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Established by local citizens in 2004, the Birmingham History Center works to preserve historic buildings and spaces as well as offering museum exhibits that share and interpret the history of the city. The museum opened in April 2010 with the support of donations, including a generous gift from the Thomas E. Jernigan Family Foundation. The museum moved to this location but its museum closed in 2013. The History Center's collections are in storage at the Pythian Building and the organization is searching for a more permanent home as of September 2017. In addition to its office, the History Center maintains newsletters, programs, and a website that includes many images and stories from the city's past.&nbsp;

The Pythian Building was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1980.

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Completed in 1913 for the Alabama Penny Savings Bank, this building was acquired by the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias two years later when the bank closed its doors. The building was later acquired by African American entrepreneur A. G. Gaston who is best known as the owner of the hotel that was bombed while Martin Luther King Jr. was staying at the hotel. Gaston operated the Booker T. Washington INsurance Company, an important business at mid-century when African Americans were often unable to secure life insurance from white-owned companies without paying substantially more than white clients. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and became home to the Birmingham History Center for a short time. 

Pythian Building

With just a short walk through the center of Birmingham, visitors to the city can explore over a dozen historical buildings and landmarks. This tour includes sites that reflect all aspects of the city's history, from the Civil War to civil rights as well as business, industry, religion, and culture. The tour also includes some of the leading downtown museums. Enjoy!

History of Birmingham Walking Tour

This walking tour includes several locations that are part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, composed of several sites in downtown Birmingham that are also part of the Birmingham Civil Rights district. This national monument covers eighteen acres and includes beautiful sculptures and important buildings that were the site of planning meetings, peaceful protests, and violent attacks. Highlights of the tour include Kelly Ingram Park, the 16th St. Baptist Church, and the A.G. Gaston Motel. The tour also includes museums and organizations dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the civil rights movement.

Birmingham Civil Rights Walking Tour

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Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art is owned by the City of Birmingham and is located in a building was completed in 1959 and expanded in 1993 to 180,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for exhibits, including an outdoor sculpture garden. Guests to the museum should allow at least two or three hours to tour the collection, being sure to leave time to view the&nbsp;Kress Collection of Renaissance and Baroque works. This collection offers a variety of paintings and sculpture from the Middle Ages to the late Renaissance period and include everything from ceramics and armor to fine European decorative furnishings and&nbsp;furniture.1

Vietnamese ceramics, Renaissance and Baroque paintings, European sculpture, and the largest collection of Wedgewood outside of England gives the Birmingham Museum of Art  one of the most expansive and diverse collections of art in the American South. The museum offers a variety of seasonal exhibitions and programs, as well as exhibits drawn from its permanent collection of more than 24,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and other works of art. The museum's collection is best-known for its works from throughout the region, including pre-Columbian and Native American art as well as one of the finest collections of works from Southern artists of the 19th and 20th century. The museum also holds works from Europe, South America, the Middle East, and throughout Africa. Of these international collections, the museum’s collection of art from Asia is best-known, and considered by many to be the most comprehensive of its kind in the region.  

Birmingham Museum of Art

Scholars have been careful to differentiate between Confederate monuments that were built and dedicated at&nbsp;cemeteries shortly after the war and those that were built at the turn of the century. While the early monuments emphasized the valor of individual soldiers, many of the monuments of the early 1900s&nbsp;were grandiose statues that placed Confederate leaders on horseback. The fact that these statues were placed in prominent locations and&nbsp;resemble those of conquering forces have not been lost on scholars, who are quick to connect these statues to the celebration of the "Lost Cause" and a desire to erase the history of the South's defeat and Reconstruction. This monument blends aspects of both eras. Speeches at the dedication spoke of "Southern rights" - a phrase that connoted the South's desire for control over local matters including race relations. At the same time, the dedication of this monument included calls for reconciliation with the North by two women who were both leaders of the effort to raise funds for the monument. Absent from the remarks of these two women are the indirect and sometimes direct&nbsp;references to white racial solidarity that were often present at other Confederate monument dedications.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the summer of 2015, Birmingham Park and Recreation Board voted unanimously in favor of moving the monument to "an appropriate location." The future of the monument is uncertain, while many local residents express concern with each of the proposed courses of action for fear that removal might lead to unintended consequences. Some suggest that the monument be moved to a museum where it could be accompanied by historic interpretation of the war, slavery, and the state of race relations throughout the city when the monument was created. At that time, schools were cancelled so that children could join their parents in celebrating April 26th as "Confederate Memorial Day."&nbsp;

This Confederate monument, a 52-foot sandstone obelisk, was dedicated in 1905 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The monument has stood at the entrance to Linn Park for over a century, but renewed concern about the Confederacy's support of slavery and other forms of racial discrimination led many Birmingham residents to call for the removal of the statue in recent years. In addition, many believe that the quote selected for inclusion on the monument glorifies war by stating that "the manner of their death (Confederate soldiers) was the crowning glory of their lives." 

