Calendar of Events
See more events at
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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.
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February 27 - March 30
"Alabama's Aviation History" Traveling Exhibition. Sponsored by Airbus, the exhibition showcases Alabama's long and significant history in aviation, aeronautics, and aerospace innovation and achievement.
For more information contact Lisa Franklin,
Site Director, at
334-242-3188.
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March 5-21
Making Alabama, a Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit,
will feature eight periods of history - from becoming a territory to achieving statehood and beyond.
For more information contact Lisa Franklin,
Site Director, at
334-242-3188.
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French & Indian and War of 1812 Re-enactment. For more information c
all
334-567-3002.
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Miss Annie Wheeler's Heirloom Plant Sale
. For more information c
all
256-637-8513.
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Annual Eufaula Pilgrimage will feature Fendall Hall. The site will be open for day tours from 9:00am-5:00pm and candlelight tours from 6:00-9:00pm. For more information c
all
334-687-8469 or visit here to purchase tickets.
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Cemetery Restoration Workshop
. For more information c
all
256-637-8513.
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Beautification Day is an opportunity to volunteer with other members of the community to help maintain the site's grounds
. For more information email
cait@bellemontmansio
n.org
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April 7
Civil War Walking Tour. For more information c
all
334-872-8058.
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French & Indian and War of 1812 Re-enactment. For more information c
all
334-567-3002.
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Artists are invited to join fellow painters for a demonstration by noted artists Martha Carpenter and Tim Stevenson followed by an afternoon of Plein Aire painting on the grounds of Belle Mont. For more information c
all 256-381-5052 or 256-383-0783.
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The Alabama Historical Commission Concludes Shipwreck Investigation
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Joseph Grinnan, MA, SEARCH, Inc. (kneeling), and Kamau Sadiki, Smithsonian Institution/Slave Wrecks Project, image courtesy of the Alabama Historical Commission
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The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), in coordination with the National Park Service (NPS), the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, (NMAAHC), and SEARCH, Inc., has completed the investigation of the shipwreck remains discovered in January 2018 in Baldwin County, Alabama.
In collaboration with the Washington-DC based Slave Wrecks Project, (SWP), one goal of the study was to determine if the vessel was, in fact, the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States.
The team, composed of experts from SEARCH, NPS, SWP, and the University of West Florida, examined and documented the Twelvemile Island Wreck Site on March 1-2, 2018 at the request of and under the supervision of the Alabama Historical Commission.
This team of experts employed high precision GPS, total station, photo-documentation, and measured drawings as well as field observations. The work was done through scuba diving, limited hand excavation and shallow water archaeological inspection. Wood samples were collected from a variety of exposed areas on the wreck. This work was completed under a permit from the Alabama Historical Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Before the team deployed, detailed historical and archival research into the construction and history of the Clotilda was completed. Based on this research the wreck of the Clotilda is in this area of the Mobile River.
Based on preliminary research and two days of field work, the team is confident that this wreck is
not the Clotilda for the following reasons
:
- Clotilda was 86 feet long while the length of the Twelvemile Island Wreck is 158 feet, 5 inches
- The interior "depth" inside Clotilda was 6 feet, 11 inches while the interior depth of the Twelvemile Island Wreck is too deeply buried in the mud to measure completely but is at least 10 feet deep based on the amount of the bow structure remaining onsite.
- The size of timbers on the wreck is larger than those that were used to build a vessel the size of Clotilda. For example, the frames, or "ribs," are 10 by 10 inches and the hull planks are 2 inches thick. Clotilda would have frames 2 inches smaller and planks ½ inch thinner.
- Clotilda had 2 masts. The size of the Twelvemile Island Wreck is too large for a 2 masted rig, which originally had 3 masts.
- The Twelvemile Island Wreck has flat iron reinforcing the hull, which is commonly found on larger wooden vessels built from the 1850s through the early 1920s. This timeframe is after the construction of Clotilda.
- While the wood samples have not yet been analyzed, all of the wood observed on the Twelvemile Island Wreck appears to be soft wood such as pine. Clotilda was built with oak and yellow pine. There was no oak observed on the Twelvemile Island Wreck.
