Admin

The ILA Hall was a meeting place for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement and included a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Mobile chapter of the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) Hall was established in 1936 to represent African Americans working on the city's docks. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke here on January 1, 1959.

International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) Hall 

This walk through Mobile begins at the same place where many visitors to the city first arrived, the Gulf Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal. The tour includes stops at some of the city's leading museums and historic sites such as Fort Conde and returns near the starting point with stops at several historic churches and the African American Archives Mobile. of  

The Mobile and Ohio Railroad was a key player in Mobile during the pre-Civil War era. The purpose of the railroad was to connect Mobile with the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee as well as with railroads in the Midwest. During that period, the city of Mobile hoped to draw trade away from New Orleans.&nbsp; Passenger service ended at the station in the late 1950s and was transferred to another smaller station. The company kept offices at the station but the building itself gradually fell into disrepair; the interior was also altered significantly over the years. In 2001, the city and a private company partnered to renovate the building.&nbsp;

This handsome building was constructed in 1907 by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, which, in 1940, merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad to form the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Architect P. Thorton Marye designed the station in the Spanish Revival style, giving it its unique appearance. Today it is the home of the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, which is a government agency that facilitates community development, employee and economic development, grant administration, senior social services, and transportation planning. The station, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, is one of the two largest train stations in the state.

Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Passenger Terminal

The house remained in the family until 1946 when it was bought by the Ideal Cement Company. The company owned it until the city purchased it in 1976. Soon after, the city began leasing it to the DAR.

This historic home is one of the dozens that comprise the De Tonti Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was built in 1860 for Charles Richards, a steamboat captain, and his wife, Caroline. It is owned and operated as a period house museum by the city's five chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The exterior features a two-story veranda with ornate cast-iron railings that depict the four seasons. The interior features beautiful elements as well, including carrara marble mantels, brass, bronze and crystal chandeliers, and silver bells once used to call servants. 

Richards DAR House Museum

This courthouse stands upon a plot of land acquired by the Federal Government sometime in the early 1930s. Before the courthouse was built the US Postal Service had already stood on the plot for almost 20 years already, having constructed a post office between 1914 and 1916 for Mobile on the site. The courthouse was designed by local architecture firm Carey and Dowling and was eventually constructed between 1933 and 1934. The building was initially named the United States Courthouse and Custom House owing to its dual purpose, but the Customs Service later vacated the building to expand their operations elsewhere. After the Customs Service departed the building was renamed to the “John A. Campbell United States courthouse” after John A. Campbell, an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court between 1853 and 1861. Between 1939 and 1940 an addition was constructed on the west side of the courthouse which added an additional courtroom. Interior renovations occurred in the 1960s and 70s, and the building was eventually added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 8th, 2008. John A. Campbell’s history as a lawyer and as a member of the military is one that reflects the ideology of the South at the time. Before his tenure as an Associate Justice, Campbell served with the Alabama Militia in 1836 to assist in the removal of the Creeks. Native Americans during this period were still being forced out of actively settled land and the Creeks had been in open conflict with settlers and militia who were violating the treaty that guaranteed land to the Creek Nation. Campbell assisted the militia by negotiating a settlement between the Creeks and militia members, convincing the Creeks to surrender and agree to be relocated despite their previous treaties. Shortly after, Campbell moved to Mobile with his family and practiced law within the city resolving land disputes. During this period and after, thanks to his lucrative law practice, Campbell owned several slaves and utilized their labor on his family orchard. Throughout this period Campbell was a strong advocate for maintaining slavery and the South's power in Washington. Campbell agreed with most white Southerners that radical northern abolitionists sought the destruction of the South’s economy and society, and he consistently sided with plantation owners and others whose interests were aligned with the expansion of slavery. Campbell served as an Associate Justice from 1853 to 1861 when he resigned his position and joined the Confederacy. In most cases as a Supreme Court Justice, Campbell upheld state authority unless federal power was clearly authorized by the constitution. Among the notable cases during his tenure is the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford, in which the formerly enslaved Dred Scott brought suit for freedom. The argument against Scott revolved around the premise the slaves and their descendants were not citizens and could not sue in court, and in addition that the federal government could not prohibit slavery in the territories. Campbell voted with the majority to deny Scott’s petition and issued a separate but concurring opinion in which he denied the right of officials in Northern states the authority to act in any manner involving slavery in their own jurisdiction. This legal reasoning denying the right of states to interfere with slavery, even in states that had outlawed slavery, was consistent throughout Campbell's career. At the start of the Civil War, Campbell was one of the Southern leaders who attempted to broker peace between the states. When he was unsuccessful at preventing armed conflict he resigned from the Supreme Court in May 1861 and swiftly found a position within the Confederate government as the Assistant Secretary of War. After the war, Campbell was imprisoned with other high-ranking Confederate officials in Fort Pulaski, Georgia, from May to October of 1865. Following the Civil War Campbell returned to New Orleans and served as an attorney for cases brought before the US Supreme Court. Many of these cases revolved around Reconstruction after the Civil War and the 14th and 15th amendments. Campbell continued to argue cases before the Supreme Court until 1886 due to failing health and passed away on March 12, 1889. In the years after the war, he maintained his political activism on behalf of the Old South and its racial caste system, repeatedly siding with white supremacists who launched coups to reverse the electoral victories of biracial Republican parties in the South following the Civil War. Campbell even met with Ulysses S. Grant and attempted to convince the President to support a white supremacist coup in Louisiana that had forced the legally-elected governor and other officials into hiding. While the President rejected Campbell's appeal, the removal of federal troops from the South prompted a final coup in Louisiana that saw white supremacists succeed in taking control of the state government by force of arms. These events were later memorialized by a monument that praised the Crescent City White League and others for their role in the <a href="https://theclio.com/entry/21685" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Battle of Liberty Place</a>. Despite his support of violent white supremacists throughout Reconstruction, Campbell is still best remembered today as the only former Supreme Court justice to return to the Court to try a case as an attorney.

