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year as we celebrate another year in our historic Highland Avenue neighborhood!
Did you know we have a namesake in the United Kingdom, also known as the UK’s second city? It was established by Lord Mayor Peter de Birmingham, who was allowed to hold the first market on his property by King Henry II in 1166. By 1538, in Birmingham, England, there were 1,500 people in 200 houses selling goods, and the town was developing a reputation as a metalworking center. It’s now famous for being the first manufacturing town in the world with a population of 2.5 million.
Hundreds of years later, in 1871, Birmingham, Alabama, was chartered. As it had vast deposits of iron ore and coal, founders envisioned an industrial future similar to Birmingham, England, so the name Birmingham was proposed.
A recent example was an offer of this impressive inherited collection of special editions of the Birmingham Mail newspaper. Anyone from Birmingham, England interested? Let us know and we’ll put you in touch!
Lots of stories from those who lived or worked on Red Mountain, as well as from scholars who have studied the area’s history, will soon be available on your phone, offering both historical & personal insights. These narratives will bring to life the daily struggles and triumphs of individuals who shaped the community, providing a personal connection to the past. Four key mining sites will be discussed: each site carries its own unique story, revealing the complexities of mining operations, the lives of the miners, and the impact of this industry on the surrounding environment and local culture.
Sites on tour include: Mine No. 13, the Smythe Mining Camp excavation site, Mine No. 10, and the park’s Wenonah entrance on Venice Road.
“Red Mountain Park is hosting “Go Tell It On Red Mountain” – An Oral History Presentation on Sunday, November 17th at 2 PM. The program will feature a panel discussion with the project’s scholars and UAB collaborators facilitated by Laura Anderson from the Alabama Humanities Alliance. Together, they will share stories from Birmingham’s mining era and discuss the project’s development. Afterward, attendees will be encouraged to take a self-guided audio tour on their phones to a few key historical sites.”
Early inspiration for residential developments, parks, urban streetscapes, and innovation are captured in these fascinating promotional pieces by developer Robert Jemison, Jr. More than 200 period photographs and drawings are included in each of these entertaining histories of Birmingham’s growth. There was so much vision, much of which came to pass! “Build it and they will come!”
“This book is all about the optimism of the time,” says Marjorie White, Director of the Birmingham Historical Society. “They believed that they were creating a world-class industrial region. There was so much building, so much progress. It’s the Golden Era in many ways–and what they created paved the way for the Birmingham we know today.”
Who were some of the original merchants? Where was the all-electric house? What was the 1909 plan for Fairfield? These and lots of other questions are answered in these captivating volumes! Birmingham Historical Society meticulously gathered all the information from the original Jemison & Company magazine articles at the Birmingham Public Library archives, then digitized and reprinted them to form these easy to read publications. They are available for purchase via the links below.
The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society featured an array of ‘Fruity Wonders‘ cakes from participants as young as 14, as well as entries by four different members of the same family who love to bake. Yum! Thank you to all who participated. Winners in multiple categories were announced at the meeting.
Always a popular annual event, this year’s entries included one cake which gave a nod to the speaker’s topic on Ancient Life in Alabama and was crawling with dinosaurs instead of fruit. The young baker explained that the dinosaurs were eating the fruit layer because it came into being during the age of dinosaurs! A special thanks to Trustee Carolanne Roberts who organized this event.
You’re invited to join BHS Trustee, Barbara Shores, on February 8th at 7:00PM as Alabama Public Television shares the story of her father, Arthur Shores, who served an instrumental part in Birmingham’s civil rights history.
From left: Autherine Lucy, Thurgood Marshall, and Arthur Shores exit the federal courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama, in February 1956, following Lucy’s reinstatement as the first black person to be admitted to the University of Alabama. Photo courtesy of The Birmingham News
The premier screening will be one of the first events at the newly renovated historic Carver Theater, which also houses the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. For a full list of events, please click HERE.
