March 15-April 7
National Organ Donors Quilt Exhibit in Old Supreme Court Library.
An exhibit by Alabama Organ Center which displays a representation of the people who have donated organs. For more information call
334-242-3188.
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March 30
Alabama Review Board Meeting
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Scheduled for 10:00am in the Carriage House at AHC. For more information call
334-230-2690.
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Walk This Way! Fashion Show. For more information call 334-624-8618
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April 9
Spring Garrison Living History Day. For more information call 251-540-5257
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April 16-17
French & Indian War Encampment.
For more information call
334-567-3002.
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April 19
Attorney and Historian, Howard T. Weir, III will present his new book, "A Paradise of Blood: The Creek War of 1813-14." For more information call (334) 289-4846.
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National Register Meeting
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Scheduled for 10:00pm in the Carriage House at AHC. For more information call 334-230-2690.
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April 29-30
Living History Program.
For more information call
205-755-1990.
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Legislative Updates
Senate Bill 133 (Adding Black Heritage to the AHC Board) Sponsors: Senator Figures & Bussman
Waiting for 3rd reading in the House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 13 (Moving or renaming Monuments) Sponsor: Senator Allen
The bill passed and is ready for a 3rd reading.
House Bill 3 (Moving or renaming Monuments) Sponsor: Representative Beckman
This bill was referred to a subcommittee of State Government.
House Bill 62 (State Tax Credit) Sponsor: Representative Gaston
This bill has been placed back on the special order calendar.
Senate Bill 15 (Unearmark Bill) Sponsor: Senator Ward
This is the bill that originally removed Confederate Memorial Park from the Soldiers Fund and then put them back in at a higher rate. The bill is awaiting third reading in the Senate.
Senate Bill 125 (General Fund) Sponsor: Senator Pittman
The General Fund passed both House and Senate. It has been sent to the Governor for signature.
House Bill 117 (Education Budget) Sponsor: Representative Poole
The bill has been engrossed in the House and has had first reading in the Senate.
House Bill 313 (Prison Transformation Initiative Act) Sponsor: Representative Clouse
This bill puts Confederate Park back into the Soldiers funds at its original place and rate. The bill will be revisited in committee.
Senate Bill 287 (Companion bill to HB 313) Sponsor: Senator Pittman and others
This bill mirrors HB 313 and is now ready for a 3rd reading.
Bill that passed the Legislature and signed by the Governor
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Senate Bill 51 (AHC Sunset Legislation) Sponsor: Senator Bussman
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Registration for The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions' Biennial FORUM
Registration for FORUM 2016 will open on April 1, 2016.
For more information and to view the Preliminary Schedule click here.
The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions' biennial FORUM is the only national conference focused on the issues facing local historic preservation commissions and historic districts. FORUM 2016 celebrates both the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by focusing on challenges historic communities are confronting today. Whether it's mitigating the impact of sea level rise, protecting resources of the recent past or recognizing the contributions of diverse cultures to our shared heritage, historic preservation commissions play a key role in saving historic places.
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2016 Historic Preservation Awards
The Alabama Historical Commission and the
Black Heritage Council are seeking nominations for the 2016 Historic Preservation Awards. Recipients will be honored during the Alabama Preservation Conference being held in conjunction with the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) in Mobile, July 27-31.
Distinguished Service Award
Since 1969 the Alabama Historical Commission has celebrated achievements in preservation by presenting the Distinguished Service Award to individuals and groups whose contributions demonstrate excellence in historic preservation.
Roy Swayze Award
This award recognizes outstanding achievement by a private owner in the restoration of a major Alabama landmark.
Idella Childs Award
Each year the Black Heritage Council recognizes outstanding preservation projects that highlight Alabama's African American history and culture. The late Idella Childs established an enviable record as a preservationist of Alabama's black landmarks.
Click
here to download the nomination form. The deadline for submissions is May 15.
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May 2016 Marks the 55th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides
On May 20, 1961, an integrated group of courageous, nonviolent college students arrived in Montgomery to peacefully desegregate the Greyhound Bus Station. There, the Freedom Riders were met with a violent mob. This effort, put into motion by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) on May 4, 1961, was planned in order to desegregate interstate facilities in the Deep South following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in
Boynton v. Virginia.
