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!