Confederate Veterans Memorial Monument

The congregation was founded in 1872, just after the city was founded. The church was built during the city's real estate and iron industry boom, and some of its members were prominent players in these industries. The church was declared a cathedral in 1982, and underwent restoration between 1999-2005.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Cathedral Church of the Advent (home to an Episcopalian congregation) is one of the oldest churches in the city and one of the few structures left from the Victorian period. It is a well-preserved example of English Gothic Revival architecture, which is often characterized by stained glass windows, a crenellated bell tower, and pointed arches. It was completed in 1885 though was first occupied two years earlier.  

Cathedral Church of the Advent

The building was expanded to include a separate administration building in 1921. The building was again expanded in 1950 and once again in&nbsp;1964 when the congregation celebrated the addition of&nbsp;a new building for Sunday School and other&nbsp;educational activities.&nbsp;The Sanctuary underwent a major renovation in 1972, which included cutting a new entrance into the rear of the original Sanctuary building. In 2014, the Sanctuary underwent a second major renovation that restored the interior to its original 1891 coloring and detail.

First United Methodist Church was founded in 1872 and became the "Mother Church" form many Birmingham-area congregations. The original congregation utilized rented space before building their first home-a modest frame building that served as the church's home until a brick structure was built in 1883. As the congregation continued to grow, the church leaders worked to raise funds that allowed for the completion of this building and sanctuary in 1891. Among the many intriguing features of the interior is a marble baptismal font made by Tiffany and Company. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

First United Methodist Church

The congregation was established as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham in 1873, only eight years after the end of the Civil War. The city ordered the demolition of the congregation's first church in&nbsp;1908. While city officials maintained that the building was unsafe, members of the congregation believed that the city's action was motivated by a desire to punish church members for challenging the rigid racial caste system that typified many Southern cities.&nbsp; During the 1960s, 16th Street Baptist Church served as a meeting place for civil rights groups. Congregants often met to hear talks by Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, James Bevel, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other local and national civil rights leaders. Congregants were often threatened for their participation in civil rights activities and there were over fifty bombings of homes and churches associated with the civil rights movement in Birmingham during the 1950s and 1960s.&nbsp;&nbsp; The most infamous and deadly of these attacks occurred here on September 15, 1963. On that Sunday morning,&nbsp;three members of the Klu Klux Klan, Thomas Blanton, Robert Chambliss, and Bobby Cherry, exploded nineteen sticks of dynamite outside the basement of the church. The explosion killed four girls, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise Mcnair. Over twenty others were injured during the explosion. This further angered protesters and set forth a series of events to help the Civil Rights Movement, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
Now, the church has been undergoing extensive maintenance and repair work mainly because of water damage. The Church, as of 2006, was designated a National Historic Landmark. The church membership is about 500 people,, with thousands of visitors annually. The church, along with its pastor, Reverend Arthur Price, offer drug counseling, as well as human rights history events.

Established in 1873, this historic congregation has served the black community of Birmingham from the time of Reconstruction. The church served an important role during the Civil Rights Movement which led white supremacists to target the church and its members. The church was designated as a National Historical Landmark owing to the the tragic events of September 15, 1963 when white supremacists detonated explosives that killed four young girls and injured many more during a Sunday service. 

16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham

Fred Shuttlesworth was born in Mount Meigs, Alabama
on March 18, 1922 during the height of segregation in the south. Years later
his family moved to Birmingham for better economic opportunities where he
graduated from Rosedale High School as valedictorian. He then went on to work
as a truck driver at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile during World War II. He
married his first wife Ruby in 1941; they would have four children together
before divorcing in 1970. 

