Tag Archives: Bluff Park

Historic Preservation, Hoover, Parks & Recreation, Shades Creek, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain

Protecting a Preserve in Bluff Park

Birmingham may soon have an 18 acre natural preserve near Tip Top Grill in Bluff Park, thanks largely to Larry Rodick, President of Friends of Shade Mountain, who has been spearheading the effort. Birmingham City Council has approved an agreement to work with Hoover and the non-profit organization to protect this historic and scenic site. Plans include gaining permission to create trails from the top of the bluff through the valley and all the way to Shades Creek. Read more about Bluff Park’s history HERE and HERE.

Group of four individuals posing in front of a Birmingham City Council backdrop, smiling and standing together.
Left to right: Marjorie White: Birmingham Historical Society Director, Larry Rodick: President of Friends of Shade Mountain, and preservation advocates Peggy Cornett, and Tabitha Lacy at the April 14th COB Council Meeting.
From Friends of Shades Mountain FB
Altamont, Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Brock’s Gap, Exhibition, George Ward, Hoover, Membership, Research, Shades Creek, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain, Trustees, Warren Manning

Bye Bye Birgit!

Sunday afternoon, the Birmingham Historical Society hosted a going away reception for a much appreciated member and BHS Trustee who is moving to Tampa, Florida; Birgit Kibelka. A gifted landscape architect, Birgit was responsible for a massive amount of work for BHS as well as for the community which was displayed throughout the BHS offices.

Birgit researched and documented historic sites with BHS during 14 years from 2010 until 2024. Together with BHS Director Marjorie White, they explored, mapped and documented early residential developments, parks, trails, culverts, railroad cuts and creeks.

These historic sites include Warren Manning’s plan for Mountain Brook, Ross Bridge, Altamont Park, the George Ward Preserve, Brock’s Gap, Bluff Park and the Shades Creek watershed.

Birgit initiated the Brock’s Gap research project after discovering plans for a road that could potentially harm the significant historic site. It ultimately led to the inclusion of historic sites in Hoover’s 2023 Parks & Public Spaces Plan (pgs 44-47).

Above: Landscape Architect Birgit Kibelka and James White. Below: Birgit with BHS Director, Marjorie White
Birgit’s work is included in three BHS publications including Altamont: A Portion of Red Mountain and Its Park, Mountain Brook: A historic American Landscape, and Shades Creek – Flowing Through Time
Photos by Louise McPhillips and Rebecca Moody

During the reception, Marjorie White acknowledged Birgit’s dedication and highlighted her impressive contributions to the Society. Birgit then spoke, sharing her insights and passion for the historical value of traditional paper maps, and explaining their importance in today’s time of continually updated online maps. She explained that maps are important for historic documentation in that historic sites are otherwise not found. She later provided the example below of Brock’s Gap.

The history of the gap is well described in the 1992 book “A History of Hoover, Alabama and Its People” by  Marilyn Davis Barefield. Nevertheless, the historic marker was located facing the second railroad cut and not the original one and no one  – except for Sam Curren – knew where the site was. A map would have prevented such a general loss of knowledge.

Good luck, Birgit, in your new home. You will be greatly missed!

cookies by BHS President Wayne Hester’s daughter, Georgeann@baked.by.georgie
Photos by Louise McPhillips and Rebecca Moody

Birmingham Historical Society, Historic Preservation, Meetings, Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain

Permanently Preserving Hale Springs

Thanks to the efforts of conservation group Friends of Shades Mountain with support from the Birmingham Historical Society, Hale Springs is now part of the Bluff Park Preserve and is included in the City of Hoover’s Park Plan! This beautiful 18 acre property is the last open space on Shades Crest Mountain. However, it is currently for sale and in danger of development.

The next step is to include it in the Forever Wild Land Trust ensuring its permanent preservation for undeveloped public use. Friends of Shades Mountain have successfully nominated the property for consideration at a hearing on May 2nd at Jacksonville State University. Marjorie White, Director of the Birmingham Historical Society, has drafted the following document to make the case for its inclusion. Please consider attending the meeting or adding your support via a letter to the board members below of the Forever Wild Land Trust of Alabama or to the President of Friends of Shades Mountain.

Dr. James B. McClintock
Endowed Professor, Department of Biology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Department of Biology
Campbell Hall 368
Birmingham, AL 35294

Mr. Jack Darnall
4007 Old Leeds Ridge
Birmingham, AL 35213

Mr. Jimmy Parnell
President, Alabama Farmers Federation
President and CEO, Alfa Insurance Companies
P.O.Box 11000
Montgomery, Alabama 36191

Dr. Brian R. Keener
The University of West Alabama
Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Station #7
Livingston, AL 35470

Friends of Shades Mountain

Larry Rodick, President
Friends of Shades Mountain
P. O. Box 59651
Birmingham, AL 35259
205-823-7367
friendsofshadesmountain@gmail.com

Not familiar with the Forever Wild Land Trust? This organization was established in 1992 and has secured more than 284,000 acres of land in Alabama for public use. The FWLT’s acquisitions have also created more than 363 miles of recreational trails within 23 new recreation areas and nature preserves, while providing additions to 9 State Parks and 20 Wildlife Management Areas.  Forever Wild has helped acquire lands for conservation at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve, Tannehill State Historic Park, and the Cahaba River Park among others.