- A large portion of the upper bow of the Twelvemile Island Wreck is buried in mud on the shoreline. The condition of the wood indicates this wreck was largely an intact vessel that was abandoned on the shore. It slowly deteriorated with marine organisms eating the wood above the mud until heavier parts of the hull collapsed.
- Clotilda was burned and then sank. There is no definitive evidence of burning on the Twelvemile Island Wreck. The damage from small marine organisms that eat wood can look similar to fire damage. Our team excavated part of the site to expose areas of the ship to examine the damage. Undamaged sections of the wreck show the damage was confined to the waterline area only, whereas a fire would have damaged or destroyed the hull above the waterline.
In summary, the Twelvemile Island Wreck is too long, the timbers are too large, timber known to have been used to build Clotilda was not seen, and there is no definitive evidence for burning.
"The discovery and first examination of the wreck by Ben Raines and our colleagues at the University of West Florida and the media stories that followed have powerfully reconnected the story of Clotilda to a national and international audience," said Lisa D. Jones, Executive Director of the AHC. "It shares a story with profound meaning in Alabama, and especially to the descendant community of Africatown. While the follow up investigation of the Twelvemile Island Wreck has found that this wreck is not Clotilda, its discovery and the attention paid to it will be the start of a renewed effort to find Clotilda."
"Further historical research and field investigation we have done suggest that many wrecks lie in this part of the Mobile River," said James P. Delgado, PhD, Senior Vice President, SEARCH, Inc. "We believe that a comprehensive survey of the area with a range of modern technology, followed by an examination of each wreck encountered by knowledgeable professionals will be the best means to find the physical remains of Clotilda. The archaeological team will continue to make ourselves available to answer questions from the community of Africatown and the citizens of Alabama."
"We would like to express our deep appreciation to the Alabama Historical Commission, the community of Africatown and the many individuals and groups who made it possible for our team to work on this important project, said David L. Conlin, PhD, National Park Service, Submerged Resources. "Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Slave Wrecks Project for their support of this work."
Additional images are available
here
.
Please credit images to the Alabama Historical Commission.
Part of the crew investigating the shipwreck remains had a special visit with Senator Vivian Figures.
(Left to right) Jim Delgado, Senior Vice President, SEARCH; Dave Conlin, Chief, National Park Service (NPS), Submerged Resources; Kamau Sadiki,
Diving With A Purpose
; Lisa D. Jones, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission; Senator Vivian Figures; David Morgan, Center Director, NPS, Southeast Archeological Center.
The crew discussing next steps in the archaeological process.
Lisa D. Jones, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission, and Stacye Hathorn, AHC State Archaeologist, welcomed the Africatown community to the informational meeting on Monday, March 5, 2018. They also thanked our local, state, and national partners.
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Alabama State Senate Passes Resolution
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Senator Vivian Figures (far right) presenting SJR93 on the floor of the State Senate. |
On Thursday, March 8, 2018 Senator Vivian Figures introduced a resolution to support the finding of the
Clotilda and the preservation of Africatown.
The State Senate passed the resolution and are excited to offer support.
Read the full resolution
here
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The Alabama Historical Commission to Receive African American Civil Rights Grants
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Moore Building, South Court Street, Montgomery, AL, sits across from Freedom Rides Museum
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The Freedom Rides Museum, located at 210 South Court Street, Montgomery, AL
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The Alabama Historical Commission is set to receive $365,720 to develop a master plan and complete phase I rehabilitation for the historic Moore Building. The building, once rehabbed, will provide educational and interpretive programming space for the Freedom Rides Museum, a historic site operated by the AHC. The Friends of the Freedom Rides Museum, a non-profit developed to support the museum, will provide funds as part of the match for the grant.
A tight cluster of buildings -- the Moore Building, the Greyhound Bus Station (which the Freedom Rides Museum now occupies), and the Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building -- have significant associations with the civil rights movement. All look onto a South Court Street block where in 1961 a violent riot exploded from the Greyhound Bus Station loading ramp onto the street and sidewalks. Young Freedom Riders fled through the federal building's postal loading platform and bystanders huddled in the entrance to the Moore Building. The events around this attack on non-violent Freedom Riders and bystanders resulted in the nationwide end of segregated public transportation.
