Tag Archives: Membership

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!

Birmingham Historical Society, Membership, Newsletters, Publications, Research

Lots of Info Available on our Website

Are you aware of all the information on our website? Could you find what you needed when doing a search? Here’s a short list below with links in green. Scroll away and share with your friends!

Publications

Membership

Resources

Historic Preservation

  • Historic Register Maps
  • Historic Register tax incentives, guidelines, etc.
  • Tax abatements for commercial property renovation
  • Historic Photographs
  • How to get an historic marker
  • How to research an historic home

BHS Archives

Social Media

  • Links to BHS Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon storefront, and Blog Subscription in left sidebar
  • Subscription links throughout which enable you to receive all blog posts via email.
  • A search menu to tagged articles with similar information on right at top of website

Annual meeting, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Historical Society, Endowment, Heritage Society, Membership

Gift Memberships, New Memberships

At the 82nd Annual Birmingham Historical Society meeting featuring a talk by Guest Speaker Dr. William Deutsch, President Wayne Hester reminded the audience of the importance of $50 gift memberships, particularly for interested young people. The non-profit society depends upon the generosity of donors and members to provide free events and support its mission and research. Its volunteer organization relies upon the time and talent of its members. We encourage you to join us or give a gift! Thank you to all those who attended for your continuing support.

Left to right: BHS President Wayne Hester, Guest Speaker Dr. William Deutsch, BHS Director Marjorie White. Photo by Louise McPhillips

Birmingham Historical Society

Why Join the Birmingham Historical Society?

Many people are aware of an historical society’s interest in preserving historic architecture and period houses. But our society is so much more than that!

  • The Birmingham Historical Society has created an heirloom garden, focusing on organic plants and traditional gardening techniques.
  • It’s working on the history of green spaces, parks, and walking trails throughout the city and helping local organizations with awareness and possibilities.
  • It’s published books on the civil rights history of Birmingham, and educated students by providing free learning materials.
  • It’s created free walking tours, pointing out the historic architecture of downtown areas.
  • It’s provided free lectures and book signings, often bringing in well-respected historians speaking on everything from family histories to Birmingham’s ties to the Olmsted Brothers of New York
  • It’s created pride of ownership with incentives, resources, and guidance for maintenance of both historic commercial and residential buildings.
  • It’s provided resource material with photographs, exhibitions, online databases, newspaper articles, and more.
  • It’s provided food history, weather history, and family histories, and has plans to promote music history
  • It’s a source of in depth knowledge of the region, its pioneers, and its early industry

And that’s just what I can think of now! We’re always open to new ideas. Want to help? Join us or make a donation. Share a gift membership with a history buff. Or please subscribe to our blog below:

All of us are volunteers so 100% of every donation goes into making this city even better. We have only recently joined social media (Covid project) but appreciate the support of everyone who has read, liked, or shared what we have offered! Thank you! And thank you for your ongoing support!

Birmingham Historical Society, Heritage Society, Membership, Trustees

Thank you for your support!

It’s that time of year again! As a non-profit operating entirely with volunteers, we depend upon the support of our donors and the service of our Trustees. We ask that you renew your membership and join us in the important work of documenting Birmingham’s history. Currently celebrating our 81st year, we appreciate the generous gifts of members and patrons that enables us to provide annual seminars, tours, book signings, publications, and newsletters.

Birmingham has a very rich heritage and learning from its past, shapes its future. Please refer to the long list of publications below!

If you are a Trustee, please complete this form and submit it prior to February 14th, 2023, according to the requirements of our by-laws.

If you would like to join or renew your membership, please complete this form. Thank you for your support! We appreciate your interest!

BIRMINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS 1977-2022

  • 2022. Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill
  • 2021.  Birmingham: The City Beautiful, Compliments of G. Ward
  • 2020. The Birmingham District: An Industrial History and Guide (reprint of 1981 edition)
  • 2019. Pretty Posies, Powerful Healing: An Herbal Primer
  • 2019. Shades Creek: Flowing Through Time
  • 2018. Warren H. Manning’s City Plan for Birmingham, reprint of 1919 plan
  • 2016. Birmingham, 1915, reprint
  • 2016. For Science and Humanity: Building Southern Research
  • 2015. Bob Moody’s Birmingham: A City in Watercolor
  • 2014. Mountain Brook-A Historic American Landscape
  • 2013. MINUTES-Central Committee of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
  • 2012. The Jemison Magazine: Birmingham and Mountain Brook, 1926-1930, reprint of the magazines
  • 2011. The Jemison Magazine and The Selling of Birmingham, 1910-1914, reprint of the magazines
  • 2010. Digging Out of the Great Depression: Federal Programs At Work In and About the Birmingham Area
  • 2009. Mountain Brook Village: Then & Now
  • 2008. D.O. Whilldin: Alabama Architect
  • 2007. Hand Down Unharmed: Olmsted Files on Birmingham Parks: 1910-1925
  • 2006. The Olmsted Vision: Parks for Birmingham
  • 2005. A Park System for Birmingham, Olmsted Brothers, 1925, Reprint.
  • 2004. Art of the New South: Women Artists of Birmingham, 1890-1950
  • 2003. A Guide to Architectural Styles Featuring Birmingham Homes
  • 2001. Aspiration: Birmingham’s Historic Houses of Worship
  • 2001. A Pizella Affair: Portraits of the Comer Family
  • 1999. Walking Tours of Birmingham Churches Conducted from 1990-1999
  • 1999. Vive Vulcan! Activities for Schools
  • 1998. In Celebration of the Restoration of Alabama Power Company’s 1925 Tower
  • 1998. Low Virtues: The Value of Human Scale Architecture to Birmingham Urbanism
  • 1998. A Walk to Freedom-The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, 1956-1964
  • 1997. Birmingham Bound-An Atlas of the South’s Premier Industrial Region
  • 1996. Birmingham View: Through the Years in Photographs
  • 1995. Birmingham’s Vulcan, reprint 1938 booklet
  • 1995. Vulcan & His Times-A Tell all about Birmingham’s Most Famous Landmark
  • 1994. The Birmingham Industrial Heritage District Map
  • 1992. True Tales of Birmingham
  • 1991. Mountain Brook Estates, reprint of a 1926 publication
  • 1991. Judge Clarence Allgood: His Brother’s Keeper
  • 1990. Cinderella Stories, Transformations of Historic Birmingham Buildings
  • 1989. Designs on Birmingham: A Landscape History of a Southern City and its Suburbs
  • 1989. Buildings Against Cities: The Struggle to Make Places
  • 1988. House Detective: A Guide to Researching Birmingham Buildings
  • 1986. Image of the City, by Grady Clay
  • 1985. Go To Town, Birmingham: A Public Forum on a Vital City Center
  • 1984. Old Birmingham-New Architecture: Student Projects for a Historic Downtown Context
  • 1983. Five Points Heritage Hike and Patch
  • 1982. Town Within A City: The Five Points South Neighborhood, 1880-1930
  • 1981. The Birmingham District: An Industrial History and Guide
  • 1980. Birmingham Heritage Hike Guide and Patch
  • 1978. The Ghost in the Sloss Furnaces
  • 1978. Downtown Discovery Tour
  • 1978. Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide
  • 1977-1987. The Journal of the Birmingham Historical Society, 14 issues
Altamont, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, Dynamite Hill, Highland Avenue, Historic Preservation, Membership, Open house, The Altamont

Celebrating our New Home on Highland

After vacating 37 years at the Duncan House at Sloss Quarters, we celebrated the move to our new home at the historic Altamont Apartments on Highland Avenue this afternoon. Our well-attended Open House today featured book signings of this year’s publication, Birmingham’s Dynamite Hill, signed by Barbara Shores and Jeff Hunt ((with whom Martin Luther King stayed) as well as a history hunt, book sales, membership information, historical marker guidelines by Jefferson County Historical Commission historian, Linda Nelson, and light refreshments. Thank you to all who joined us!

Guests were also invited to tour the lobby of the historic Greenbriar at Altamont next door.