Tickets for the movie screening are FREE but for guaranteed entry, please register HERE and pick up tickets at the theater’s box office Wednesday to Friday from 11AM to 2PM
This historic home in Highland Park on Highland Avenue near Rojo is scheduled to soon be demolished to make way for more apartments. A public hearing on the issue has been postponed until January 10. Please help show your support for saving this historic home by signing this petition.
Alabama governors have had their share of controversy over the years, but no one can forget “Big Jim Folsom”. A huge man, at 6’ 8” and weighing 250 pounds, he was hard to miss in a crowd, and his larger than life personality matched his size. A notorious ladies man, as a recently widowed governor, he once organized an event where young women lined up to kiss him, earning him the title of ‘Kissin’ Jim’.
He was a populist, grew up very poor in Elba, Alabama, and often traveled with a hillbilly band, the Strawberry Pickers, along with a mop and a bucket to ‘clean up’ politics where he also collected donations. He was loved by the people he supported, but ultimately ruined his career due to his alcoholism and bawdiness.
Sunday, October 29, 3:00 p.m. at 2827 Highland Avenue Signed books will be available for $19.95 – or available now on AMAZON.com
His grandson, Jamie, has written a book about Big Jim’s relationship with his grandmother Christine Putman, who met Folsom when she was a cashier at the Tutwiler Hotel. Although the relationship lasted several years, over multiple cities, and resulted in a son, Big Jim kept the relationship hidden from the general public during his political campaign. Despite multiple marriage promises to Christine, and even after the birth of their son, he never married her. Years later, he publicly acknowledged paternity, and made a financial settlement. However in the interim, to her heartbreak, he had married another woman. His political opponents capitalized on this with songs like the one below:
Written and performed by his political opponents, this was one of several songs focusing on Big Jim’s foibles.
She was poor but she was honest, honest, honest No victim of a rich man’s whim Till she met that Southern gentleman, Big Jim Folsom And she had a child by him. It’s the rich what gets the glory; It’s the poor what gets the blame; It’s the same the whole world over, over, over; It’s a dirty gosh-darn shame. Now he sits in Governor’s Mansion Makin’ laws for all mankind While she walks the streets of Cullman, Alabama Selling grapes from her grapevine So, young ladies, take a warning And don’t ever take a ride With Alabama’s Christian gentleman Big Jim Folsom And you’ll be a virgin bride. (to chorus)
Jamie Putman’s father, James Douglas Putman, Sr. authorized this version of his mother’s story written by Alabama author, William Bradford Huie. Published in 1977, it’s the story of the rebirth of the illegitimate son of one of the most powerful men in American politics.
(Clockwise left to right: “Kissin’Jim” – Alabama Department of Archives; Strawberry Pickers – Burgin Mathews; James E Folsom, Sr. – Encylopedia of Alabama; Christine and Big Jim – AL.com; James E Folsom, Sr. – Encyclopedia of Alabama; Big Jim at the Governor’s Conference – Public Domain)
The remarkable story of Anne “Missy” Roberts Gayler in One Hundred Years can be accurately told because of the care with which she saved photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, scrapbooks, and journal entries. She documented and saved material that she compiled at the age of one hundred, typing while nearly blind, leaving the manuscript in the care of her family. Her grandson digitized the manuscript, and relatives helped with additional photographs, dates, and research. Fortunately, her granddaughter, Sumter Carmichael Coleman, as a Trustee of the Birmingham Historical Society, felt that it was a story that needed to be shared, not only because of the author’s ties to Birmingham, but because it’s the story of a gallant Southern lifestyle in the 19th century that’s gone with the wind…
Anne Gayler’s story began in Charleston, SC where she was born in 1882 before moving to Birmingham in 1884 when her wealthy and well-connected father financed and came to Bessemer to manage Henry DeBardeleben Coal and Iron Company. She grew up in a life of extreme privilege with schooling in New York and Germany, summers in the mountains and at the seashore, and vacations abroad. After marrying a naval officer, Lieutenant Ernest Gayler, she traveled the world, carefully documenting her adventures, but returning often to her family’s several homes in Birmingham as well as to the home of her sister Belle Hazzard. She encountered presidents, foreign dignitaries, and was present at many historical events. This is the well-written, entertaining story of an exciting life, well-lived, with multiple ties and descendants in Birmingham. Please join us along with family members for a publication celebration.