Q: How is land acquired by the Forever Wild Land Trust?

A: Individuals can nominate particular tracts of land for purchase; after a review process, the Forever Wild Land Trust Board of Trustees may then make an offer to buy that tract at the appraised fair market value.  For each tract the Board acquires, 15% of the appraised value is also deposited into the program’s stewardship account to cover future land management needs. Payment is NOT funded by taxpayers but rather is generated by interest earned from offshore natural gas royalties deposited into the Alabama Trust Fund.

Exhibition, Historic Preservation, Hoover, lecture, Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain, Vestavia

Do you know the history of Bluff Park?

The popularity of beautiful Bluff Park was definitely affirmed at the extremely well-attended presentation by Birmingham Historical Society Director Marjorie White and landscape architect & BHS Trustee Birgit Kibelka on September 19 entitled Bluff Park: Then & Now, hosted by the Hoover Historical Society. Hoover had a series of town halls this past spring to determine the community’s interest in greenways, trails, parks, and public spaces. As a follow-up to those town halls, this event delved further into the history and possibilities of a Bluff Park Preserve with maps, photos of rock formations and existing springs, views, and historical correspondence.

Proposed Preserve

Friends of Shades Mountain (FOSM), working with the Hoover Historical Society, and Birmingham Historical Society are promoting the creation of the Bluff Park Preserve on Shades Mountain. As the City of Hoover explores possibilities for future parks and preserves, the opportunity to save the last remaining publicly accessible viewpoint along Shades Mountain presents itself. The proposed future Bluff Park Preserve might include the original “Bluff Park,” Lover’s Leap-Sunset Rock, and the site of Tip-Top Grill. Please read this BHS newsletter for additional information.

Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, family history, Hoover, lecture, Meetings, Membership, Neighborhoods, Publications, Research, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain

New Fall Events Added to Calendar~

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.

Birmingham Historical Society, Brock’s Gap, Historic Preservation, Hoover, Meetings, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Shades Creek, Shades Crest Road

Town Hall Meetings for Hoover Parks’ Planning are THIS WEEK

Want some input into the future of Hoover’s Greenways and Blueways? Do you love Lover’s Leap and Tip Top Grill? The town hall meetings are THIS WEEK! See schedule below and read the article in the Hoover Sun:

Monday, May 8: Shades Crest Baptist Church

Tuesday, May 9: Spain Park High School Library

Thursday, May 11: Finley Center at Hoover Metropolitan Complex

Tuesday, May 16: Virtual town hall meeting at futurehoover.com

Each meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. The in-person meetings will be set up as a walk-through interactive exhibit, with displays giving information about the various parts of the plan and opportunities to provide feedback on the displays.

Representatives from the city will be on site as well to answer questions, talk about the plan and have conversations with people about what they would like to see regarding the focus topics, said Mindy Wyatt, a strategic analyst for the city who is serving as the project manager for the plan.

Friends of Shades Mountain (FOSM), working with the Hoover Historical Society, are promoting the creation of a Bluff Park Preserve on Shades Mountain.

Audubon Society, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Brock’s Gap, Historic Preservation, Hoover, Parks & Recreation, Red Mountain, Red Mountain Park, Research, Shades Creek, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain

Help Save Shades Mountain with the SOUND of MUSIC!

Friends of Shades Mountain
are sponsoring a Benefit Concert
at Wild Roast Cafe in Bluff Park,
featuring great live folk, mountain,
and classical guitar music,
as well as original songs
by the President of the Birmingham Music Club

Sunday, September 11th, 6:00PM

Click image to download & print pdf invitation

The Birmingham Historical Society continues to research the historic importance of Shades Mountain and Shades Creek to our community with recent attention focused on Brock’s Gap, and the publication of Shades Creek–Flowing Through Time. But the Friends of Shades Mountain also want to preserve it for the benefits it provides all of us NOW including:

  • The forest protects homeowners below from erosion, mudslides and damaging storm water runoff.
  • It helps keep the water and air in the county clean.
  • By providing visual screening, the forest enhances property values in the valley below and the ridge above the mountain.
  • It provides habitat for many plant and animal species, some rarely seen in other parts of the county and state.
  • It is an aesthetic value in itself, providing a lush green landscape that cools the eye of everyone coming around, over and under its forest canopy.
  • It helps protect Shades Creek, already imperiled by previous development.
  • The forests along this mountain help to keep homes cooler by reducing the effects of hot, humid summer days. In the winter, the forest provides wind brakes that cut heating costs.
  • The forest cover saves the county an estimated $1,500,000 per year by reducing air pollution and storm water runoff.

You can HELP by buying tickets or donating if you can’t attend.