In 1943 Shuttlesworth
answered his calling to become a minister and attended Cedar Grove Bible
College in Mobile, Alabama. He later transferred to Selma University and then
to Alabama State College where he graduated from in 1952. After graduation he
became the pastor of Selma’s First Baptist Church he was not there long before
indifference with the deacons led to his departure. He did not let the issues
he had at Selma’s First Baptist Church get him down and in 1953 he became
pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Fred Shuttlesworth was
a very outspoken person, he became involved in many civil rights activities
over the years in attempts to end the brutality against his people and acquire
equal rights for all. After it was declared that the NAACP was not allowed to
operate in the state of Alabama, Shuttlesworth, along with Ed Gardner, established
the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights to continue work that was
formerly being done by the NAACP. The ACMHR demanded that the Birmingham Police
department become integrated, and when these pleas were ignored they responded
by suing. Fred was also active in organizing efforts to desegregate buses when
the first attempt on his life took place.&nbsp;
On Christmas day his house was bombed while he was inside. He survived
this attack on his life and did not allow it to silence his voice in the civil
rights movement.

In 1957 Shuttlesworth
along with seven others founded the Southern Leadership Conference; they were
committed to a nonviolent approach and because Fred was so headstrong he had a
hard time following this philosophy and was known for antagonizing his
opponents as well as his colleagues. Because of this conflict he moved to
Cincinnati in 1961 to become pastor of the Revelation Baptist Church. This did
not stop his efforts in Alabama as he would often return to help the cause. 

In 1957 there was a
second attempt on Shuttleworth’s life; he and his wife were attempting to
enroll their children in a previously all white school in Birmingham when they
were attacked by members of the Klan. He was severely beaten and his wife Ruby
was stabbed Shuttlesworth drove himself and his wife to the hospital, they both
survived. This was not the last attempt on his life. In 1958 Shuttlesworth
survived an attempted bombing at his church; he was not injured because the
bomb was spotted and moved before it could do damage. 

&nbsp;He did not allow any of these attempts to
silence his voice and over the next several years he continued his fight for
desegregation. In 1960 he participated in sit-ins against segregated lunch
counters, and in 1961 participated in the organization of the Freedom Rides. Later
in 1963 he lead a campaign called Project “C” to desegregate through however,
the conviction was later overturned. Fred was also involved in marches in St. Augustine
Florida which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Movement of 1964. One year
later he was involved in the march from Selma to Montgomery which led to the
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Shuttlesworth founded
the Greater New Light Baptist Church in 1966 and two years later founded the
Shuttlesworth Housing Foundation to help those who are unable to buy their own
homes. He served as pastor of the&nbsp;Greater New Light Baptist Church for the next several
years announcing his retirement in January of 2006. Two months later he gave
his last sermon on March 18, 2006 which was the weekend of his 84th
birthday. Shuttlesworth remarried and continued to travel the country speaking
on Civil Rights until he suffered a stroke in 2008. On October 27th
2008 the Birmingham airport was renamed in his honor as the&nbsp;Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. On October 5th 2011 Fred
Shuttlesworth died at Princeton Baptist Medical Center. This marker pay tribute to his courage and service in&nbsp;fighting for equal rights for all Americans.&nbsp;

Reverend Fred Lee Shuttlesworth was a prominent civil rights activist in Birmingham and a leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s organization of black ministers who supported the civil rights movement and together with other organizations, helped to shape the direction of the American civil right movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Shuttlesworth served among leaders such as Ralph Abernathy, Bayard Rustin, and Ella Baker. The SCLC was committed to a non-violent approach and came to support many of the direct action campaigns waged by students. Shuttlesworth spent four years working with SCLC before he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to become the Pastor of Revelation Baptist Church. Although he had moved to Ohio, Shuttlesworth remained involved in the Birmingham Campaign and returned to the city often. Fred survived two murder attempts. In addition, his wife was stabbed and he was beaten in front of his children. This marker was placed on 16th Street in Birmingham in honor of his service and sacrifice throughout the movement. 

Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth Historic Marker

The Institute's location in Birmingham is significant given the violent history of the city during the Civil Rights Movement. Encouraged by the city's chief of&nbsp;public safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, white civilians, government leaders, and even the police committed acts of violence against African Americans who attempted to vote or defy city and state segregation ordinances. Attempting to learn from the past, change the image of the city, and support progress towards racial equality, mayor David Vann proposed the creation of a museum and civic organization dedicated to preserving the history of the civil rights movement in 1978. Vann envisioned the museum as a "living institution" that would also support open dialogue about&nbsp;modern-day concerns and civil rights initiatives. Vann received little support from other white residents in 1978, but&nbsp;Richard Arrington, Jr., who succeeded Vann and&nbsp;became the city's first black mayor kept the dream alive. After several&nbsp;bond measures&nbsp;dedicated to&nbsp;the creation of a civil rights&nbsp;museum and institute were rejected by voters, city officials worked to fund the creation of the institute by using general revenue bonds. Together with individual and corporate donations, the institute became a reality in 1992.

Established in 1992, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute includes exhibits and programs related to the history of the civil rights movement in Alabama and throughout the United Stats. Over two million people have visited the institute while thousands of teachers participate in the Institute's teacher education program and/or benefit from educational materials created by the scholars employed at or by the Institute. Visitors can take a self-tour or a guided tour of the Institute's exhibitions. Scholars and members of the public can also use the Institute's archival collections related to the history of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is located in the Civil Rights District&nbsp; and is one of the leading attractions for visitors to the city. The&nbsp;institute opened in 1993 and includes exhibits that preserve, interpret, and share the many&nbsp;struggles and victories of the civil rights movement.&nbsp;The district is also home to the&nbsp;Gaston Hotel, a black-owned business that served as&nbsp;a meeting place for Martin Luther King's&nbsp;Southern Christian Leadership Conference.&nbsp;16th Street Baptist Church is most famous for the tragic bombing by white supremacists on September 15, 1963 that injured 22 and killed four young girls. The church was targeted for its activity in the movement, including its role as a place where young people trained in non-violent tactics prior to the&nbsp;1963 Children's Campaign. <div> </div><div>The district is anchored by&nbsp;Kelly Ingram Park, the scene of several civil rights protests that led to some of&nbsp;the most famous images of police turning firehouses and dogs&nbsp;on black children who were practicing their right of non-violent protest. These images helped to&nbsp;turn the tide of public opinion against those who sought to maintain&nbsp;segregation. The park includes a number of plaques and&nbsp;sculptures that preserve the history of those protests.&nbsp;</div>

The Birmingham Civil Rights District covers six blocks where a number of historic events that shaped the American Civil Rights Movement occurred. The city of Birmingham outlined and designated this area as a historic district in 1992. In the following decades, the city created a number of statues honoring the leaders and participants of the civil rights movement. In addition to these monuments in the park, the district includes Carver Theater, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Gaston Hotel, 16th Street Baptist Church, and Kelly Ingram Park where several civil rights protests occurred. 

Kelly Ingram Park and Civil Rights District

Constructed in 1954 by a businessman A. G. Gaston, this hotel offered modern amenities to African American travelers and later became an informal headquarters of civil rights groups. The motel was built with 32 guest rooms including a few master suites. Every room in the motel provided heat and air-conditioning in addition to&nbsp;private bathrooms, in-room telephone service, and jukeboxes. The hotel also boasted a dining room complete with a cocktail lounge. The lounge featured performances of African American&nbsp;entertainers including Little Richard and Stevie Wonder. &nbsp; The Gaston Motel provided accommodations for many national Civil Rights leaders as they visited Birmingham. Gaston was a supporter of the movement but also found that he needed to keep some of his support private else he might experience backlash from white city leaders. Under pressure, Gaston chose to speak out against some of the direct action techniques of civil rights protesters although he still welcomed civil rights leaders to his hotel and allowed visiting members of Martin Luther King Jr.'s&nbsp;&nbsp;Southern Christian Leadership committee to plan&nbsp;the Birmingham Campaign within the walls of the his motel. Martin Luther King Jr. was staying in the Gaston Motel when he decided to submit himself for arrest as a show of solidarity with the local Birmingham protesters.Following his arrest,&nbsp;King composed the famous "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" that castigated reluctant white supporters who counseled African Americans to be "patient" and accept segregation in the near-term. The document outlined King's ideas on racial justice and commitment to non-violent tactics to induce a positive, palpable change. Upon King's return to the hotel, white supremacists exploded a bomb&nbsp;adjacent to King's room causing destruction to the front of the motel. President Kennedy initiated Operation Oak Tree as part of his effort to restore order after white supremacists perpetrated attacks against African Americans throughout Birmingham in 1963. Bombings of the A. G. Gaston Motel and the King residence shortly after the Birmingham Truce had been signed forced Kennedy to end his vacation early and order the National Guard into a state of readiness. Prior to the wave of bombings that forced Kennedy into action, many hoped the Birmingham Truce would would be a step towards ending segregation by establishing a bi-racial committee and securing promises by civil rights groups and city leaders to work together. Outrage over these plans lead to the outbreak of violence by opponents of racial equality. President Kennedy responded to the renewed violence by preparing federal troops as part of Operation Oak Tree. The potential of having federal troops take control of the city helped white moderates regain control of the city and the bi-racial committee was reestablished.&nbsp; In recent years, preservationists have prevented the demolition of the hotel and efforts are underway to restore the building as a&nbsp;hotel and conference center. The renovated hotel would feature an interactive display to educate visitors about its role in history. The City of Birmingham currently owns the hotel and plans to annex it to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

