Tag Archives: Mountain Brook

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, family history, Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, Shades Creek, Warren Manning

Building Mountain Brook: Shades Creek, Mt. Vernon Replica, and The Old Mill

September 14, 2026 bhistorical

Warren Manning and Jemison & Co. designed and developed Mountain Brook Estates from 1926 – 1929. (pgs. 114-115 of Birmingham by the Book) The main avenue in the newly developed Mountain Brook Estates was Mountain Brook Parkway, which parallels Jemison Park, designed as a linear parkway in the floodplain of Shades Creek.

The Tutwiler-McDonald Estate was built on the parkway as a replica of George Washington’s Mt. Vernon to showcase standards for Jemison & Co.’s new subdivision. The Old Mill facing the estate, was designed in 1927 as a promotional landmark for the new community, and was never a functioning mill. Other improvements included stone gates, bridges, bridle trails, and Mountain Brook Village, intended to mimic an English countryside village.

View of Shades Creek Valley from Mountain Brook Estates

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!

July 23, 2024 bhistorical

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

Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, family history, Publications, Research

Promoting Birmingham – in 1910!

April 5, 2024 bhistorical

Early inspiration for residential developments, parks, urban streetscapes, and innovation are captured in these fascinating promotional pieces by developer Robert Jemison, Jr. More than 200 period photographs and drawings are included in each of these entertaining histories of Birmingham’s growth. There was so much vision, much of which came to pass! “Build it and they will come!”

“This book is all about the optimism of the time,” says Marjorie White, Director of the Birmingham Historical Society. “They believed that they were creating a world-class industrial region. There was so much building, so much progress. It’s the Golden Era in many ways–and what they created paved the way for the Birmingham we know today.”

Who were some of the original merchants? Where was the all-electric house? What was the 1909 plan for Fairfield? These and lots of other questions are answered in these captivating volumes! Birmingham Historical Society meticulously gathered all the information from the original Jemison & Company magazine articles at the Birmingham Public Library archives, then digitized and reprinted them to form these easy to read publications. They are available for purchase via the links below.

The Jemison Magazine 1910-1914

The Jemison Magazine 1926-1930