An imposing and dominant building in downtown Mobile, this courthouse stands as a landmark of Modern Classic federal architecture and Neo-Classical Revival of the 1930s. Built between 1933 and 1934 this courthouse originally served as a dual purpose US Customs House and federal courthouse. The Customs Service later vacated the building to expand their operations. Following the departure of the Customs Service the building was renamed to the “John A. Campbell United States courthouse.” John A. Campbell was notable for being an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court from 1853 to 1861, for abandoning that post to serve as the Confederate Assistant Secretary of War, and for being one of three Confederate officials who met with Lincoln in 1865 in an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate an end to the Civil War. After decades of service, this courthouse was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

John A. Campbell U.S. Courthouse

The economy of Mobile from the late 1700s to the civil war was almost entirely dependent on slave labor. &nbsp;This is because Mobile was one of many cities in which "cotton was king." &nbsp;On average, plantation owners in this area had between 10-20 slaves, but many larger plantations had over fifty slaves. This began in Mobile in 1721 with the slave ship&nbsp;The Africane. &nbsp;This ship carried 240 kidnapped persons from Guinea and horrifyingly arrived with only 120 left alive. &nbsp;The first horror Africans experienced in coming to America was indeed the journey which was dangerous, unsanitary, and cruel. &nbsp;Generally slave ships would first go to the Caribbean where slaves would be "seasoned." &nbsp;This process involved being even more cruel to slaves than they may later experience. &nbsp;Slavers tried to break Africans of their free will while forcing them to do back breaking labor. &nbsp;The majority of slave insurrections happened while being put on slave ships, on the journey to the Americas, and in the Carribbean. There are actually no documented cases of insurrections in Mobile and only one documented in all of Alabama, but of course historical records on slavery are imperfect. &nbsp;&nbsp; Mobile's history of slavery is particularly interesting because it lasted for so long. &nbsp;The last slave ship to carry Africans to the United States landed in Mobile Bay. &nbsp;The Clotilde&nbsp;transported 116 Prisoners of War and kidnapped persons from Dahomey&nbsp;as slaves to Alabama in 1859.&nbsp; Supposedly&nbsp;Captain Timothy Meaher undertook this venture on a bet that he could sneak slaves in to the bay under federal supervision. &nbsp;The U.S. government had outlawed the import of slaves from outside the nation for several decades, though selling slaves between states and of course owning slaves was still legal. &nbsp;Meaher succeeded, but lost the 30 slaves he kept from the&nbsp;Clotilde&nbsp;only a few years later with the emancipation following the Civil War. &nbsp;These Africans have taught historians a great deal about the history of the slave trade because they actually managed to preserve a great deal of their home culture in the community they formed and named Africatown. &nbsp; Though the history of slavery in Mobile is of course tragic, the&nbsp;perseverance&nbsp;of those enslaved through emancipation, reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, the Civil Rights struggle, and African American's continued fight for equality today is an awe inspiring historical fact to be admired by all.

This marker serves to remind citizens of Mobile of the history of slavery in the city.  Plantations in mobile had slaves from roughly 1721 up to the Civil War and even imported more kidnapped Africans just before war broke out.  In an 1860 census it was reported that 435,080 slaves lived in Mobile.  The history of slavery in Mobile is horrific, this marker serves as a testament to the people who overcame this struggle and to those who died in bondage.