The A. G. Gaston Motel is a former motel located in Birmingham's "Civil Rights District." The motel was first opened in 1954 and acted as a headquarters for the Civil Rights Movement taking place in Birmingham. The Gaston motel was also an important business for African American travelers in the era of Jim Crow because it allowed black visitors a modern hotel where they could stay with dignity. With the exception of rented rooms, the hotel was the only modern hotel that was open to African Americans in the entire city of Birmingham. 

A. G. Gaston Motel

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame features two thousand square feet of exhibit space that convey the history and accomplishments of musicians with ties to the state of Alabama such as Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington. The museum dates back to meetings that began in 1978 and a variety of exhibits and events that connected Birmingham residents to the history of jazz music prior to the opening of the current museum on September 18, 1993. The museum sponsors performances around the city and works with teachers and community leaders to brings jazz to young people.

Opening in 1935, Carver Theatre was one of the leading venues for film and the performing arts for the African American community of Birmingham. Built during the Great Depression and expanded in the boom years following World War II, this theater offered all of the beauty and modern conveniences of some of the grandest downtown venues with air-conditioning and seating for 1300 patrons by 1945. Like other theaters, this downtown venue fell into disrepair as fewer residents patronized downtown theaters in the 1980s. In 1990, the city of Birmingham launched a project to restore the historic theater, which opened two venues—the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Museum and the performing arts center—in 1993. 

The Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts and Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

&nbsp;As consumer tastes shifted away from downtown hotels, this 19-story hotel was sold to a chain that rebranded the grand hotel in 1972. However, the Cabana Hotel was short-lived, and the space later was used for apartments before being acquired and space in the building being leased to businesses as part of the Leer Tower. Like the other post-1972 owners, the operators of Leer Tower were unable to maintain the building. As of December 2015, plans are in place to convert the historic building into luxury condominiums.&nbsp;

Construction on the Thomas Jefferson Hotel began in 1925 and was completed in 1929-just prior to the stock market crash. Reflecting the optimism of its boosters and others who hoped Birmingham would become an international destination, the hotel was equipped with a rooftop system designed to moor Zeppelin airships and other dirigibles. Sadly, no airship ever docked to the building. However, the hotel was famous for ornate marble lobby, luxury retailers, and its ballrooms and grand dining room.

Thomas Jefferson Hotel, 1925-1972

<div>The theater was built by Paramount to release its silent films. Because there were several other theater options in the area, Paramount chose to include air conditioning to attract customers. The Wurlitzer&nbsp;organ was highly sought after, even after the theater fell into disrepair. Because of its rarity, the Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society approached the building owners to purchase the instrument. The owners, however, realized this was their chance to sell the building and told the Society that they could only get the organ if they bought the building. As this was the last noted ornate example of the Mighty Wurlitzer, the Society agreed. The Society formed Birmingham Landmarks in 1987 and raised enough money to save both the building and the organ. </div><div> </div><div>The Alabama was restored in 1998. The Theatre still screens classic films. However, they have branched out to allow various cultural engagements such as symphonies, the ballet, and concerts.&nbsp;</div><div> </div>

The Alabama Theatre was built by the Paramount-Publix Corporation in 1927. The theater was originally the only venue in Birmingham to seat over 2,500 people and was also the first public venue in Alabama to have air conditioning, a true selling point during the summer. Originally used for silent films, the theater was equipped with a detailed Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Eventually the theater became less used and went up for sale. The American Theatre Organ Society sought to purchase the organ but the realtors would only sell the instrument along with the theater, which did not stop them. In 1998 the Theatre underwent renovations and is now open to theater, concert, and symphony performances. 