The Freedom Rides Museum will also receive $50,000 to develop a new, interactive exhibit, which will launch in 2021 during the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Rides.
The U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service announced $12.6 million in grants for 51 projects in 24 states that preserve sites and highlight stories related to the African American struggle for equality in the 20th century.
The 2017 African American Civil Rights grant is funded through the Historic Preservation Fund and administered by the National Park Service (NPS).
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Legislative Update for March 6 - March 8, 2018
Senate Bill 11 (Prohibit renaming Schools)
Sponsor:
Senator Brewbaker
Committee:
Education and Youth Affairs
The Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 prohibits certain schools located on public property and erected for, or named or dedicated in honor of, an event, a person, a group, a movement, or military service, from being renamed.
This bill would remove the prohibition against the renaming of those schools and would specifically exempt all preK-12, post-secondary, and higher education institutions and facilities from the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017.
Update: No changes this week
House Bill 15 (Opt out of Alabama Memorial Preservation Act)
Sponsor:
Representative Givan
Committee:
State Government
Under existing law, certain entities and government agencies are exempt from the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017.
This bill would authorize any municipality to opt out of the provisions of the act upon vote of the governing body of the municipality.
Update: No changes this week
House Bill 16 (Repeal Memorial Preservation Act)
Sponsor:
Representative Givan
Committee:
State Government
Under existing law, the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 provides for the preservation of certain architecturally significant buildings, memorial buildings, memorial streets, and monuments on public property, as well as memorial schools.
This bill would repeal the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017.
Update: No changes this week
House Bill 283 (Memorial Preservation Act not to apply to a Class 1 Municipality)
Sponsor:
Representative Givan
Committee:
State Government
Under existing law, the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 provides for the preservation of certain architecturally significant buildings, memorial buildings, memorial streets, and monuments on public property, as well as memorial schools.
This bill would provide that the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 does not apply to a Class 1 Municipality.
Update: No changes this week
Senate Bill 8 (Cultural Resources Underwater Act)
Sponsor:
Senator McClendon
Committee:
Governmental Affairs
Under existing law, all abandoned shipwrecks or remains of those ships and all underwater treasures and artifacts that are contained in or on submerged lands belonging to the State of Alabama, and have remained unclaimed for 50 years, are cultural resources that are eligible for, or listed in, the National Register of Historic Places or the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
This bill would remove the language that includes the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
Update: This bill passed a 3rd reading in the Senate on 1/25 and was referred to the State Government Committee in the House. Bill will be heard in State Government Committee on 2/21 in Room 429 at 3:00pm. Senate Bill 8 was voted out of State Government Committee on 2/21 and is awaiting 3rd reading in the second House.
Update: No changes this week.
Senate Bill 131 (Confederate Park Revenue change)
Sponsor:
Senator Pittman
Committee:
Finance and Taxation General Fund
This bill amends Sections 9-13-84, 22-9A-23,22-21-24, 27-4A-3, 28-3-74, 28-3-184, 28-3- 201,28-3-202, 28-3-204, 28-7-16, 38-4-12, 38-4-12.1,40-1-31, 40-8-3, 40-21-51, 40-21-87, 40- 23-35,12 40-23-50, 40-23-77, and 40-25-23 of the Code of 13 Alabama 1975, to provide further for the distribution of state tax revenues.
This bill reduces Confederate Memorial Park's revenue from $.10 on each $100 of assessed value of taxable property to $.08 on each $100.
Update: This bill is scheduled to be in Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee on January 24 at 9:30 am in room 727. No vote on the bill in committee.
Update: No changes this week
House Bill 156 (General Fund)
Sponsor:
Representative Clouse
Committee:
Ways and Means General Fund
The AHC has been appropriated level funding in this initial budget.
Update: No changes this week.
House Bill 175 (Education Budget)
Sponsor:
Representative Poole
Committee:
Finance and Taxation Education
The AHC is included in the Education Trust Fund Budget with an appropriation of $1,350,000. The majority of these funds are for grants to other entities.
The Senate Companion Bill for the ETF is SB 165, they mirror each other.
Update: AHC funding reduced from $1,350,000 to $1,150,000. The grants program was reduced from $750,000 to $550,000. This bill passed out of committee and is awaiting 3rd reading. Bill was on the House floor for a 3rd reading on 2/13. An additional $59,962 was deleted from the AHC budget line leaving the AHC with $1,090,038.