Photo credits: Louise McPhillips & Rebecca Moody

Birmingham Historical Society, Heritage Society, Membership, Research, Trustees

Research, Publishing, & Education – Address Change

Birmingham has a very rich heritage and Birmingham Historical Society has been researching and publishing educational articles about Birmingham for 80 years. Established in 1942, the Society has published an impressive list of books about its neighborhoods, its origins, its industrial history, and its civil rights history among others.

Want to know more? Join us!

PLEASE NOTE OUR CHANGE OF MAILING ADDRESS:

P.O. Box 321474 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35232

SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS 1977-2021

  • 2021.  Birmingham: The City Beautiful, Compliments of G. Ward
  • 2020. The Birmingham District: An Industrial History and Guide (reprint of 1981 edition)
  • 2019. Pretty Posies, Powerful Healing: An Herbal Primer
  • 2019. Shades Creek: Flowing Through Time
  • 2018. Warren H. Manning’s City Plan for Birmingham, reprint of 1919 plan
  • 2016. Birmingham, 1915, reprint
  • 2016. For Science and Humanity: Building Southern Research
  • 2015. Bob Moody’s Birmingham: A City in Watercolor
  • 2014. Mountain Brook-A Historic American Landscape
  • 2013. MINUTES-Central Committee of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
  • 2012. The Jemison Magazine: Birmingham and Mountain Brook, 1926-1930, reprint of the magazines
  • 2011. The Jemison Magazine and The Selling of Birmingham, 1910-1914, reprint of the magazines
  • 2010. Digging Out of the Great Depression: Federal Programs At Work In and About the Birmingham Area
  • 2009. Mountain Brook Village: Then & Now
  • 2008. D.O. Whilldin: Alabama Architect
  • 2007. Hand Down Unharmed: Olmsted Files on Birmingham Parks: 1910-1925
  • 2006. The Olmsted Vision: Parks for Birmingham
  • 2005. A Park System for Birmingham, Olmsted Brothers, 1925, Reprint.
  • 2004. Art of the New South: Women Artists of Birmingham, 1890-1950
  • 2003. A Guide to Architectural Styles Featuring Birmingham Homes
  • 2001. Aspiration: Birmingham’s Historic Houses of Worship
  • 2001. A Pizella Affair: Portraits of the Comer Family
  • 1999. Walking Tours of Birmingham Churches Conducted from 1990-1999
  • 1999. Vive Vulcan! Activities for Schools
  • 1998. In Celebration of the Restoration of Alabama Power Company’s 1925 Tower
  • 1998. Low Virtues: The Value of Human Scale Architecture to Birmingham Urbanism
  • 1998. A Walk to Freedom-The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, 1956-1964
  • 1997. Birmingham Bound-An Atlas of the South’s Premier Industrial Region
  • 1996. Birmingham View: Through the Years in Photographs
  • 1995. Birmingham’s Vulcan, reprint 1938 booklet
  • 1995. Vulcan & His Times-A Tell all about Birmingham’s Most Famous Landmark
  • 1994. The Birmingham Industrial Heritage District Map
  • 1992. True Tales of Birmingham
  • 1991. Mountain Brook Estates, reprint of a 1926 publication
  • 1991. Judge Clarence Allgood: His Brother’s Keeper
  • 1990. Cinderella Stories, Transformations of Historic Birmingham Buildings
  • 1989. Designs on Birmingham: A Landscape History of a Southern City and its Suburbs
  • 1989. Buildings Against Cities: The Struggle to Make Places
  • 1988. House Detective: A Guide to Researching Birmingham Buildings
  • 1986. Image of the City, by Grady Clay
  • 1985. Go To Town, Birmingham: A Public Forum on a Vital City Center
  • 1984. Old Birmingham-New Architecture: Student Projects for a Historic Downtown Context
  • 1983. Five Points Heritage Hike and Patch
  • 1982. Town Within A City: The Five Points South Neighborhood, 1880-1930
  • 1981. The Birmingham District: An Industrial History and Guide
  • 1980. Birmingham Heritage Hike Guide and Patch
  • 1978. The Ghost in the Sloss Furnaces
  • 1978. Downtown Discovery Tour
  • 1978. Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide
  • 1977-1987. The Journal of the Birmingham Historical Society, 14 issues