Alabama Theatre 

The museum's permanent exhibits include: The World of Water Aquarium--this exhibit includes&nbsp;several tanks that offer views of the of plants and animals found in area&nbsp;river systems, lakes, and oceans. These aquariums include&nbsp;eel, the moon jellyfish, clownfish. The Fox 6 Weather lab offers an inside view of the world of&nbsp;meteorology and the science of weather.&nbsp;The Explore! Lab that offers&nbsp;hands-on exploration of geology, paleontology, anthropology and zoology.&nbsp;The Alabama Dinosaurs exhibit features fossils discovered around the state. The Sea Monsters exhibit includes fossils and recreations of giant turtles, various reptiles,&nbsp;and even a&nbsp;mosasaur. For the adventurous, there is a&nbsp;&nbsp;a high-wire bicycle that safely transports children across the museum&nbsp;

In 1998, Discovery Place and Red Mountain Museum merged to create McWane Science Center, an interactive science museum for children and parents. This science and children's museum is located in the former Loveman's department store building, and offers a number of programs, exhibits, and an IMAX® Dome Theater. The former department store, which closed in 1980, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Art Deco architecture and its contribution to Birmingham's economic development. 

McWane Science Center

Jemison Magazine&nbsp;proclaimed the intersection to&nbsp;be the&nbsp;"Heaviest Corner in the South" in 1911. As the years wet by, this name was changed to the boasterous claim that this was actually the largest collection of skyscrappers in the world.&nbsp;While this claim was never meant to be taken literally, the phrase appealed to those who hoped Birmingham could compete in some way with the large and growing metropolitan cities of the east.&nbsp;

City boosters dubbed the corner of 20th Street and 1st Avenue North"The Heaviest Corner on Earth" due to the existence of four large buildings bordering this intersection. The name reflected the optimism of city boosters following the completion of four of the tallest buildings in the South within a single decade-an occurrence that Birmingham residences saw as evidence that their city would become one of the leading American cities. The corner is home to the 10-story Woodward Building, completed in 1902, the 16-story Brown Marx Building, completed in 1906, 16-story Empire Building, completed in 1909, and the 21-story American Trust and Savings Bank Building, completed in 1912.