Update: This bill will be heard in Committee on 3/13 in Room 727 at 1:00pm.
Senate Bill 165 (Education Budget-Companion to HB 175)
Sponsor:
Senator Orr
Committee:
Finance and Taxation Education
The AHC is included in the Education Trust Fund Budget with an appropriation of $1,350,000. The majority of these funds are for grants to other entities.
Update: No changes this week
Senate Bill 178 (General Fund)
Sponsor:
Senator Pittman
Committee:
Finance & Taxation General Fund
The AHC has been appropriated level funding in this initial budget.
Update: The General Fund was heard in committee on 2/15. The AHC held onto level funding for the Agency. However, line-item appropriations of $50,000 each was included for Historic Chattahoochee Commission, Historic Ironworks Commission, St. Stephens Historical State Park, Historic Blakeley Authority, Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, and Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park. The General Fund passed out of Senate on 2/20 and has been sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund.
Update: Bill was heard in Committee on 3/7, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission was removed as a line item and was replaced by Fendall Hall for $50,000. Bill now awaits 3rd reading.
House Bill 436 (Tax Credit Bill)
Sponsor:
Rep. Laura Hall
Committee:
Ways and Means Education
Income tax credit against tax liability for the rehabilitation, preservation, or development of certified structures near certain higher education institutions (Auburn, Alabama A&M, and Tuskegee), Historic University Neighborhood Rehabilitation Act. The certified structure must be located within one-half mile of a historic higher education institution in Alabama. The tax credit is a total of $50 million, $10 million each tax year 2019-2023.
Update
: No changes this week
House Bill 445 (This is exactly the same as HB 436)
Sponsor:
Rep. Laura Hall
Committee:
Ways and Means Education
Income tax credit against tax liability for the rehabilitation, preservation, or development of certified structures near certain higher education institutions (Auburn, Alabama A&M, and Tuskegee), Historic University Neighborhood Rehabilitation Act. The certified structure must be located within one-half mile of a historic higher education institution in Alabama. The tax credit is a total of $50 million, $10 million each tax year 2019-2023.
Update
: No changes this week
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Quarterly Commission Meeting
On February 21, 2018, the AHC held its Quarterly Commission meeting at the Alabama State Capitol.
Commissioner William Denson, who is retiring, was recognized for his commitment and efforts in enhancing and magnifying the importance of historic preservation. He was presented with a certificate from the Governor recognizing his contributions for the past 11 years.
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The Alabama Historical Commission is pleased to announce that Troy University's Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Economic Development Gen. Walter Givhan has been named Chairman of the AHC.
The AHC is the state's official historic preservation agency. According to Givhan, the members of the commission are the "keepers of heritage."
The commission is responsible for conducting geographic surveys and handling the state and national historical registers.
Many state universities have a member on the commission, Givhan said. He was nominated by Chancellor Jack Hawkins in November 2014 and has served as the treasurer of the commission.
"I have always been fascinated with history, so this was a perfect role for me," he said. "I am excited to serve the people of Alabama and enhance the beauty of our state, for those inside and outside of the state."
Newly elected Officers include:
Chairman - Gen. Walter Givhan, Troy University
Vice Chair - Dale Townsend, Member-at-Large
Secretary - Eddie Griffith, American Institute of Architects
Treasurer - Dr. Jim Day, University of Montevallo
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Alabama Historical Commission Annual Report
The Alabama Historical Commission released the Annual Report for FY 2016-17.
The report presents information on the AHC's preservation programs and state-wide historic sites.
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Federal News from the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
As lawmakers work on passing bills funding the government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018, when it comes to HPF they are likely to use numbers in bills that they have already passed or worked on this year
.
- The House has passed a Fiscal Year 2018 Interior Department spending bill which would fund the overall HPF at $80.91 million and SHPO apportionments at $47.93 million. This is the same level that HPF overall and SHPO apportionments specifically are currently funded at for Fiscal Year 2017.
- The Senate Committee on Appropriations released a Fiscal Year 2018 funding bill for the Department of the Interior that would fund the HPF at $77.91 million and SHPO apportionments at $47.93 million.