Slave Market Marker

The impetus to build the Hunley was the Union naval blockade that prevented Confederate ships from leaving or entering ports on the East and Gulf coasts. Charleston was a key port and the heavily blockaded.&nbsp;After the Hunley was built and underwent tests runs in Mobile it was transported to Charleston. In all, three crews operated the Hunley. Of the eight members of the first crew, only three survived what was an accident: one of the men pushed the lever to dive the vessel with the hatches open. An accident caused the entire second crew&nbsp;to die; the Hunley was found on ocean pointed upwards. The third crew, the one that successfully sunk the Union ship, the USS Housatonic, died as well. It is believed that they were too close to the explosion, but there has been speculation that another Union ship, on its way to help the Housatonic, unknowingly&nbsp;rammed into the Hunley and caused it to sink.

This marker indicates the location of one of the more important sites in the history of naval warfare. It was here that the Hunley—the first submarine to sink an enemy ship—was built. Under the direction of Confederate engineers Lts. W.A. Alexander and G.E. Dixon, the machine shop Park and Lyons built the the vessel in July 1863. They used a ship's steam boiler which was 25ft. long and 4ft. in diameter. It was not powered by machinery but by hand cranking. It could hold a crew of up to eight men and the only light was a candle, which also indicated how much oxygen was left if the flame was becoming more dim. On February 17, 1864, the Hunley made its way towards the USS Housatonic and embedded a torpedo into its hull which was supposed to go off in 5 minutes. For some reason, tragically the vessel was too close to the explosion and all of the crew were killed. The Hunley was recovered in 2000 and is still being restored and conserved the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, South Carolina. The Hunley is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historical Marker: The Hunley

Constructed in 1852, the first edition of the hotel was originally opened by James Battle and his two half-nephews. It was built on the location of a military headquarters set up by former President Andrew Jackson that he used back during the War of 1812. It had four stories to it with a two-story gallery of cast iron and it was a brick building originally. The site where the Battle Hotel was built actually was home to two other hotels, the Franklin Hotel and the Waverly Hotel, that burned down before construction.A notable guest for the hotel was Stephen A. Douglas, a former United States Senator from Illinois and Democratic Nominee for President back in 1860. He would stay at the Battle House Hotel on the very night he would ultimately lose the presidency to Republican Nominee Abraham Lincoln. Other notable guests that would stay at the hotel would be former Secretary of State Henry Clay, former President of the Confederate States Jefferson Davis, former President Millard Fillmore, and U.S. general Winfield Scott. A National Weather Service station would be placed at the hotel and electrical lighting was added to the place in 1884.The hotel would be in service for over 50 years and even got renovated in the year of 1900. However, the original hotel would be burned to the ground on February 12, 1905. Afterwards, Frank M. Andrews was hired to create and construct a new building which would be built in 1908. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson would be staying at the hotel where he said his famous quote:<blockquote>“The United States will never again seek one additional foot of territory by conquest.” ~Woodrow Wilson</blockquote>The hotel would get bought by different employers until it closed down in 1974 for the next 30 years. It would be added to the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1975. In 2003, a group called Retirement Systems in Alabama bought the place and renovated it to build it into the standing hotel it is today. They completed this project in 2007.

The original Battle House Hotel was opened by James Battle and his two half-nephews, John and Samuel in 1852. It was one of the earliest steel structures in Alabama. The original building burned down in 1905 and a new hotel would undergo construction in 1908. It is currently called the Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa.

Battle House Hotel

Before Old City Hall was constructed on the site, Mobile already had an open-air municipal market present. It existed from 1823 to 1842, serving the community with farmers and game sellers displaying their wares. The market’s legal existence ended in 1842 when an order from the Supreme Court ruled that all open-air markets removed. It wasn’t until ten years later in 1852 that the market was shut down after the order was filed in chancery court. Shortly after, $44,000 worth of bonds were issued to finance the construction of a new building. Completed under the term of Mayor Jones M. Withers in 1858, the building from its inception was designed to be a combination city hall and marketplace. Before its construction, a resolution was passed by the city in 1855 to erect a building for the city market and various departments of the city government. Construction began and occurred between 1855 and 1857 and served its purpose as a mayor’s office early during its construction due to a fire destroying the previous offices. The building had many purposes over the course of its lifetime. Beyond being an indoor market, the building was utilized as headquarters for local militia units, most notably the Mobile Cadets. Founded during the Mexican War in 1848, the Mobile Cadets served during the Civil War and used the City Hall as their headquarters. The militia held training and marching practices here as well as formal dances well into the late 1800s. Over time the building would see less and less use. The market eventually would atrophy towards inactivity until shutting its doors in 1942. The municipal government would also eventually move into other buildings in Mobile, converting the building into standard offices for government officials. After a point, the building was converted into the History Museum of Mobile. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 3rd, 1969.

This historic Greek Revival building was once home to Mobile's City Hall and now serves as the History Museum of Mobile which includes artifacts and exhibits that share the early history of the city. The museum's collection has grown to over 90,000 artifacts that represent the long and diverse history of the city of Mobile. The building was constructed between 1855 and 1857 to serve as both an indoor marketplace for Mobile and to hold offices for the city government. The building replaced an open-air market on the site after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling restricted open-air markets. The building also served the headquarters for local militia units, a role that became increasingly prominent during the Civil War. On December 13th, 1969, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.


