The Official E-Newsletter of the Alabama Historical Commission
Volume 3 Number 9
468 S Perry St, Montgomery, AL 36104   ( 334) 242-3184
In This Issue
Calendar of Events

See more events at
Year-Round
Guided tours are offered by appointment only, Monday - Friday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00. Self-guided tours anytime Monday-Friday, no appointment needed. Guided Saturday Tours are offered at 9:00, 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00 (group reservation requested but not required). 
Call Lisa Franklin, 
Site Director, at 
334-242-3188 for more information.
August 4
A one day living history event commemorating the events that happened at Mobile Bay August 5-23, 1864. The Fort will come to life with drills and demonstrations. For more information c all 251-540-5257 .
August 4
Public Archaeology Day at on Saturday, August 4 from 10:00am-4:00pm.
Visitors of all ages are invited to try various noninvasive archaeological methods, wash and sort artifacts, and enjoy art activities such as necklace making with beads and cowrie shells.  Admission is FREE. 
For more information contact Natalie Mooney at 
256-200-5446 or  [email protected]
August 4
From feuding families delivering street justice to colorful characters threatening to assassinate the President, Cahawba's corruption will be revealed on this one-hour guided walking tour. For more information c all 334-872-8058 .
August 18
The 33rd Alabama Infantry will occupy the authentic reproduction barracks at Confederate Memorial Park. Stop by to learn more about the life of the Confederate soldier from our knowledgeable living historians. No cost to attend - donations to the museum are appreciated.  For more information please call 205-755-1990.
August 25-26
Fort Mims ---
Volunteers will dress in period clothing to re-enact the Battle of Burnt Corn followed by the Battle of Fort Mims. You can witness living history as well as enjoy period music, arts, crafts, covered wagons, tomahawk throwing, blacksmithing, concessions, dancing and 1800s cooking demonstrations.
Admission charged.
For more information please contact Claudia Campbell at 251-533-9024
August 30 - Oct 4
POW/MIA exhibit.  Call Lisa Franklin,  Site Director, at 
334-242-3188 for more information.
September 1
This dog-friendly wagon tour will include some short walks and will transport you and your pooch to places throughout the park associated with Cahawba's most notable animal ancestors. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome to join their humans on this one-hour guided tour of Old Cahawba. For more information c all 
334-872-8058 .
September 8
During  General Joe Wheeler's Birthday visitors can sample cake made from a family recipe said to be the General's favorite, experience a re-enactment, enjoy a concert, and more.  For more information c all 
256-637-8513 .
September 15
A catered meal featuring dishes of fresh produce and meats typical of the early 1800's as grown and raised in Alabama will be served on tables arranged across the lawn and in the courtyard at historic Belle Mont Mansion, built in 1828. Period music adds to the ambiance. A tour of the mansion is included with your ticket. Advance reservation required. This event is an Alabama 200 Bicentennial Event. For more info: 256-381-5052 or 256-383-0783.
September 15
French & Indian War and War of 1812 Re-enactment
Admission - $2/adult &$1/child 
For more information please call 334-567-3002.

September 20
A public meeting concerning the Water Avenue Historic District Update nomination to the National Register of Historic Places will be held at the Selma City Council Chambers at 3:00pm. For more information please contact Collier Neeley, AHC National Register Coordinator, at
334-230-2696 of [email protected]
September 20-21
Gaineswood ----
A time of fun and exploration of life in the 1800s in Alabama through hands-on activities and living history presenters. Heritage Days is primarily for the 4th grade students of the area to coincide with the study of Alabama History. Admission for the event is $3 for students under 18 and $5 for adults. For more information please call 334-289-4846.
September 22
Join us for an insightful Community Preservation Forum as we shine a spotlight on the African-American historic places that are or were in Madison County. For more information, please contact the BHC at 334-230-2678 or [email protected]
ama.gov 
September 27
A public meeting concerning the selection of potential historical properties to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places will be held in the Carriage House at the Historical Commission at 10:30am. For more information please contact Collier Neeley, AHC National Register Coordinator, at
334-230-2696 of [email protected]
Recent Press Releases

See more press releases at ahc.alabama.gov
 




In the News

See more news at ahc.alabama.gov
  




JULY - AUGUST 2018 NEWS


Passing of Former AHC Chairman





T he Alabama Historical Commission is saddened by the  recent passing of Mike "Doc" Mahan.