Because the Senate matched the House level for SHPO apportionments, it is highly likely that SHPO apportionments will be funded at the $47.93 million level for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018
. Although an increase in SHPO apportionments would be great, in this fiscal and political environment, level funding is good. Many other programs, such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, are facing cuts.
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Alabama Historical Commission Welcomes Erik Hein
 The featured speaker for the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation's 6th Annual Roundtable was Erik Hein, Executive Director of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO).
NCSHPO is the professional association of the State government officials who carry out the national historic preservation program as delegates of the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
Hein presented budget and policy changes occurring at the federal level.
Image: Erik Hein,
Executive Director of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO), and Lisa D. Jones, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission.
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Historic Tax Evaluating Committee Meeting
The committee reviewing the projects met Tuesday, March 6, 2018 in Montgomery to approve allocations after reviewing qualified applications approved by the Alabama Historical Commission.
In previous years, tax credits were awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The new version of Alabama's tax credit program involves a committee reviewing the projects and awarding allocations based on criteria in the legislation. Forty percent of the $20 million allocation was also set aside for projects in rural counties.
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Places in Peril Program
Places in Peril, a joint program of the Alabama Trust for Historic
Preservation and the Alabama Historical Commission, annually recognizes Alabama's most endangered historic resources.
Each submission will be evaluated for its significance and threat. Please provide clear photographs of the site. Nominations will not be considered without at least one visual representation. Deadline for nominations: March 30, 2018.
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Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar Marker Unveiled
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Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar marker unveiled. Image courtesy of
Troy Today.
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In February 2018, members of the community from Troy, Troy University, and Tuskegee came together to commemorate and dedicate a historical marker for the Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar located at Troy Municipal Airport.
Gen. Walter Givhan, Troy University's Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Economic Development and Chairman of the Alabama Historical Commission, was a guest speaker at the unveiling.
"We're incredibly proud to have discovered this history and be able to mark it today with this ceremony and this marker," said Walter Givhan. "The Tuskegee Airmen are true American heroes who forged a path in World War II as the first African-American pilots to fly for the U.S. armed forces. They faced prejudice at home and a formidable enemy in the sky, and they overcame all that adversity."
This hangar was listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on August 10, 2017 for its association with the heroic Tuskegee Airmen and aviation history. The hangar at Troy Municipal Airport is one of only three documented surviving buildings associated with the Tuskegee Army Air Field, the secondary flight training facility for the Tuskegee Airmen.
It was the first major army airfield base built by an African-American construction company, McKissack and McKissack out of Nashville, TN. Also, one of the most successful African-American architects in Washington D.C. during this time, Hilyard Robinson, designed and supervised the construction of the base, which was used to train the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. It provided advanced training for the graduates of nearby Moton Field. Construction started on July 23, 1941. When crews began to arrive at the base that fall, only one runway had been completed, as had one wooden building which served as both a classroom and offices. Despite such challenges, the squadron was able to overcome racial prejudice and segregation and went on to distinguish themselves in battle over the skies of Europe. Tuskegee Army Airfield was deactivated in 1946 and its buildings and equipment deemed surplus. The Troy Alabama Municipal Airport, Dannelly Field in Montgomery, and the Chilton County Gragg-Wade Field Airport acquired the three hangers circa 1948 and they were disassembled and reassembled at their new locations.
Gen. Walter Givhan (center left), Troy University's Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Economic Development and Chairman of the Alabama Historical Commission, joined city and university officials and official dignitaries to unveil a historical marker at the Tuskegee Army Airfield Hangar located in Troy. Image courtesy of Troy Today.
Read more about the unveiling
here
.
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Alabama Partners with Other Southern States to Form U.S. Civil Rights Trail
The Trail is meant to guide families, school groups, even international tourists through the south and see where history happened first hand, and how what the people did in the streets of Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma and other cities in the South changed the world.
The idea for the trail came from Alabama's Tourism Director and AHC Commissioner Lee Sentell.
"The more people understand about the history of our country, the more they feel like they're a part of the history," Sentell said.
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Cemetery Restoration Workshop Rescheduled
The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), in coordination with the Friends of the General Joe Wheeler Foundation, will host a cemetery preservation workshop on Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 1:00 - 4:00pm at Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home in Hillsboro, Alabama.