The Freedom Riders efforts led to the desegregation of all interstate facilities across the South and resulted in the federal government taking an active role in the fight for civil rights.
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AHC Outreach
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Bill Rambo, Site Director of Alabama Historical Commission's Confederate Memorial Park, gave a presentation to the Tuscaloosa Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
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| Amanda McBride, Environmental Review Coordinator, Alabama Historical Commission, gave a presentation about Native Americans in Alabama to a Montessori class in Montgomery. |
Stacye Hathorn, state archaeologist, Alabama Historical Commission, gave a presentation to an anthropology class at Troy University and University of Alabama.
Lee Anne Wofford, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, and Hannah Garmon, Historic Preservation Specialist, gave a presentation at the Daughters of the American Revolution conference in Birmingham.
Lee Anne spoke about the importance of documenting Alabama's historic resources and explained how people can do this through the AHC's cemetery programs and the Alabama Register. Hannah spoke about the plans for the upcoming Alabama Bicentennial.
Jennifer Bailey,
Coordinator, Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, and Chloe Mercer, Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Coordinator, made a presentation on Tax Incentives for Historic Rehabilitation at the meeting of the American Institute of Architects, Birmingham.
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AHC Staff Visited Holy Ground Site
While there, AHC staff observed Troy University students participating in the excavation, which is being funded by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. This important site is owned by the Archaeological Conservancy. To learn more about why this site is significant click
here to watch a video produced by Troy University.
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Black Heritage Council Member Invited to Speak at Dedication of Restored Rosenwald School in Conecuh
Black Heritage Council Vice Chair Elvin Lang, spoke during the dedication of the newly restored Rabb Rosenwald School in Conecuh County. Alabama Historical Commission staff and Black Heritage Council members first began working with the members of the local Disabled American Veterans organization in Rabb in 2012 to provide technical support for the preservation of the school. The school is listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and has an AHC sponsored historical marker.
Alabama had 389 Rosenwald funded school buildings constructed in 64 of the 67 counties between 1912 and 1932. The Rabb School is believed to be the last remaining of the Rosenwald School buildings constructed in Conecuh County which originally had 17.
The Rabb School was constructed in c. 1920 for a total of $1200.00 with $400.00 contributions from local blacks, Rosenwald funds and public funds.
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After preservation was completed. |
Booker T. Washington conceived and received investment from Julius Rosenwald to develop a matching grant program to construct schools for blacks in the South during the early 20th century. Blacks and in some cases, whites, raised funds to match the contributions from the
To find out more about Alabama's Rosenwald Schools, contact
Dorothy Walker at the Alabama Historical Commission.
Pictures courtesy of BHC member Elvin Lang
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Happenings at #AHCsites
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| Fort Toulouse wall replacement project. |
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| New flag display at Confederate Memorial Park. |
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Confederate Memorial Park's sign along
I-65 North (Exit 186) was replaced after being damaged. |
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| Tree and brush removal at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. You can now see the Crocheron Columns while standing on the main road. |
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Mike Bailey, site director of Alabama Historical Commission's Fort Morgan, conducted a tour for the Army Staff Ride for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers. The Staff Ride is a unique and persuasive method of conveying the lessons of the past to present-day army leadership.
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| Tree and brush removal at Pond Spring, The Gen. Joe Wheeler Home. You can now see the pond! This is an ongoing project which will result in the rehabilitation of a once vibrant outdoor community gathering area. |
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New Civil Rights Historical Marker Dedicated in Montgomery
On Tuesday, March 22, 2016, the newest civil
rights marker was unveiled in downtown Montgomery. The historical marker, located outside of the Montgomery County Courthouse, at the corner of
Lawrence and Washington streets, pay
s tributes to the civil rights cases litigated at the courthouse and the black attorneys who
defended those cases.
Pictures courtesy of Black Heritage Council Vice Chair Elvin Lang. Dorothy Walker, site director of the Freedom Rides Museum, and
BHC member Dr. Howard Robinson assisted in editing the text for the marker.