 On July 24, 2018, he left this world peacefully surrounded by his family. He lived his 84 years as a resident of his beloved Montevallo, where he served for decades as a family dentist, volunteer fire chief, historian, collector, community leader, musician, story maker, and story teller. 

Mike served as an AHC Commissioner for almost 20 years and as Chairman for 3 years. His tireless work on behalf of historic preservation in Alabama was outstanding and long-lasting. 






Alabama Historical Commission 2019 Grant Program

The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) will administer a $750,000 state-funded Grant Program in fiscal year 2019 (October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019), for improvements as well as educational programming at historic sites in Alabama.
 
Grants will be awarded to public or private entities who own and operate historic sites in Alabama. Grants will be awarded to entities that reflect an education-based mission, concentrate on educational programming, and reflect the geographical diversity of the state. Preference will be given to publicly-owned battlefields or  structures constructed prior to 1840 that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and historic  school structures. Grant amounts will not exceed $20,000 for any one entity.
 
In fiscal year 2018, the Historical Commission received over 100 applications requesting more than $4.3 million in funding.
 
"Last fiscal year the Capital Enhancements Grant Program helped to facilitate several types of improvements, including roof replacements, window restorations, and exterior painting," said Lisa D. Jones, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission. "The goal of the 2019 grant program is to assist historic sites throughout Alabama with both improvements as well as educational programming, which will help preserve them for future generations."
 
Applicants must complete an official 2019 Historic Sites Grant application available on the AHC website, hereGrant Application Guidelines are also available on the AHC website.
 
Applications must be hand-delivered or mailed to Tryon McLaney, Contracts and Grants, Alabama Historical Commission, by August 15, 2018. Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted. AHC will announce the grant awards in October 2018. See additional guidelines on the AHC website.


Alabama Historical Commission Concluded Week-Long Mobile River Survey

On July 13, 2018, the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) and its partners concluded a week-long survey of submerged portions of the Mobile River in Mobile County, Alabama, to begin a comprehensive shipwreck inventory and to possibly discover Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States.

The survey and the resulting underwater dives to examine potential cultural resources was conducted under contract with the Alabama Historical Commission, and with the support of the National Geographic Society, by SEARCH, Inc., a highly experienced cultural resources company that works throughout the United States and internationally.  

Funding and support for the project was provided by the National Geographic Society, whose field team was led by archaeologist Dr. Fredrik Hiebert. Also participating in the survey was the Alabama Historical Commission's State Archaeologist Stacye Hathorn, who also co-directed the March project. 

Also joining the effort was Kamau Sadiki of the Slave Wrecks Project, a joint initiative of the George Washington University, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History, and the National Park Service.  In March, Mr. Sadiki was also a member of the team that assessed the wreck originally thought to be Clotilda. 

Survey crew: Kamau Sadiki of the Slave Wrecks Project; SEARCH archaeologists Alex DeCaro and Joseph Grinnan; and Stacye Hathorn, AHC State Archaeologist. Image courtesy of SEARCH, Inc.

"I'm honored as a representative of the Slave Wrecks Project to participate in this important work that has great potential for healing from Alabama to Africa. Searching for the Clotilda is a significant step in restoring historical memory, and reconnecting the descendent communities of Africatown and Benin," says Kamau Sadiki of Diving with a Purpose.

The Historical Commission's other partners include the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, the City of Mobile, and the Mobile County Commission. 

"The Historical Commission was excited to collaborate with National Geographic as well as with state and local organizations," said Major General Walter Givhan, Chairman, Alabama Historical Commission. "The National Geographic Society brings 130 years of experience and a well-deserved reputation for excellence to this project. This organization is a global leader in harnessing breakthrough technologies, such as the maritime equipment utilized during this investigation."

"Our partners have a vested interest in documenting cultural resources in portions of the Mobile River as well as reconnecting the story of Clotilda to a national and international audience," said Lisa D. Jones, Executive Director, Alabama Historical Commission. "This is a story with profound meaning in Alabama, and especially to the descendant community of Africatown." 

The Alabama Historical Commission gives special thanks to John Sledge, Senior Architectural Historian for the Mobile Historic Development Commission, and Harbor Master Terry Gilbreath for their efforts and support during this project.