This workshop was originally scheduled for February but was rescheduled due to inclement weather.
The workshop will provide basic information and skills for people who are interested in preserving historic gravestones and cemetery monuments. Gravestone cleaning will also be discussed and demonstrated on site at Pond Spring's cemeteries. The workshop will also share history of the African-Americans, both enslaved and free, who worked on the property during the nineteenth and twentieth century. "We are very proud to be working with the AHC to celebrate and honor these individuals who played a significant role in our history," said Dr. Angelo Mancuso, Chair of the Friends of the General Joe Wheeler.
Workshop Agenda:
1:00 - 1:20 PM - Welcome & History
1:20 - 2:00 PM - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Demonstration
2:00 - 2:10 PM - Break
2:10 - 2:40 - Cleaning Demonstration
2:40 - 4:00 - Headstone Cleaning
For more information, please contact Hannah Garmon, AHC Cemetery Program Coordinator, at 334-230-2644 or hannah.garmon@ahc.alabama.gov.
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The Goat Hill Museum Store Monthly Book Signings
During the months of January, February, and March, the Goat Hill Museum Store hosted books signings for
Anita Musgrove, author of the "State Back Road Restaurants Cookbook Series;"
Dr. Richard Bailey, author of "Neither Carpetbaggers Nor Scalawags" and "They Too Call Alabama Home: African American Profiles;" and Billy Singleton, author of "Alabama Aviation."
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Anita Musgrove, author of the "State Back Road Restaurants Cookbook Series"
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| Dr. Richard Bailey, author or "Neither Carpetbaggers Nor Scalawags" and "They Too Call Alabama Home: African American Profiles" |
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Black Heritage Council Updates
BHC Chair Emeritus and Founding Member Mrs. Louretta Wimberly (
far right
) was on hand to help honor the inductees for the 2018 Women's Hall of Fame in Selma, March 2, 2018 at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma, AL. Pictured with Mrs. Wimberly are Ms. Pearlie Walker and honoree Ms. Walta Mae Kennie. Not pictured but also inducted was Ms. Constance Curry and Ms. Mattie Atkins. The Women's Hall of Fame Induction was held as a part of the 2018 Commemoration of Bloody Sunday and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March.
In January, Black Heritage Council Vice-Chair Elvin Lang and District 6 Representative Debra Love traveled to Hamilton in Marion County to meet with community members regarding the preservation of historic sites, including the Ada Hanna School. Lang and Love were invited by the alumni of the school and other stakeholders to offer recommendations concerning the preservation of the school site.
Ada Hanna School began as a Rosenwald School in 1921. The Rosenwald building is no longer standing. The current building was constructed in 1965 as a segregated black school and closed in 1969 due to integration. Black students were then sent to the formerly all-white Hamilton High School. After its closing, the Ada Hanna school's buildings were sold to a local manufacturing company, and portions of the school later burned. Schools like Ada Hanna are now referred to as Equalization Schools, which were buildings constructed in the deep South in the 1950s and 1960s in response to federally ordered school integration.
Members of the community and alumni would like to restore the Ada Hanna school. Lang and Love, who both have expertise in environmental cleanup, provided guidance to the group as they plan for restoration. Lang and Love also visited other historic sites while they were in Hamilton including a church, two cemeteries, and a masonic lodge. Among the two-dozen participants at the meeting were school site owner, Mrs. Linda White-Wallace, who did not attend the school but is interested in its preservation, along with Mrs. Andrea Clement Harbison, a local architect who has been working closely with the project. Lang and Love will return to the area in the coming months to follow-up with the group.
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Where in the State are AHC Staff?
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Crystal Sanders, AHC Personnel Assistant, and Ashley Swan, AHC Account Clerk, were recognized for their efforts with the Alabama State Employee Combined Charitable Campaign. The Alabama Historical Commission not only met but exceeded its 2018 goal!
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Dorothy Walker, Site Director of the
Freedom Rides Museum, attended the first official John Lewis Day in Troy, Alabama. Congressman
Lewis (pictured above) was honored by the city of Troy with a historic marker, a key to the city and a portrait. AHC Commissioner and Director of the Alabama Tourism Department Lee Sentell was on hand to unveil a historic marker detailing Lewis' legacy. Read more here.