October 1, 4:00 p.m., 100 Years Publication Celebration, 2827 Highland Avenue.
Historic Quinlan Castle was demolished earlier this year to make way for a new Southern Research building. But prior to Quinlan Castle, this was the location of the Roberts’ home, parents to author Anne Roberts Gayler of One Hundred Years, a memoir released by Birmingham Historical Society in September 2023.
Prominent early residents of Birmingham, David Roberts and his bride, Belle Sumter Yates Roberts, moved their family from Charleston first to Bessemer and then to Birmingham in 1894. Roberts had successfully raised capital for the formation of DeBardeleben Coal & Iron Company and took an ownership role in the new firm that was formed in 1886. At the time of his death in 1909, he was associated as a director of several banks and leading industrial and commercial interests in Birmingham. He was 63, his widow, 48, his daughter and the author of this book, only 27 years old.
They later moved to Altamont Road and the author states, “I went to Birmingham for (my sister’s) wedding, a home affair, in Mother’s great house. There was only one difficulty. The minister had some trouble getting to the house on the Altamont, for the automobiles of that era lacked edurance.”
The story of this remarkable Birmingham family as written by Anne Roberts Gayler at the age of 100, is available October 1st, 2023, 4:00PM at a Publication Celebration, 2827 Highland Avenue. The public is invited! Now available on Amazon HERE
Published every Saturday from February 1991 to April 1992 in the comic pages of the Birmingham News were TRUE TALES of Birmingham’s earliest pioneers. A project of the Birmingham Historical Society, these stories were then assembled in a book entitled True Tales of Birmingham. We will periodically be recapping these stories here! But if you want them all (and they make great children’s gifts), check out the book! Or subscribe to the blog if you don’t want to miss one. Here’s the story about one of Birmingham’s early educators. And you may recall that James R. Powell donated his salary as Birmingham’s mayor to establish the first school.
School is starting and fall is just around the corner. We’ve added a few new events to the calendar that should be interesting. Please mark your calendars.
September 19, 6:30 p.m., Bluff Park: Then & Now, hosted by the Hoover Historical Society at the Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Drive.
October 1, 4:00 p.m., 100 Years Publication Celebration, 2827 Highland Avenue.
October 3, Members’ Books to be mailed to those not receiving them at the reception. Please let us know if your book does not arrive.
October 29, 3:00 p.m. Christine Putman & Big Jim Folsom, Talk & Book Signing with Folsom’s grandson Jamie Putman, 2827 Highland Avenue.
Published every Saturday from February 1991 to April 1992 in the Birmingham News were TRUE TALES of Birmingham’s earliest pioneers. A project of the Birmingham Historical Society, these stories were then assembled in a book entitled True Tales of Birmingham. We will periodically be recapping these stories here! But if you want them all (and they make great children’s gifts), check out the book! Or subscribe to the blog if you don’t want to miss one.
Find out about this and numerous other popular home building styles with Birmingham Historical Society’s book, A Guide to Architectural Styles featuring Birmingham Homes. It features the drawings of Auburn University’s Professor of Architecture, Cheryl Morgan, with descriptions by BHS Director, Marjorie White. Here’s an example:
GREEK REVIVAL
Americans chose the Greek Revival style for early public buildings. In love with the concept of Greek democracy, they built 19th-Century versions of ancient temples to house state capitols and banks. Homeowners also chose this prominent, historic style.
In the South, an elaborate portico became synonymous with the agricultural elite. And although actual
Greek temples were polychrome,
American temple-front houses were almost always white. Their rectangular massing emulated the proportions of the masonry originals.
Americans chose the Greek Revival style for early public buildings. In love with the concept of Greek democracy, they built 19th-Century versions of ancient temples to house state capitols and banks. Homeowners also chose this prominent, historic style.
