Category Archives: Membership

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Book Sale, City of Birmingham, Membership, Publications

Need ideas for Family Friendly Outings?

Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City is FREE to all new members! The heavily illustrated 8 x 10 guide is divided into chapters with photos, maps, and descriptions including:

  • MUST SEES
  • Sites to Explore
  • Before Birmingham
  • The City Center
  • Coal, Iron and Steel Communities
  • West End
  • East End
  • South Highlands
  • Red Mountain
  • Over the Mountain
  • Shades Mountain
Suspended bridge connecting wooden platforms in a wooded area with bare trees and a cloudy sky.
Stone ruins surrounded by lush green trees, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

A typical page is pictured below. Quickly access places to go and things to do with a particular emphasis on the history of the sites. Locals may discover a new appreciation for their city that they only thought they knew well. Tourists will find an easy-to-follow overview divided into regions with notable sites in each region. Use this guide so that you don’t miss important architectural or historical features. And JOIN US, as we continue to document Birmingham’s history and educate the public with annual publications per the words of Marjorie White, BHS Director, below.

A two-page spread featuring various cultural and recreational activities in a city, including sections on arts, sports, family-friendly outings, food, and farmers' markets. Images include theaters, museums, and events, with a layout that highlights local attractions and dining options.

Interview by Birmingham Business Journal with
Marjorie White
Chairman of the Board and Director, Birmingham Historical Society
Category: Volunteer of the Year, Birmingham Business Journal 2026

Why is the nonprofit mission so critical and needed in the Birmingham community?

Nonprofits tread where others will not. Case in point: Fifty years ago, when I was first elected as an officer of the Birmingham Historical Society that I continue to serve as chairman of the board and director, the general understanding was that Birmingham had no history. (History happened before or during antebellum times and Birmingham was not even here then), and that the city had no built heritage to preserve. Over the intervening years, the Society has researched and published more than 70 books, drafted National Register of Historic Places and National Landmark nominations, conducted educational programs for adults and school groups and worked to create awareness and stewardship of the significant heritage of our post-bellum industrial city, greatly spearheading its conservation and preservation. This year, we look forward to releasing and sharing our definitive guide to Birmingham that once and for all dispels the notion that there is nothing to see or do in the Magic City.

Birmingham Historical Society is a privately funded membership organization. The Society benefits from the philanthropy of others: their donations of money, time and skills. As is true for similar groups across the United States, the Society has no full-time staff and operates with an exceptionally strong volunteer base. Many individuals have made decades long contributions. 

We look forward to continuing their service, recruiting other volunteers, and to building our endowment to support future staffed positions, fulfilling our mission to research, publish. and educate our community about its history and heritage.

Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, Cake Contest, City of Birmingham, Meetings, Membership, Publications

ANNUAL MEETING, Birmingham by the Book Introduction & Event Highlights

  • Monday, February 23rd, 2026, 7:00 PM
  • Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium
  • Free and open to the public

Available NOW!

BUY HERE ON AMAZON.COM
or support our local vendors: Shoppe in Forest Park and Thank You Books in Crestwood

Cover of 'Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City' published by the Birmingham Historical Society, featuring an aerial view of Birmingham at sunset.
Invitation to the Annual Meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society, featuring the introduction of 'Birmingham by the Book.'

What’s Your Birmingham IQ? with Birmingham boosters Tom Cosby and Stewart Dansby

Cosby and Dansby are former public relations and marketing officers of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and leaders in our city and in the saving and conserving of its landmarks, notably Vulcan, Rickwood Field, and the Lyric

And featuring Birmingham Historical Society’s annual cake contest with this year’s theme: Cakes with a Past

A flyer for a cake contest titled 'Cakes with a Past' featuring colorful illustrations of cakes. The flyer outlines the mission, rules, and judging categories for participants. It invites entries that celebrate memories associated with cakes from the past 50 years.
Cakes with a Past
A cake background form for the Birmingham Historical Society's 'Cakes with a Past' contest, dated February 23, 2026, featuring sections for personal information, cake details, and a recipe.
Rules

Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Book Sale, Membership

Join us! Your Membership supports Birmingham’s Heritage

“See what we did in 2025. Be part of what we do in 2026! Maybe our best publication yet, BIRMINGHAM by the BOOK–a five-year LABOR of love for those who put it together–has gone to press. It lays to rest forever that “there’s nothing much to see in Birmingham”.