 Dorothy Walker, Site Director of the Freedom Rides Museum, was the featured speaker at the Maxwell Air Force Base's event in honor of MLK Day. She gave a presentation to staff about the Freedom Rides Museum. There was also a short presentation by staff on "Ten Things You May Not Know about Martin Luther King."
In February, AHC Archaeologists, Will Lowe and Eric Sipes, assisted David Gathings, Montgomery-
area archaeologist, in a volunteer magnetometer survey of the state Capitol lo
t at
Old Cahawba
.
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Happenings at #AHCsites
Living History interpreters take visitors on guided tours of
Fort Morgan during the months of March, April, and May. Learn more
here.
Heather Tassin, Site Director of Fort Morgan, and Fred Couch, Alabama Scenic River Trail,
Founder, Operations Manager, attend installation of sign marking the end of the
Alabama Scenic River Trail
.
Exhibits at Fort Morgan are being refreshed with new content
Making Alabama. A Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit presented by Alabama Humanities Foundation made its long-awaited debut in Montgomery March 5, displaying 200 years of Alabama history and beyond. The exhibit opened in the
Alabama State Capitol
in the Old Supreme Court Library and will be on display through March 30.
This impressive display blends artistic collages, interactive computer tablets and an audio medley of song and spoken word to tell the story of Alabama - from becoming a territory to achieving statehood. It also conveys a message of "Hope" in its presentation about the future.
In addition to
Making Alabama
, the State Capitol is also hosting
Alabama's Aviation History
!
Do you have an
#Alabama200
PastPort yet? Pick one up today at #AHCsites or order online at
http://www.shopalabama200.com
. Spring is the perfect season to get out and explore
#Alabama
's amazing destinations!
The Alabama Bicentennial PastPort is a guide to historic destinations in each of Alabama's 67 counties featuring historical and cultural information and engaging original artwork.
Every month
Fort Toulouse's French Garrison and 1814 Tennessee Militia are onsite interpreting 18th and early 19th century life.
The Freedom Rides Museum had a fantastic turnout for their Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event, "Through the Eyes of a Child." Friends of the Freedom Rides Museum Board President Dr. Valda Harris Montgomery spoke to visitors of all ages about what it was like growing up in Montgomery with the King family as neighbors, and recalled being a jittery teenage girl when the Freedom Riders used her family's home as a safe house in 1961.
During a walking tour, the ruins of Old Cahawba's historic cemeteries provided an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the richly layered history surrounding the events that occurred at the site of Alabama's first capital.
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Happenings Around the State
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March 16-17
-
Historic Selma Pilgrimage
invites you to come and experience history from the Civil War to Civil Rights as you tour private homes, museums, gardens and much more. For more information please email info@selmapilgrimage.com or call 334-412-8550 or 800-45-SELMA (800-457-3562). You can download the brochure
here
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March 24 - The Wilcox Historical Society, in cooperation with the National Historic District towns of Furman, Pine Apple and Oak Hill, is sponsoring a Spring Pilgrimage on Saturday, March 24 from 9:00 to 5:00. Historic homes, churches and schools, plus Snow Hill Institute, will be open. For more information call 334-682-4929 or email wilcoxbicentennialsociety@gmail.com.
March 31 - Alabama Bicentennial Schools project proposals are due March 31, 2018. The Alabama Bicentennial Commission Education Committee encourages all schools to
participate in the commemoration of the state's bicentennial. Every public, private, and home school can request a gubernatorial commendation signed by Gov. Kay Ivey, a bicentennial flag, and bicentennial-themed school resources and supplies. For more information visit http://www.alabama200.org/educators/bicentennial-schools/
May
May 12
- The 16th Annual Alabama Cemetery Preservation Workshop will be held in the main Auburn University Library at Auburn University. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. After lunch, the workshop will relocate to the historic, Pine Hill Cemetery. For more information visit
June
June 20 -
Your Town ALABAMA will hold a special event celebrating the past 20 years. The celebration will be at Camp McDowell. For additional information, visit the Your Town Alabama website:
http://www.yourtownalabama.com/
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 at
www.makingalabama.org/contact-us/.
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