In May, the Historical Commission  contracted with SEARCH  to complete the Phase I remote-sensing survey to locate significant submerged cultural resources. SEARCH previously volunteered staff, a boat, and expertise to examine a wreck initially thought to be Clotilda, and helped lead the examination of that wreck in March of this year.  
Sub-bottom profiler utilized by SEARCH. Image courtesy of SEARCH, Inc.


In July, the four-mile section of river was mapped with overlapping survey lines that together total more than seventy miles of boat runs. The mapping of the river was assisted by an earlier survey conducted by Southern Mississippi University. Their collegiate sharing of data allowed SEARCH to augment its survey to not miss potential resources that lay in the murky waters of the river or beneath its muddy bottom.

The SEARCH survey utilized a magnetometer, which measures the magnetic intensity of objects; a high-resolution side-scan sonar that maps the river bed and what is above the riverbed with sound; and two sub-bottom profilers, sound-based instruments used to look beneath the river bottom to discern what might lie buried there. One of the sub-bottom profilers was provided and operated by a team from the National Geographic Society. The National Geographic team included Arthur Clarke, Sr. Electronics Technologist, Asha Stuart, photographer and videographer, and writer Joel Bourne.  

The survey, conducted by SEARCH archaeologists Alex DeCaro, Joseph Grinnan, Kyle Lent and Deborah Marx, located many "targets" that includes previously recorded shipwrecks as well as now newly discovered shipwrecks in the river. Daniel Fiore, SEARCH Creative Designer, captured the discovery process on film. 

This section of the river, known historically as a "ship graveyard," holds the remains of several vessels. Some are century-old iron barges, while others, like the wreck examined in March, are wooden-hulled schooners. One of the unexpected finds, is an iron or steel hulled sailing ship of the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. SEARCH archaeologist Alex DeCaro, who made the dive into the dark water, discovered the dramatic sweeping bow of the ship rising out of the mud some five feet off the bottom. Ships like this, many built in Great Britain, sailed the world's routes carrying a variety of cargoes until the rise of steamships pushed them into decline. 

Sonar image of shipwreck in Mobile River courtesy of SEARCH, Inc. This wreck, measuring some 230 feet long, could prove to be an iron steel-hulled sailing vessel or steamship.

It is possible that one of the wrecks, either exposed or buried, is Clotilda. Further analysis of the survey results may provide more clues, as will samples of timber removed from some of the sites. 

SEARCH Senior Vice President Dr. James Delgado, who led the SEARCH effort, cautions: "Making a positive identification of a wreck is a difficult if not tricky process not unlike solving a CSI case. Finding an identity involves detailed study, collecting forensic evidence, and then systematically and aggressively questioning not why a wreck might be a certain ship but why it cannot be. Finding Clotilda is one goal of this survey, which is focused on documenting everything we can find that has come to rest in this graveyard of ships, but it will take time to sift through the data, conduct laboratory study and do additional research before we can offer a scientific opinion on a possible Clotilda site. Further study, such as a detailed excavation, might be required.  We know that some of the wreck sites found are not Clotilda, but even with that, we have yet to put a name to any of them."

Lisa D. Jones, State Historic Preservation Officer and Executive Director of the AHC, directed SEARCH to map the nearby Civil War wrecks of CSS Tuscaloosa and CSS Huntsville, discovered by the late Sidney Schell in the 1980s. SEARCH also expanded the survey to examine nearby areas of the Mobile River.

"This project will ultimately result in a National Register Maritime Historic District," said Lisa D. Jones. "This district will capture the span of the river's use over the past two hundred years and the numerous ways human history has intertwined with the Mobile River."

Anderson Flen, President of the Mobile County Training School Alumni Association, is one of the community leaders helping with sustaining the educational institutions and history of the Africatown community. "It is extremely exciting for me to be a part of this effort in my community with the many Local, State, National and International players to locate the Clotilda," said Mr. Flen. "It is also a revelation to learn that other ships have been found in the Mobile waters. Their stories need to be told. The level of involvement by so many top officials offers hope in the healing process of an enslaved people, a community and is an example to our nation on working together. Let this process be the shining light of hope on this dark past, that bring good hearts of love together to do the fair and right things."
 
Updates will be available on the AHC website at http://ahc.alabama.gov/updates.aspx  and on AHC social media. 