In the South, an elaborate portico became synonymous with the agricultural elite. And although actual
Greek temples were polychrome,
American temple-front houses were almost always white. Their rectangular massing emulated the proportions of the masonry originals.
At Birmingham Historical Society, we frequently get questions about how to research family histories. One of the best local resources is the Southern Archives at the Birmingham Public Library, and many more are linked on our website page, Other Resources.
However, we’ve recently become aware of another great newspaper resource HERE which includes 28 newspaper search tips along with step by step instructions to more effectively search ALL databases. This website also include births, divorces, marriage licenses, census reports etc. Note that the organization collecting this information, OurPublicRecords.org, is a privately owned and operated website and is not affiliated with law enforcement or a government agency.
While many public records are available online, it’s often a confusing and time consuming search. But you may also choose to search your state or county’s website and search for the Records Management or Public Records section. From there, you can usually find a link to an online database of public records. Another way to access public records for free is through the federal government’s website.
In 1898, the town of Virden, Illinois advertised for 175 black coal miners to leave Birmingham on September 22nd, in order to work the mines in Illinois. However, the intent was that they be involved in the labor union strike which became a deadly battle known as the Massacre of Virden on October 12th, 1898. This October will be the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Virden in which they were involved, and the Union Miners Cemetery and Mother Jones Museum is seeking any information on these men to enrich the education of those attending their anniversary celebration. Did you know them?
Mother Jones was a fearless fighter for workers’ rights and wanted to be known as the ‘mother of all agitators’. She is buried in the Union Miners Cemetery and is the namesake for the museum where the anniversary event will be held.
“In 1897, the United Mine Workers launched a strike for a living wage in the coal fields. Jones was a strategic part of the union since that time. For her, it was more than about union contract. She argued that ordinary miners should direct their economic destiny and that the public should own the coal and natural resources, not corporations. She believed in organizing at the community level to demonstrate workers capacity for managing their destiny. She believed that the so-called unskilled worker, immigrants and African-Americans should be the base of the new movement. She put women and children at the center of struggles in the coal fields, making a family-based movement.
One of the Jones’ key contributions was building workers’ commitment to unionism that bridged racial and ethnic divisions.”
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.
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.
The last printed copy of The Birmingham News has now come and gone, but does anyone remember the special section, True Tales, published every Saturday from February 1991 to April 1992? A project of the Birmingham Historical Society, these stories were assembled in a book entitled True Tales of Birmingham and published in 1992. Here are a few pages…
One of the society’s most anticipated events is the annual spring gathering at one of Birmingham’s beautiful historic homes. This year we will be hosted May 7th, Sunday evening, at 5PM at the Northington-Murray House. You must be a Heritage Society member to attend. But we’d love for you to join us! Here’s how…
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!
Several members of the audience recalled when President Franklin Roosevelt came to Jasper, Alabama to attend the funeral of William Bankhead. The thousands (estimated 40,000) who attended can attest to the importance of the Bankhead family’s political influence in Alabama for several generations,
Did you think that the Bankhead Highway was local (like I did)? Far from it! Come hear more about it Monday night at the BHS annual meeting and learn about the remarkable Bankhead family of Alabama.
Drop off cakes prior to Birmingham Historical Society annual meeting on February 27th. Taste testing will follow meeting! Be sure to include a card with your name and description. More information here.
Everyone is welcome at the Annual Meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society on February 27th at 7:00PM at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Copies of the book, “Deep South Dynasty” published by University of Alabama Press will be available for sale and signed by Professor of History, Kari Frederickson. A popular annual cake walk follows the meeting.
The Birmingham Historical Society’s newest book has 13 first-hand accounts of what it was like to grow up on Dynamite Hill, the neighborhood that was repeatedly bombed in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Barbara Shores, the daughter of civil rights activist and attorney Arthur Shores, along with Marjorie White, director of BHS, bring those stories to life with childhood memories, photos, and historical background.