History Museum of Mobile

Originally founded in 1702 at 27-Mile Bluff up river, Mobile was relocated in 1711 to the current site where a temporary wooden stockade fort was constructed to protect the town. It was named Fort Louis after the old fort up river. In 1723, construction of a new brick fort with a stone foundation began. This fort was later renamed Fort Condé in honor of&nbsp;Louis Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon, or Prince of Condé. Fort Condé protected Mobile and its citizens for nearly 100 years from 1723-1820. It was built by the French as a defense system against British and Spanish attack on the strategic location of Mobile and its Bay, the eastern most part of the Louisiana colony. The military importance of Mobile and Fort Condé was a huge success. The fort and town protected access into the strategic lands between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic colonies along the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. Fort Condé and its surrounding features covered about 11 acres of land. It was built of local brick, stone, earthen dirt walls, and cedar wood. Twenty Black slaves and five white workmen did initial work on the fort. If the full size fort were present today, it would take up large sections of Church, Royal, Government, St. Emanuel, and Theatre Streets in downtown Mobile. From 1763 to 1780, England was in possession of Mobile and the fort was renamed Fort Charlotte in honor of King George III’s wife. From 1780 to1813, Spain ruled Mobile and the fort was renamed Fort Carlota. In 1813, Mobile was occupied by United States troops and the fort again named Fort Charlotte. In 1820, Congress authorized the sale and removal of the fort since it was no longer needed for defense. City funds paid for the demolition to make way for new streets and construction built towards the river and southward. By late 1823, most above ground traces of Mobile’s fort dimished.&nbsp; The current Fort Condé, about 1/3 of the original fort recreated in 4/5-scale, opened on July 4, 1976 as part of Mobile’s United States bicentennial celebration. Interactive exhibits allow visitors the opportunity to learn of early Mobile history. Several artifacts were recovered from the original fort. The museum offers a barracks room, jail cell, a cannon, and ammunition. Replicas of tools are found in the museum to show what they were using during this time period.&nbsp;

Fort Condé, or Fort Carlota under Spanish Rule, and Fort Charlotte under British and American rule, is a replica of the original French Fort Condé built in 1720. Visitors of the fort are able to learn about the people who colonized early Mobile, Alabama and look through historical artifacts of Native Americans and Europeans, who played key roles in the evolution of the city. The fort was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

 Fort Condé

The courthouse operated until 1849 when Jonathan Kirkbride bought it. He converted the building into a kitchen for the main house seen today. Part of the original jail floor and steel doors can still be seen in the house. The original structure was Federalist in appearance but Kirkbride converted it to the Greek Revival style, as evidenced by the Doric and Corinthian columnns on the front facade. The Kirkbride family owned the house until 1905. It was then privately owned until 1940 when the Mobile Preservation Society acquired it. Later in 1957 the Colonial Dames of American purchased it and opened it as the Fort Conde Museum. This eventually closed. It is not clear exactly as to when the current museum opened.

The Conde–Charlotte House is a period house museum reflecting French, Spanish, English, American, and Confederate influences. It was built in 1822 as a courthouse and jail and expanded to a full house in 1850. The museum features period rooms: French sitting rooms and bedroom, an English commandant's room, a walled Spanish garden, an American dining room, and two Confederate parlors. Many unique furnishings are on display including a late 18th/early 19th century tea set, and the wedding dress worn by Willis Nobbs who in 1776 married Dr. Robert Hall (the dress was radiocarbon dated to prove its age), who served as a surgeon for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.  

Conde–Charlotte House Museum

The museum began in 2005, but it celebrates a much longer history. &nbsp;Inside, visitors can expect to find fourteen rooms filled with memorabilia from Mobile's rich history of Mardi Gras celebrations. &nbsp;Especially impressive are the elaborate costumes which were once worn in Mobile's parades. Mobile is actually home to the very first Mardi Gras celebration in the new world by French settlers in 1707. &nbsp;Micheal Kraft then started the city's first society, "Cowbellion de Rakin Society" in 1831. &nbsp;Their&nbsp;hi-jinx&nbsp;and escapades (including waking the mayor with cowbells on New&nbsp;Years Eve,) continued into today's celebration of good natured&nbsp;frivolity&nbsp;surrounding Mardi Gras. In 1938 the Colored Carnival Association, now the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (MAMGA,) began the first African American official involvement in the event. &nbsp;Dr. Wilborne Russell began the MAMGA in order to provide a positive outlet for the city's Black youth. &nbsp;Russell was a dentist who aimed to improve his community. &nbsp;He wrote a proclamation that is read every year and worked to support MAMGA's mission statement to:&nbsp;&nbsp;“promote knowledge, arts, sciences: to create and cultivate interest in the celebration of carnival activities at Mardi Gras and to encourage its members to participate in all events that will enhance our civic and national betterment.”&nbsp; The organizations also acknowledges the involvement of&nbsp;Mrs. Frederica Evans who worked to sustain this community involvement until her death in 1967. &nbsp;Evans is now known as "The Mother of the Colored Carnival." In 1980 the celebration's first gay order began with the Order of Osiris and has since been joined by&nbsp;the Order of Pan and the Krewe of Phoenix, two more LGBTQ organizations. &nbsp;Osiris is well known today for their elaborate costumed balls, adding an extra layer of&nbsp;inclusivity&nbsp;to&nbsp;Mobile's Mardi Gras celebrations.

