Tag Archives: Freshwater Land Trust

Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers

Did you know Birmingham had a Red Light District?

The City of Birmingham sanctioned a red light district which operated from 1905 to 1915 along 1st Avenue South, east of 20th Street. (Birmingham by the Book, pg 58) Madame Blanche Bernard offered free carriage rides from her ‘house of ill repute’ to guests’ hotels. She was among several proprietors who ran ‘classy sporting houses’. Statewide prohibition in 1915 shut these down as well as more than 100 saloons on Birmingham’s Southside.

Today’s Rotary Trail follows the stretch of tracks along 1st Avenue South linking Railroad Park to Sloss Furnaces as part of the Freshwater Land Trust’s Red Rock Trail System. And breweries once again flourish in the area.

Historic brick buildings with green awnings and large windows, under a partly cloudy sky.
Seaboard Saloon (1897) 2131 1st Avenue South
Front view of a brick building with large windows and a balcony, surrounded by trees and greenery, with a person standing near a streetlight.
Madam Blance Bernard (1907) 2227 1st Avenue South
A night view of the Rotary Trail sign in Birmingham, Alabama, illuminated with lights, showcasing the words 'Rotary Trail in the Magic City' against a backdrop of a full moon and modern buildings.
Rotary Trail (2016) 1st Avenue South from 20th Street to 24th Street South
Birmingham Historical Society, Neighborhoods, Olmsted Brothers, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Publications

Good News for Village Creek Greenways!

The 44 miles of Village Creek make up 53% of Birmingham’s Special Flood Hazard area. The creek stretches across Birmingham metro area from Roebuck Springs in the east to Ensley in the west and played a major part in Birmingham’s industrial beginnings. The Freshwater Land Trust is now actively working to develop the area into a continuous recreational trail and greenway, while preserving local habitats. However, in the interim, repeated flooding over 50 years has resulted in more than 17 federal disasters.

(Video showing flooding of Village Creek near the airport by WVTM 13)

The Birmingham Historical Society has been advocating for green space along this corridor since 1984 beginning with the BHS study of the floodplains in East Lake, East Birmingham, and Ensley for the US Army Corps of Engineers. (See an excerpt below.) During that study, it was discovered that the celebrated Olmsted Brothers (a NY landscape architecture firm well known for their design of Central Park) had presented a plan for Birmingham back in 1925 for continuous greenways along the creek. This plan was subsequently reprinted and publicized by the society.

From the BHS study, Village Creek, 1985

Katie Britt, Alabama’s senator, has now secured $2.6 million for Village Creek floodplain restoration. This will provide a long-term solution, protect residents, particularly those in Ensley, improve infrastructure, and reduce flooding risks for motorists traveling through these areas. The federal/local partnership is an investment in local neighborhoods as well as quality of life with trailways for walkers, runners, and bikers throughout the city as illustrated by Phase I of the Ensley Greenway below. Thank you to all those involved and who continue to invest in Birmingham’s future!