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Employment Opportunities with the Alabama Historical Commission
The Alabama Historical Commission (SHPO) seeks to hire a Cultural Resource Specialist whose primary responsibility will be to review and comment on Alabama Department of Transportation projects undertaken pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. This position will review and comment on architectural reports/documents pursuant to federal historic preservation laws and regulations. Knowledge of Alabama history, a specific understanding of the regulatory review process, and experience in evaluating properties for the National Register of Historic Places is preferred.
Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Park in Wetumpka, Alabama, is accepting applications for a
Parks Worker (half time) position. The selectee for this position works a twenty hour week (four hours per day), Wednesday through Sunday, at a starting rate of $8.58 per hour and works in both the Visitor Center and the Fee Booth. Candidates for this position should possess basic computer skills as well
as the ability to operate a cash register and maintain electronic/paper files.
Please submit applications to the Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Visitor Center no later than 4PM, Friday, 8 April 2016. For more information call the park at 334-567-3002.
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New Employees at the Alabama Historical Commission
Ashley Swan attended Troy University in Troy/Montgomery where she obtained a degree in Business Administration. While attending school, she worked at Harris Corporation as the Program Financial Coordinator for five years. After Harris Corporation relocated, Ashley created an online jewelry business. She is now looking forward to being a part of the team with at the Alabama Historical Commission as the new account clerk.
 Collier Neeley, a native of Montgomery, has been involved in Historic Preservation since high school. Collier did not realize preservation was his passion until his junior year at Ole Miss where he received a Bachelors in History with a minor in English. Collier then attended graduate school at Georgia State University in Atlanta where he received a Masters in Heritage Preservation.
While in graduate school and immediately after, he was the Preservation Specialist at Historic Oakland Cemetery near Grant Park in Atlanta.
Collier joined the Alabama Historical Commission in February as the new
National Register Coordinator.
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Announcement of Availability of a Historic Bridge
Lee County in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposes the replacement of a bridge that has been determined to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. For various reasons, the bridge is not planned to be preserved in place. The bridge is located on Lee Road 144 over Little Uchee Creek in Lee County, Alabama.
As stipulated in section 123(f)(4) of the surface Transportation Act of 1987 and the Memorandum of Agreement with the Alabama Historical Commission, Lee County is announcing the availability of this bridge. The structure will be donated to the appropriate recipients and Lee County, FHWA and ALDOT will pay the expense of moving the bridge and associated reestablishment costs up to the expense of bridge demolition. For this service the recipient will agree to preserve the historical integrity of the bridge and to properly maintain the structure.
The bridge is a one-lane metal Pratt Pony Truss bridge constructed in 1948. Presently the bridge has a National Bridge inventory System Sufficiency Rating of 16.3. The bridge is rated as structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. The structure is 81 feet in length and carries one lane of traffic with a lane of 12.0 feet.
Any potential recipient interested in further information concerning acquisition of this bridge, please provide a written request within 14 days of the placement of the advertisement to:
Joey Hundley
Special Projects Coordinator
Lee County
PO Box 1007
Opelika, AL 36803-1007
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Happenings Around the State
APRIL
April 6-10
- Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL
Spring Preservation Lyceum, Sylacauga, AL.
The 15th Annual Alabama Cemetery Preservation Workshop will be conducted on Saturday, April 30, 2016 in Gardendale at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. in the Cultural Hall inside the church. The program will start at 9:00.
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JULY
July 27 to 31 - The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions is proud to present the 10th Biennial NAPC
FORUM
in Mobile, Alabama
. As the only national conference focused on the issues facing local historic preservation boards and commissions, FORUM 2016 includes dozens of educational sessions and discussion panels, mobile workshops and tours, and five days of non-stop networking for commission staff and volunteers representing local, state and national organizations and government agencies.
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August 22-24 - Mark your calendars for the 3rd annual aLABama Downtown Laboratory Conference held in historic Five Points in Birmingham, AL. The conference is highly anticipated and attended by downtown revitalization experts, historic preservationists and economic development professionals from across the state. Main Street Alabama is planning a packed conference with the focus on Design - one of the four points of the Main Street Approach.
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