The Mobile Carnival Museum is a collection dedicated to Mobile's rich Mardi Gras tradition.  The museum opened in 2005 in the historic Bernstein-Bush house.  It is run by the Mobile Carnival Association and a team of volunteers.  The collection has been donated by "Monarchs" and local mystic organizations of Mobile.  Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile represent tradition and diversity within the city.

Mobile Carnival Museum

The history of the church begins with the missionary efforts of&nbsp;the New York Evangelical Society of Young Men. This organization recruited young church leaders to travel to the frontier regions and establish churches.&nbsp;Reverend John Warren was part of this effort, arriving in Mobile in 1822 and building a church two blocks east of this building&nbsp;with his own hands. Together with Reverend Murdock Murphy, Warren helped the newly-formed&nbsp;Independent Protestant Church grow by visiting families throughout the area. With many new members, the congregation acquired property at this location in 1836 and began construction of the&nbsp;Greek Revival&nbsp;church.&nbsp;

This church was built between 1836 and 1839 by the Independent Protestant Church. The building features a distinctive Greek portico held by Ionic pillars. The congregation is one of the oldest in the area and the structure is one of the oldest and least-altered Greek Revival church buildings in the United States. Although some aspects of the interior have changed over the years, the congregation still sits in the original high-backed walnut pews that were used in the decades prior to the Civil War. 

Government Street Presbyterian Church

The Marquis was only 20 when he came to America to fight with the Continental Army. His reputation and experience, despite being so young, earned him the position as General Washington's aide. He was also a general, and participated in key battles such as Brandywine and Yorktown. Back in France, he was a member of the Assembly of Notables and commanded the French National Guard. During the French Revolution (1789-1799), he felt that the revolutionaries had gone to far and tried to escape but&nbsp;was caught and thrown into prison in 1797. After the Revolution he again was an active member of government and earned a seat in parliament in 1818 but&nbsp;lost it in 1824. Upon hearing this news, President James Monroe decided to invite the Marquis to take a grand tour of what was then 24 American states. The festivities in Mobile cost the state $17,000 (an enormous sum at the time) but it allowed Alabamans to see and honor one of the countries great heroes. Many people traveled hundreds of miles to Mobile to see him, including some Revolutionary War veterans.

On April 7, 1825, Frenchman and American Revolutionary War general, the Marquis de Lafayette (his full name was Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier), arrived in Mobile as part of a grand tour of the United States. The year 1825 was the 50th anniversary of the war and the Marquis was invited by President James Monroe to honor his role in the war as well to promote patriotism among Americans—i.e. the "Spirit of 1776". The Marquis attended a banquet and ball, and was also entertained at this location (now the property of the Hilton Hotel), on which stood the home of Mayor Samuel H. Garrow. 

Historical Marker: Le Marquis de Lafayette visited Mobile

Wallace was born in Snowhill, North Carolina in 1847. His slave mother was 15 years old but his father was the white owner (around a&nbsp;quarter of a million slaves were born to white fathers). He was sold to Hector Davis, of Richmond, Virginia in 1860. Hector owned a slave auction house and netted a fortune from the business. Wallace was then sold to James Chalmers from Alabama in 1863. That same year Wallace once again was sold, this time to Collier. Each time he tried to escape during these years he was beaten and whipped severely. When he walked out of Mobile on that July day, so began his three week journey southward along the western shore of Mobile Bay (he tried to return to North Carolina on this previous attempts). Through alligator infested swamps, terrible weather, and prying eyes of Confederate troops and slave catchers, he walked for 25 miles undiscovered. At the bay, he managed to find a row boat which he then used to try to row to Fort Gaines (which he could see from the bay; he also heard the sounds from the Battle of Mobile Bay, which resulted in a Union victory led by Admiral Farragaut), over which flew the Union flag. As he was rowing a squall appeared and nearly sunk his boat before seeing another boat carrying Union soldiers. They brought Wallace to Fort Gaines, where he provided the Union with important information about Mobile. He was then given a choice to join a Black regiment or become a cook for a white officer. Wallace chose the latter, and eventually entered Mobile with Union troops. After the war, he was able to go to North Carolina and gather his mother and half siblings; they then settled in New York. He worked as a poor general labor for the rest of his life, but nevertheless died a free man thanks to his sheer will power.&nbsp;