Membership gets you this book. Membership also makes you a part of an organization whose members are excited about the intricacies, the turns, the truths of history. Membership fees and book sales support our general operations. The endowment fund and the publishing fund promise us a future. Keep us going however you can.”

Carol Slaughter, BHS Secretary
Cover of 'Birmingham by the Book,' featuring a sunset view of Birmingham city with lush greenery in the foreground.

Look what we did in 2025. Be part of what we do in 2026!

Annual Gathering, Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, family history, Heritage Society, Historic Preservation, Membership, Red Mountain, Research

Sunset on Red Mountain

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.

Historical photograph of the residence of Herbert and Virginia Stockham, located at 2930 Argyle Road, viewed from the south across the Sunken Garden, taken in 1938.

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.

A portrait of Herbert Clark Stockham, featuring a middle-aged man with glasses, short hair, and wearing a suit. The background includes text about his contributions and character.

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
Interior view of a sunlit room with stone walls, featuring a large potted plant, a ceiling fan, and windows that provide natural light.
A gathering of people in a well-lit, cozy living room featuring comfortable seating and large windows, with some individuals engaging in conversation and others interacting with children.
A group of people gathered by a swimming pool in a lush garden setting during a sunny day, surrounded by trees and residential architecture.
Outdoor gathering at a historic stone house with a lawn, featuring two women conversing by a green table and several guests seated around tables.
View of a stone pathway leading to a gathering at the historic Cragmoor residence, with several people mingling near tables adorned with green tablecloths, surrounded by greenery and landscaping.
Guests mingling and enjoying food at the 2025 Heritage Society Gathering in a beautifully decorated room of the historic Cragmoor residence.
A gathering of people enjoying an outdoor event near a swimming pool at sunset, with chairs set up on a lawn overlooking a scenic view.
View from a window showing a pool area and a gathering of people outside, with greenery and hills in the background.
An outdoor gathering with people seated at tables near a pool, in front of a large Tudor-style house during sunset.

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.

Missed this event but want to join? Thank you for your support!

Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, Book Sale, civil rights, Historic Preservation, Meetings, Membership, Research, Rickwood Field

Thank you Friends of Rickwood (Photo Gallery)

Much appreciation to the speaker at our 83rd Annual Meeting, Gerald Watkins, Director of Friends of Rickwood, along with all the other Rickwood Friends who were in attendance. Critical to the preservation of the nation’s OLDEST BALL PARK, these baseball enthusiasts are holding the HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) poster that certified Rickwood’s age and importance.

Friend of Rickwood left to right: Mike Newton, Coke Mathews, Sam Fisher, Ben Cook, Lamar Smith, and Gerald Watkins. Not pictured but in attendance, Tom Cosby

But before that 1993 certification, Tom Cosby, Terry Slaughter, and Coke Mathews recognized the importance of the ballpark, and led fundraising efforts which ultimately led to Birmingham Historical Society’s involvement in the HABS documentation. It’s a preservation success story that put Birmingham on the map, bringing its first Major League Baseball game to Rickwood in 2024. (View all the drawings and documentation at the Library of Congress HERE at HABS AL-897)

Gerald Watkins shared not only his enthusiasm for the sport, and the struggles in maintaining the park, but also the ongoing support that will be necessary to sustain it. Want to help? Attend an event! Or contribute to its support HERE

photos by Louise McPhillips

Friends of Rickwood
HABS AL-897 poster
Books available about Rickwood Field
Carolanne Roberts, with winners of Chocolate Cake contest
Gerald Watkins, Director of Friends of Rickwood
Tom Cosby, early supporter of fundraising to preserve Rickwoood field
Wayne Hester, President Birmingham Historical Society
Marjorie White, Director Birmingham Historical Society
Trustees Carol Slaughter and Kaydee Erdreich

Read more about Rickwood’s history in our BHS newsletter HERE (downloadable pdf document) and in our archives HERE

Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Book Sale, civil rights, Meetings, Membership, Research, Rickwood Field

Field of Dreams – Fun Facts!

Do you know the compelling history of America’s oldest ball field? Last night at Birmingham Historical Society’s annual meeting, baseball enthusiast and Friends of Rickwood Director, Gerald Watkins, powerfully recounted the legendary games played on this iconic ground. He also recounted many of the famous players that began their careers on this historic ball field including Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, and Reggie Jackson.

He acknowledged the important part the Society contributed to Rickwood in documenting the age, historical significance, and in verifying the anecdotal stories that the Friends of Rickwood had been using to raise funds for its restoration. Upon the completion of the research, Rickwood was officially confirmed to be the oldest ball park in the nation, and national leagues began to take interest, resulting in Alabama’s first Major League Baseball game in 2024.