The Heaviest Corner on Earth Marker

&nbsp; On June 21, 1918 Supreme Commander Foch asked General Pershing to 
move the “Rainbow” Division to the Champagne-Marne to help the French in
 the coming battle to save Paris. The entire 42nd Division took part in 
that defense that stopped the German “Peace Offensive” on July 15, 1918.
 The brunt of the Central Powers assault in the Champagne was taken by 
the 167th (Alabama) Infantry Regiment and the 109th French Regiment. For
 that battle, Colonel Screws replaced Major Hartley A. Moon as commander
 of his 2nd Battalion with Captain Everett H. Jackson, placing Jackson’s
 PC in the command post of his French counterpart. It was the first 
change of leadership in the Alabama regiment and all three battalions of
 the 167th were deemed by French commanders to have fought fiercely and 
well.&nbsp; This
 marker, topped by the Adrian helmet used by the French troops in the 
second half of WWI, commemorates the place where Allied troops stopped 
the German during the Champagne battle. The marker is placed at about 
the height of the Intermediate Line where two French companies and 
Companies E and F of the Alabama 167th withheld severe attacks launched 
by the Germans.
General Gouraud said that the “Rainbow” put a new spirit into France.&nbsp; Foch immediately put the victorious Allied Army on the offensive. 
Four days after winning in the Champagne, he ordered a Franco-American 
drive northeast from the town of Chateau-Thierry. The 167th (Alabama), 
with its sister regiment in the 84th Brigade, the168th (Iowa) on its 
right flank, led the “Rainbow” Division push into a great battle at 
Croix Rouge Farm on July 26, 1918. There the Alabama regiment lost 162 
killed, including 3 Lieutenants and 2 Captains, company commanders. More
 than 1,000 from the 167th (Alabama) were wounded. But their victory 
forced the Germans to retreat to positions on the east of the Ourcq 
River, about six miles from the Croix Rouge Farm.
On the next day, July 27, the weakened 167th (Alabama) and 168th 
(Iowa) regiments of the 84th Brigade were joined by the “Rainbow’s” 
fresh 83rd Brigade. Regiments abreast, the full “Rainbow” Division 
attacked across the Ourcq River on the morning of July 28, and opened 
the battles on the hills east of the river. Corporal Sidney Manning of 
Company G of the 167th (Alabama) was recommended for the Congressional 
Medal of Honor for his heroic work in that morning’s attack.
The regimental operations officer, Captain Mortimer H. Jordan, M.D. 
was wounded that day and died in a field hospital. Command of F Company,
 Gadsden, passed twice that morning due to wounds. Command of G. 
Company, Ozark, passed due to wounds. Command of the combined 1st and 
3rd battalions was passed from Major Dallas B. Smith to Captain Ravee 
Norris. Lieutenant Colonel Bare, regimental executive officer was gassed
 and evacuated. Major Carroll took over command of the forward PC from 
him but was wounded. Captain Herman W. Thompson, commanding H Company, 
was seriously wounded and evacuated.
The 84th Brigade’s commander, Brigadier General Robert A. Brown was 
relieved during the battle by Colonel Douglas MacArthur on the 
recommendation of Major General Menoher, commander of the “Rainbow.” The
 168th (Iowa) regiment’s commander, Colonel E. R. Bennett, was replaced 
by Lieutenant Colonel Mathew A. Tinley. An Iowa battalion commander was 
also replaced.
After four days of hard fighting by both sides, the Germans began a 
massive retreat toward the Rhine River on August 2, 1918. Casualties in 
this operation for the “Rainbow” were 184 officers and 5,469 men.
The 42nd Division, reequipped and brought back to full strength, was 
ordered to take part in the all American attack at St. Mihiel. After 
more than a week of night marches to the jump off position, the division
 attacked on September 11, 1918, delivering the main blow in the 
direction of the heights overlooking the Madine River. Just as at the 
Croix Rouge Farm, C Company and D Company of the 167th (Alabama) led the
 “Rainbow” assault force. The attack was a total surprise to the Germans
 and came at a time when they had begun to retreat. The 167th objective 
was accomplished by nightfall of the first day. Thirteen American 
divisions, about half a million men, took part in the highly successful 
operation.The Rainbow Viaduct is Dedicated to the Memory of the Jefferson County 
Members of the 167th Infantry, Rainbow Division of Whom were Killed in Action or Died of Wounds in the World War 1914 - 1918.

On May 19, 1919, soon after its completion, this 21st Street Viaduct was named the Rainbow Viaduct in tribute to Alabama’s famous 167th Infantry of the Rainbow Division. Renowned for bravery and honor, the 167th was the nation’s only regiment in World War I referred to by its home state – “The Alabama.” Made up of men from throughout Alabama, including a large number from Birmingham, this regiment had to its credit the following brave deeds, among countless others:

 Advanced furthest its German lines – to Sedan
 Took the first German prisoners captured by Americans
 Only Rainbow Regiment to achieve two Honor Medals
 Fought in trenches two days longer than any other American regiment

The only Southern regiment in the first army at occupation on Rhine, the 167th fought in the battles of Luneville, Baccarat, Esperance-Souain, Champagne-Marne, Red Cross Farm following Chateau-Thierry, Alsne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Essey-Paunes, Meuse-Argonne, Sedan.

The Rainbow Viaduct Marker

In the late 1880s, Birmingham experienced the beginning of an economic boom, as ironmaking and real estate began to take off. This was the catalyst that enable the construction of the cathedral. In 1913, the church was designated a permanent parish. It became a co-cathedral with the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham in 1954 before being elevated to full cathedral status in 1969.

St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the more architecturally striking houses of worship in Birmingham. The Victorian Gothic structure was built in 1893, replacing a wood-frame church constructed in 1872. The cathedral is an excellent representation of an American version of neo-gothic architecture, featuring steeply pitched spires and gables, polished granite columnns, hanging lanterns, and an exterior with of strong contrasting colors. As the first Roman Catholic Church in Jefferson County, St. Paul's is the the "mother church" for northern Alabama. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

History of Birmingham Walking Tour

Pythian Building

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information