Ryan Michaels with The Birmingham Times, interviews Shores and White prior to the event on Sunday in this article. Shores notes that many young people who have grown up in Birmingham are unaware of the significance of Dynamite Hill in breaking the racial barriers that existed in housing and schools. It’s a story that needs to be told and retold! Please mark your calendars for Sunday’s event:
Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill” will be unveiled on Sunday, Dec. 11 at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 600 Center St. North in Birmingham’s Graymont neighborhood, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Please note that this and other BHS publications will also be available locally at SHOPPE in Forest Park, via USPS and online HERE
Don’t forget the final Trustee Meeting next Tuesday, December 13th, at noon for lunch, at our new offices at 2827 Highland Avenue. Note that according to the by-laws, you must attend at least two Trustee meetings annually.
As a reminder, in order to maintain your Trustee status, you must first be a member and current on membership fees, submit an annual conflict of interest statement, and contribute to the society in a significant way. Trustee Service Forms are submitted annually and are available online HERE. There are a limited number of Trustees, and all applications must be approved by the nominating committee.
Note that two of our trustees, Sam Frazier and Henry Ray have been greatly challenged by recent devastating fires. Sam’s beloved “Woodside” in Belle Mina, his 1860 residence visited by the Heritage Society several years ago, burned to the ground, and Henry Ray’s office building in Mountain Brook was gutted by fire. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to them both.
You’re invited to attend an autograph party of our newest publication, Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill, with speakers who grew up on the hill in the 1950s and 1960s. The event will be at the Tabernacle Baptist Church at 600 Center Street in the Center Street Historic District of Smithfield on December 11th, 2022, 2-4 PM. Please plan to attend!
This is the compelling story of the fight over residential segregation laws as told by the people who lived it. The multiple bombings in the ‘40’s, 50s, and 60’s of the close-knit Birmingham neighborhood, now known as Dynamite Hill, were intended to intimidate residents and discourage their families from building in designated ‘whites only’ zoned areas and attending white schools. But due to the persistence and courage primarily of resident and attorney Arthur Shores, archaic ordinances and laws were changed. In 2011, the Center Street district was added to the National Register of Historic Places, commemorating the fight for fair housing and schools.
Weaving first-hand accounts into the historical narrative, this new book personalizes the struggles and courage of the families whose homes and neighborhood were terrorized. It also tells of the accomplishments of the children of that era, their close ties, their memories, and their hope for the future. Multiple photos of historic events and homes along with personal interviews, makes this history come alive, representing as Arthur Shores’ daughter, Barbara Shores, says, ‘the best and the worst of humanity’. To purchase a copy of the book, please click HERE
Book signing at BHS Open House by Barbara Shores (daughter of Civil Rights attorney, Arthur Shores) and Jeff Drew (with whom Martin Luther King stayed when he was in Birmingham)
Although the neighborhood has seen brighter days, its location, character, and history make it unique. It’s important to know our history and to preserve and renew Dynamite Hill so that future generations may learn of this landmark neighborhood that illustrates the best and the worst of humanity.
The Birmingham Historical Society’s Annual Meeting for 2023 has been scheduled for February 27, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. (Free and open to the public)
Our speaker will be Kari Frederickson, professor of Southern History at the University of Alabama, speaking on The Bankheads of Alabama and autographing her recently published book Deep South Dynasty: The Bankheads of Alabama.
“Deep South Dynasty: The Bankheads of Alabama is a deeply researched epic family biography that reflects the complicated and evolving world inhabited by three generations of the extremely accomplished—if problematic—Bankhead family of northwest Alabama. Kari Frederickson’s expertly crafted account traces the careers of five members of the family—John Hollis Bankhead; his sons, John Hollis Bankhead Jr. and William Brockman Bankhead; his daughter, Marie Bankhead Owen; and his granddaughter, Tallulah Brockman Bankhead.”
Note that the Heritage Cake & Pie Competition will happily return to the BHS annual meeting February 27 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. More info to come in early ’23. If you’re not familiar with this popular annual event, please click HERE!