To download the press release click  here.


Black Heritage Council Annual Community Preservation Forum

On Saturday, September 21, the Black Heritage Council will hold its Annual Community Preservation Forum in Huntsville on the campus of Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). 

The theme for this year's conference is "Preserving and Promoting Madison County's African-American History," and will feature informative presentations and discussions on historic preservation issues in the Madison County area. Topics to be discussed will include but are not limited to documentation and preservation of historic sites including schools, churches and cemeteries, historical markers, potential funding for historic preservation projects and more. 

The BHC is partnering with the Normal Historic District Preservation Association and the City of Huntsville for the event. The Forum is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged for those planning to attend the Forum. 

To register online, visit  https://bhcforum.eventbrite.com.


Linda Swann, Longtime Friend of Preservation





AHC is also saddened by the passing of Linda Swann, long time 




Alabama Communities of Excellence 
Presents the 2018 Star Awards

As a partner and board member of the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE), we congratulate the 2018 ACE Star awardees!


The ACE Star Awards recognizes individuals who have performed above and beyond the call of duty and embody the principles of the ACE Program, a comprehensive development program designed to assist Alabama's smaller communities in their efforts to plan, grow and prosper.

The 2018 ACE Star Award recipients include:
  • Connie Baggett, Outstanding ACE Local Coordinator (Brewton)
  • The Honorable Rudy Rooks, Outstanding ACE Mayor (Heflin)
  • Joey Hester, Outstanding ACE Volunteer (NARCOG)
  • Ephraim Stockdale, Outstanding ACE Ambassador (Alabama Power Company)
These "rising stars" bring outstanding leadership and a passion for small-town Alabama to all that they do. They are recognized for their commitment to making Alabama communities better places and for their support of the ACE process. ACE offers communities a "one stop shopping" experience by centralizing community development programs and tools in one organization.


Preservation Up-Close

Part 2  - Continuation of the Details of Window Repair at the Bell Building

The previous AHC newsletter discussed the importance of maintaining historic windows and introduced Old House Specialists (OHS), who are working on a window restoration project at the Bell Building in downtown Montgomery.
 
The Bell Building has roughly 144 windows on 11 levels. Most of them are wood with one-over-one light configuration, but there are also a number of fire-proof metal windows with wire glass. No one knows what millwork shop manufactured the wood windows in the Bell Building, but OHS says there are clues that tell them they are high-quality windows including the fact that the upper and lower rope-hung-weights are separated by a wood panel to keep them from getting hung up on each other and to ensure smooth operation. Regardless of who made them, they have a time-tested design that enables today's craftspeople to repair them.

OHS developed a system to remove each sash from its opening and number it according to the floor level and location so that it can be returned to its original opening after restoration. The top and bottom sash are transported to their workshop on the first level that once served as retail space. 

Once the sash are removed from the window openings, the workers assess the condition of the various parts of the opening. Those with nerves of steel work from a window jack (see image at right) that is securely attached on the outside of the window opening. Wearing a safety harness and standing on this platform high above the street, they scrape built-up layers of paint, repair deteriorated sills, and provide the final coat of paint. 

On the interior, workers scrape, sand, and re-string sash weights. The men and women who work with OHS are cross-trained so that they can address various aspects of preparing a window opening, repairing the sash, and putting it all back together again. Working in pairs enable the more experienced craftsmen to train and mentor the less experienced.
 
Meanwhile, in the workshop (see image below), an assembly line of sorts takes the sash from the upper floors and moves them through a multi-step restoration process. Workers remove the hardware and soak it in a solution to remove the paint. They cycle each sash, two-at-a-time, through a custom steam box where layers of paint and hardened glazing putty softens. They carefully remove the large panes of glass and store it for reinstallation. The hard-working crew scrapes paint using one or more heat-based paint-stripping methods. Then they assess and repair deteriorated parts of the sash by using an epoxy wood filler in cracks, by splicing new wood into an existing member, or by replicating the part in a durable wood. 
 
OHS is finding that wood on the south and west elevations of the Bell Building is in worse condition due to exposure to the sun. Therefore, those sash have parts that typically require more attention and sometimes new milled members. Sometimes an entirely new sash is milled to match the historic profile and dimension. The approach of retaining as much historic material as possible is their goal because this project has applied for historic preservation tax incentives and work must follow the Standards for Rehabilitation. But for OHS, this approach is natural since they are working with quality materials and superior craftsmanship and joinery.  
 