This marker commemorates the remarkable story of Wallace Turner, an African-American slave who managed to escape to freedom in July-early August, 1864. At this location once stood the home of Collier Minge, Wallace's last owner. Wallace tried to escape slavery four times before being successful on the fifth. He was driving his owner's carriage home when a harness broke, flipping the carriage over on its side. Wallace was nearly killed by a passing carriage. When he arrived at the home, Collier's wife scolded him. Wallace replied aggressively then ran off. He was discovered a week later, taken to a "whipping house" and whipped 95 times by Collier, who then told Wallace to walk home. However, Wallace did not and began his long journey to freedom. Eventually, he made his way to Fort Gaines, which was recently captured by Union forces, where he finally obtained his freedom (see below for details).

Historical Marker: Wallace Turnage

This home was originally built to serve as a residence for the new Bishop of Mobile, Michael Portier. Portier was born in France in the town of Montbrison on September 7,1795. Portier volunteered to be a missionary for service in Louisiana and was ordained in St. Louis on September 29th, 1818. Eventually, Portier would find his way to present-day Mobile, Alabama in December, 1826 where he served as the Bishop of Mobile. In 1830, Portier founded the Spring Hill College and in 1833 he founded the Visitation Convent and Academy of Mobile. This home was constructed in 1834, eight years after Portier had first arrived in Mobile, by Claude Beroujon. Beroujon was Portiers’ nephew and also part of Portiers’ entourage as a seminarian architect. Construction of the ten-room cottage had cost around $7,000. The cottage was built in the Gulf Coast tradition of the time, featuring the aesthetic of mixing several contemporary styles of architecture along with a gable roof. Notable in its construction is the French influence from Beroujon in the form of casement windows in the cottage.    Over the course of the home’s early life, the cottage served as a residence to five bishops. After over 70 years of service to the Diocese of Mobile, the cottage was sold and became a residential family home. As the nation prepared for World War I, the home served as the location of a United Services Organization building from 1914-1945 and would eventually be restored as a residence once again in 1958. On January 4th, 1970, the Portier House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In recent years, the Portier House has served as a historical site and Catholic Parish office that includes a collection of historic artifacts on display.

Constructed in 1834 and located adjacent to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the Bishop Portier House serves as a central landmark to Catholic history in Mobile. The home was built to house the new Bishop of Mobile Michael Portier who was also responsible for the founding of Spring Hill College and the development of Catholic architecture in Mobile. The cottage served as the place of rest for Bishops of Mobile until 1906 when the building began being rented as a residential family building. The Bishop Portier House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and features many elements of Gulf Coast residential architecture. 

Bishop Portier House

In July 1703, the&nbsp;Bishop of Québec, John-Baptiste del la Croix, founded the parish in what is now referred to as "Old Mobile," the original location of the city in what is now the town of Le Moyne. Mobile moved to the current location in 1711 and the parish took on a new name, Our Lady of Mobile. Later during Spanish occupation the church acquired the name Immaculate Conception. Various improvements, additions, and renovations have taken place over the years. The tower were added in 1890, the portico (the front part of the cathedral with the columnns) was built in 1870, and the stained glass windows in 1910.&nbsp;

The Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is one of Mobile's most impressive structures. It was designed in the Greek Revival style, featuring a front facade resembling an ancient Greek temple with Doric columnns, and two flanking towers. It took fifteen years to build, from 1835-1850. The interior is also striking. Corinthian columnns support the arched roof and stained glass windows, made in Munich, Germany, are located on the walls on each side of the building. The cathedral has also had an organ since its completion (the original one was destroyed by a fire in 1954). The cathedral is part of the Church Street East Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just in front of the building is a historical marker offering a brief history of the cathedral and the archdiocese.

Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry was established in Alabama long before the temple was built, and just before Alabama gained statehood. The society first organized in 1819 but did not finish organizing itself until after the Civil War. Once organized membership was kept secret from 1890 to 1901 until public disclosure of the society’s records forced the society to discontinue. Later that same year the society reorganized. In 1909 the society purchased the former lot of St. Francis Street Baptist Church. The organization spent around $10,000 to renovate the inside of the church auditorium to serve as a freemason hall. In 1921 the Scottish Rite decided to create a new external building to serve as their new hall. After deliberation among members, the society decided to pick member George Rogers to construct and design the new building and building facade. George Rogers was a local Mobile AL architect, responsible for the design and construction of several other Mobile buildings including the Mobile Public Library and the Maschmeyer house. On September 1, 1921, the Mobile Commercial Register published that the building cost nearly $150,000. In 1922 the Mobile Register announced that the auditorium would be available for public use for residents. Suitable for local events, the building was stated that the building had a seating capacity that was three times larger than any other meeting hall in the city. During World War 2, the temple was occupied by the US Army for use as an aviation interceptor center. Within the occupied temple, the Army stationed tracking maps that were utilized to record all aircraft movements After the war was over the Army returned the temple to its normal configuration. By the 1990s enrollment and membership within Masonic organizations had lowered dramatically and Mobile’s Scottish Rite could no longer maintain the temple. In 1996 the society sold the temple after which point it was renamed to simply “The Temple” to avoid confusion with another Cathedral nearby. Today the building serves as an event venue for Mobile, hosting parties, weddings, and other events.