Friends of Rickwood Director Gerald Watkins with Birmingham Historical Society Director Marjorie White hold a poster documenting the process of establishing Rickwood’s significance through the National Park Service’s Historic America Buidlings Survey (HABS)

Watkins recounted the struggles the Friends endured in preparing the field for the Major Leagues as well as the fundraising necessary for maintaining the standards required to sustain the relationship. And he acknowledged the Friends who were in the audience including Tom Cosby who along with Terry Slaughter and Coke Mathews led the early promotional efforts.

Erected in 1910, Rickwood Field stands as a monument not just to thrilling baseball moments, but also to the profound social and cultural evolution of the sport. The Birmingham Black Barons began playing in 1920 in the Negro Leagues, and Rickwood served as a gathering place for Birmingham’s black community attracting large crowds until integration caused the Black Barons to dissolve in 1963 and Rickwood shut down for several years.

Several books have been written about Rickwood’s history which were available at the meeting including this tribute book above. Watkins shared that while the Friends hoped that Birmingham native Willie Mays would be at Rickwood’s first Major League game in 2024, he passed that same day, memorializing him forever in Rickwood’s memories.

These three books, companions to one another, celebrate Rickwood Field, the primary ball park of Birmingham professional baseball teams from 1910 to 1987. Each book is a building block in a trilogy on the history of the legendary ball park. Each book stands alone, complete within itself, but together they form a structure larger than its parts: a trilogy. 

The three books tell the story of people, places, and events of the early twentieth century and make you feel a part of history, not an observer of it. The books explore world events, American history, and the game of baseball when it was — and perhaps still is — this country’s most culturally relevant sport.

.For more information or to arrange a behinds the scenes tour of the historic ball field, please visit Rickwood Field or visit the park for a self-guided tour M-F 9AM to 4PM.

Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, Cake & Pie Contest, Cake Contest, Meetings, Membership, Parks & Recreation, Publications, Rickwood Field

The 83rd Annual Meeting Featuring America’s Oldest Ball Field – Rickwood

ALL ARE WELCOME at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society at 7PM on Monday, February 24th at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The meeting will feature guest speaker, Gerald Watkins, Director of the Friends of Rickwood, and a lifetime baseball enthusiast! His talk, Rickwood: Then & Now, will tell the story of America’s oldest grandstand and ballpark. The Friends’ fundraising campaign, spearheaded by Terry Slaughter, Tom Cosby, and Coke Mathews, enabled the park to be restored, expanded, and subsequently brought Alabama’s first Major League Baseball game to Birmingham. Books about Rickwood will be available for sale, and chocolate cake entries from the annual cake contest will be judged and available after the meeting for sampling!

Baseball fans, society supporters and members, and Alabama historians, don’t miss this meeting!

Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Historical Society, Cake Contest, Favorite Pie & Cake Contest, lecture, Meetings, Membership

The Great Chocolate Cake Contest

The 83rd Annual Meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society is at 7PM on Monday, February 24th at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and will feature guest speaker Gerald Watkins, Director of the Friends of Rickwood Field.

CALLING ALL CAKES

For The Great Chocolate Cake Contest

THE RULES: Bake your cake and bring the form above,

along with the recipe, and your cake for judging, to the

Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium

between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. on February 24.

JUDGING CATEGORIES: Most Chocolatey Cake Creation + Best

Overall Cake + Best Visual Presentation + Best Flavor Profile +

Most Pleasing Texture + Best Memory Statement

Birmingham Historical Society, Membership, Trustees, UAB

In Memory and Gratitude for Cleve Kinney

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics…
To appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,…
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has
breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
— Author Unknown, Research shows inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dr. Cleve Kinney was an enthusiastic Trustee of Birmingham Historical Society for over 20 years despite his busy schedule as a much-lauded psychiatrist and professor at UAB. While he was often unable to attend Trustee meetings, he rarely missed an event, and supported BHS in numerous significant ways. He was our friend and advisor, an avid historian, and a cheerleader for Birmingham, its community, and the numerous students he mentored in addition to the hundreds of geriatric patients he treated over his career.

A Vietnam war veteran, his was a life of exemplary service during which he received many notable awards including the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Award. Read his full obituary here. Thank you Cleve, for your support of Birmingham Historical Society. We will miss you.