Once the restored sash are reassembled, the workers sand and coat them with linseed oil, set the glass and apply glazing putty, and prime and paint the restored sash. The numbered sash take another trip on the construction lift to their floor and are reinstalled in their window opening. The restored window is a beautiful sight that makes you smile. As does the experience of effortlessly lifting the restored sash and feeling the breeze rush in - it's how it was meant to be. The feeling must be ten-fold for the craftspeople who made these windows new again.    

The AHC will continue to advocate for historic window repair and hope others gain an appreciation of these useful architectural features. Judging by the team at the Bell Building, the numbers of craftspeople who do this work are expanding, and this is good news to the AHC and everyone who cares about being responsible stewards of our historic buildings.
 
For additional articles on historic window repair see 


Black Heritage Council Update

BHC CHAIR EMERITUS LOURETTA WIMBERLY INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

Louretta Wimberly, Chair Emeritus and founding member of the Black Heritage Council, was inducted into the Alabama Senior Citizens' Hall of Fame. Wimberly is being honored for her role as a long time educator and in promoting and preserving Alabama's African-American historic sites and communities, particularly in and around her hometown of Selma. 

BHC VICE CHAIR ELVIN LANG FEATURED SPEAKER FOR HERITAGE PRESERVATION SYMPOSIUM

BHC Vice Chairman Elvin Lang and Mr. Thomas Miree of the Lincolnite Club

In 1867, nine former slaves aided by the American Missionary Association (AMA) founded  the Lincoln Normal School, a college in Marion for African-Americans. In 1887, the college was moved to Montgomery later becoming what is now Alabama State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Lincoln continued to operate as a secondary school until it was closed due to integration in the late 1960s. 

A group of Lincoln School alumni formed the Lincolnite Club, Inc. to operate the current campus as a community center and preserve the historic buildings remaining on the campus. Buildings remaining include a historic 1930s auditorium listed in the National Register of Historic Places along with a classroom building and gymnasium which were constructed during the late 1960s within Alabama's Equalization School building period. Both the classroom building and the gymnasium are listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

BHC members have provided technical assistance to the Lincolnite Club for more than a decade and in 2013, held its Annual Community Preservation Forum on the campus. In mid-2018, the Lincolnite Club requested BHC participation in their Heritage Preservation Symposium. The event was held as a part of its 22nd Biennial Reunion highlighting the 151st Anniversary of the founding of the Lincoln School. Elvin Lang, who represented the BHC during the event, was asked to present on the topic "African-American's Unique Preservation Challenges." Other Symposium topics included Folk Art as a Preservation Tool, the significance of the Lincoln School Campus as a Historic District, and the Lincoln Memorial Museum Partnership with the National Park Service.


Where in the State are AHC Staff?

Through the Certified Local Government Program, Alabama sent eight representatives from five communities to the National Alliance of Preservation Commisisons (NAPC) 2018 Forum held in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 18-22.  Participants learned about new technology in preservation such as the survey collector app to digitally record local historic properties.  Many sessions included case studies which highlighted other communities across the country for protecting historic districts, collaborating with partners and using creative financing approaches to save community landmarks. Each hour and a half session was packed with information provided by amazing speakers.  

The AHC's Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program Coordinator, Taylor Stewart, participated in a rousing session on updating old National Register district nominations to include a complete representation of historic events and associations of resources in the districts. AHC's Lee Anne Wofford, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, and Mary Shell, Preservation Planner, also attended the Forum. 

The venues for the receptions were impressive and included the 1927 Scottish Rite Consistory; a mid-century modernist masterpiece, The American Enterprise Building; and the former public library built in 1903 now housing the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates paying tribute to Iowa's agricultural and humanitarian pioneers who contributed to the global fight against hunger.  

Be sure to plan to join NAPC at their 2020 Forum in Tacoma, Washington!
Taylor Stewart,  AHC  Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program Coordinator, (center) is seen here with Stephanie Lowe of City of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Bert Bedeau of Comstock Historic District Commission in Virginia City, Nevada. 