Built-in 1921 this Egyptian revival building was previously used as a site for the local freemasons society, specifically the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The temple was used for the society until WW2 when the US Army used the building as an aviation interceptor center, after the war the building was returned to the freemasons. In 1996 the Scottish Rite could no longer maintain the temple and it was sold to a private owner for use as an event venue.

Scottish Rites Temple

Bettie Hunter was born into slavery in Cahaba, Alabama around 1852. Her younger years involved the standard agricultural work that was forced upon many Black Americans at the time. Bettie Hunter was only 11 when Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation and after the Civil War moved with her family to Mobile to seek better opportunities instead of continuing a farming life.In 1876, Bettie and her brother Henry established a Hack and Carriage business that transported goods between the port and the markets of Mobile or the warehouses within the city. After the collapse of the New Orleans port in 1862 during the Civil War, Mobile had swiftly become the major Gulf port for the south. Seeing a business opportunity Bettie cornered the carriage transportation market in Mobile. She partnered with her brother Henry since it was illegal at the time for women to own a business. With her two brothers, Henry and Robert, helping as drivers, she ran the business end to massive success.The marker of her success comes from this home that has survived over 140 years. With the wealth she was able to accumulate, she was able to purchase the piece of land for the home at auction, hire an architect to design the home, and built the home at the age of 27. The home itself is built in the Italianate style of architecture, having elaborate and sensitive decorative detailing. Beyond her beautiful home, however, one of the markers of her wealth is a diamond ring, fashioned in the shape of an H that remains in the family today as a symbol of her success.Unfortunately, Bettie died childless at the age of 27 due to anemia, leaving her home to her family in her will. An obituary for her in the Mobile Daily Register read, “...after a long and painful illness…” Bettie Hunter, “...departed this life, leaving behind… a large circle of acquaintances…” The obituary continued, “She bore her days of suffering with the satisfaction of … having faithfully done her duty to her fellow beings...” This tribute to Hunter, written by “A Friend,” is of enough length and praise that it can be gathered she had gained admiration and influence in Mobile before her untimely death.The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 for architectural and historical value and is still owned by Bettie Hunter’s descendants. The home was partially damaged by hurricane Frederic in 1979 and the family hopes to restore the home soon for use as an event space or art gallery, returning it to its former glory.

This beautiful two-story Italianate style home was built by a Black businesswoman and ex-slave Bettie Hunter who had moved to Mobile after the Civil War to find her fortune. With the help of her two brothers Henry and Robert, she started and managed a successful hack and carriage business transporting goods from the port to warehouses and the local market. With the fortune she amassed, she was able to purchase the piece of land for her home at auction, commission an architect, and build the home at the age of 26. Hunter died of anemia a year later at the age of 27, leaving her newly built home to her mother, brothers, and other family members. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 7th, 1985. Today the building remains in the Hunter family who hope to restore the home to its former glory.

Bettie Hunter House

Originally constructed in 1926 the Turner-Todd Motor Company building was initially built for the sale of Buicks. At the time there was a growing market of automotive dealerships in the US and particularly on St. Louis Street. As St. Louis Street became populated with dealerships the street gained the nickname of Automobile alley to Mobile residents. As the years progressed, during its time as a Buick dealership the Turner-Todd building became known as the Buick Building. In 1932 the Turner-Todd company changed its name to the Turner Motor Company. Eventually closing its doors in 1943. The building itself would continue to see use from 1944 to 2002, serving as host to several auto parts stores. Eventually, in 2008 the building would be added to the National Register of Historic Places and remain unoccupied until 2015. The building would remain vacant until in 2015 the commercial construction firm Roger &amp; Willard Inc. purchased the building and began to renovate the building. Today the building is host to Rural Sourcing Inc. an Atlanta-based software development company.

Standing on historic “Automobile Alley,” the Turner-Todd Motor Company building was constructed in 1926 for use as a car dealership. The building would serve as a dealership for Buicks until the company closed its doors in 1943. After Turner-Todd’s shutdown, the building would become host to several auto parts stores until 2002. The building was then left vacant for 13 years until 2015 and it was renovated to become office space.