  
Stacye Hathorn, AHC State Archaeologist, attended a planning meeting for the Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail, a  project of the University of Alabama. The mound trail links many mounds to bring attention to the deep history of Alabama's indigenous peoples.


Tryon McLaney, AHC  Contracts and Grants Specialist, met with Demopolis Historic Preservation Commission member, Brian Brooker, and others to discuss upcoming training sessions on preservation practices and programs.  Look for the schedule to be posted on the AHC website in coming weeks.   


Happenings at #AHCsites

During Fort Morgan's WWI and Tuesday Evening Events h istorica l interpreters portray soldiers that occupied the fort from various periods and tell about the lives of the soldiers during the Fort's most active years. A photo exhibit also highlighted the Fort's history during WWI.

Image below ( left to right ): Kevin Johnson, Wendy Hyatt, Allie Hyatt, Twyman Brock, and Christian Kennedy. 



Chris Kinder, Alabama Historical Commission   ALDOT Liaison/Architectural Historian, joined AHC archaeologists at Old Cahawba to continue the excavations to uncover Alabama's first statehouse.


Belle Mont's Music at the Mansion paid tribute to the "Father of the Blues" during the 10-day W.C. Handy Music Festival celebrated in the Shoals area each summer. Guests enjoyed ice cream on the courtyard and tours of the museum while also enjoying live jazz performances, featuring world-class musicians in the parlor. The event was hosted by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation and Friends of Belle Mont with the help of sponsors.


Dorothy Walker, Site Director of the Freedom Rides Museum, participated in an exclusive interview with Alabama News Network's Tim Lennox concerning the recent donation of a  1950's era Greyhound bus. The bus will be an interactive component at the Freedom Rides Museum.

Gaineswood, located in Demopolis, Alabama, had the privilege  to host the team from The Classical Institute of the South (CIS) at The Historic New Orleans Collection, which is dedicated to gathering and sharing information about the history of the Gulf South's rich material culture. CIS field survey work catalogs historic objects with provenance in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama dating from the eighteenth century to 1865. These objects shed light on daily life in the past as well as the region's enormous economic expansion in the early nineteenth century. Gulf South residents were far from isolated, using the Mississippi River to trade with northern cities and even Europe.  

Led by coordinator Sarah Duggan, the team worked tirelessly to catalogue the original furnishings in the mansion. Knowledgeable and efficient, the ladies enlightened the Gaineswood staff on certain items, giving them more information to add to the guided tour. 

Above imageAllison Robinson focuses on capturing a Gaineswood chair in just the right light.

Findings are made available to the public in the Gulf South Decorative and Fine Arts Database, which is part of the Louisiana Digital Library consortium. To date, over 1200 object records are available online, with several hundred more being prepared for upload. You can view the database online here


Happenings Around the State

August

August 4-7 Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism - Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, Montgomery AL.   Registration is open for the conference.  

August 22 - At the 5th Annual aLABama Downtown Laboratory, all of the points of the Four Point Approach will Come Together in Eufaula. Topics covered will range from Embracing the Maker Movement to Supporting Minority Entrepreneurs and Fostering Inclusion on Main Street.  Registration is now open for the conference.  

October

October 13-14 - The Old Claiborne Pilgrimage promises a rare glimpse into the settlement of the forgotten town of Claiborne and Monroe County. This event will feature docent tours of antebellum homes, churches, and sites of historic significance along the Alabama River in Monroe and Clarke Counties. For more information contact the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville at 251-575-7433 or visit their website

October 19-21  - Save the Date for the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation's 2018 Ramblin' on the Rocks in Gadsden. This 3-day event will feature a lecture by noted architectural historian and former AHC staff member Camille Bowman, a living history tour, and more! 
 
YEAR-ROUND
 
Interested in hosting Making Alabama, A Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit from the Alabama Humanities Foundation (AHF)?  As part of the Alabama Bicentennial celebration, Alabama counties and communities are invited to host the exhibition. To host the exhibit please apply here.  

For more information, contact AHF Director of Operations Laura Anderson at [email protected] or call (205) 558-3992.

Want to Share Your News and Events to a Statewide Audience?

Send news and event information to the Alabama Historical Commission.

Email submissions  to [email protected] .  
Please mark as "Attention: E-News."

334-242-3184
 
468 South Perry Street
Montgomery, AL 36130-0900