 Turner-Todd Motor Company Building

The State Street AME Zion church building that stands on this plot was first built in 1854 for the African American congregation of Mobile that was founded in 1829. Records of the congregation's earlier meeting places are scarce, but it is known that the congregation had a previous structure that was lost in a fire in 1854. At the time of this church's construction, State Street was one of Alabama’s largest Black churches in the antebellum era with 500 full-time members and 50 probationary members. The congregation grew until 1865 when they voted to join the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. In response, local officials of the Methodist Episcopal Church claimed ownership over the State Street property and challenged the congregation’s right to occupy since they had changed organizational affiliation. Following the Methodist Episcopal Church’s actions, a long struggle over the rightful ownership of the property began. Thanks to the efforts of congregation members and the leadership of Reverend Wilbur G. Strong, the congregation was able to maintain control of the building. Eventually, in 1872, Reverend Strong was able to secure legal ownership of the property for the congregation. The exterior of the building remains mostly unaltered, however, the interior of the church was partially renovated around 1890-1895 to allow for greater support of the roof. The interior ceiling trusses are inspired by Gothic architecture, which was popular in the late-19th century. Other similar features such as arches and molding follow suit, making them likely from the same renovation period. State Street AME Zion Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 6th, 1978, and continues to serve the Mobile community today.

Constructed in 1854, this historic structure is the oldest Methodist church building in Mobile, Alabama. The church is notable not only for its age but also for its size and the success of its members in securing title to the building after they broke from the white-led Methodist church leadership after the Civil War. The congregation dates back to the 1820s and had been utilizing a previous building for its meetings until 1854 when that structure was lost in a fire The congregation was one of two Methodist churches established in Mobile before the Civil War. In 1978, the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places for architectural and religious significance.

State Street AME Zion Church

Originally designed and built by George B. Rogers in 1930, this building is designed after the classical revival style that was ongoing in the 1920s and 30s. Before its construction, the Mobile Public Library decided that there was a need to give a library to serve the needs of the Black community. Rogers was given $26,000 to construct a small three-room building that would serve as the Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Library. In 1961 local architect Harry Inge Johnston was contracted to design an addition to the small library, a simple one-room addition. Not long after segregation was officially ended in 1964, and the branch of the library closed with the opening of the main branch to all residents. With the closing of the branch, the building was repurposed to serve as storage for government documents. In 1983 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places for significance in Architecture. Starting in 1992, the city council of Mobile leased the library to the National African American Archives which expanded to include a museum.

This archive and museum is located in the former Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Public Library which was established in 1931 and served as a branch library for African American patrons until the 1960s when the library ended its policy of segregation. The library was the result of a campaign led by African American residents who were previously not served by Mobile Public Library. The building was designed by George B. Rogers, a Mobile architect who had previously built the library's main branch. Designed in a period when the city's public buildings featured classical revival architecture, the building cost a total of $26,000 and contained only three rooms when first constructed. After the city library ended its policy of segregation in 1964, the building was re-purposed for the storage of government documents. In 1992, the city council of Mobile leased the library to the National African-American Archives & Multicultural Museum which offers a variety of exhibits that interpret the history of African Americans in Mobile and throughout the United States. 

National African-American Archives & Multicultural Museum

The Stone Street Baptist Church has a long history of
expansion beginning in 1843 when the new branch of the church was built for the
African American congregation of the Saint Anthony Street Baptist Church. The
land that the church is built on had to be purchased by white members of the
congregation, and it was not until 25 years later when full ownership of the
land and church was given to the African American congregation. The church has
experienced moves and major renovations throughout its history. The church and
congregation has also had only 16 pastors in its 196 year history. 

The first pastor of the congregation was Richard Fields who
was succeeded by Reverend Benjamin Franklin Burke who pastored the church for
38 years. Under his leadership the church was moved from its original location
to Cleveland Street in 1870. Cleveland Street was changed to Tunstall Street
after another pastor of the church; Dr. Charles A. Tunstall who has been the
longest serving pastor of the church serving for 43 years. 

Something interesting about this church’s history is that in
1859, the church welcomed members to its congregation from the slave ship Clotilde,
which was the last slave ship to arrive in America. This ship arrived in
Mobile, Alabama in 1859 and those onboard settled in a town near Mobile called
Africatown, where many of the descendants still live today. 

The church was rebuilt in 1909 and has been renovated many
times over the years under various leadership. The church has grown to become
the most influential African American churches in Alabama. The current pastor
of the church is Reverend Milton E. Saffold. The church was added to the
National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1985. &nbsp;

Stone Street Baptist Church is an African American Baptist church located in Mobile, Alabama. The congregation was established before the American Civil War, but the church itself was established in 1843. The African American church was established from the Saint Anthony Baptist Church when white representatives of the church purchased a piece of land for the establishment of a separate African American church.

Mobile Alabama Walking Tour

International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) Hall

Introduction

Images