A cautionary tale: Birmingham's historic losses

Filed Under Developer, Downtown Birmingham, Front Page, Historic Preservation

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“Time has no mercy. The wrecker’s battering ball is always eager. Fire is indiscriminate. And together they have taken a sad and heavy toll of structures which were once social landmarks, many of which grew up with the city and some of which are etched forever on the image of a younger, vanished Birmingham.” – The Birmingham News, December 19, 1971 

In case you haven’t heard, May is National Historic Preservation Month, as so celebrated for years by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service. Here in Birmingham, a city rich in history and culture, this month-long celebration is not only a reminder to take stock of the historic treasures and charm we currently possess, but a time to mourn those we no longer have.  

“You can’t save that.” 

“It’s too far gone.” 

“It’s too expensive.” 

These are the words that often precede the loss of amazing buildings – places that would have otherwise enhanced the character and authenticity of the Magic City. But this attitude simply won’t do.  

Now more than ever, with the cost of new construction rising, the case for historic preservation and adaptive reuse is not only cultural, but economic. That’s not to say that preservation is cheap, but it’s important to note there are many more financial tools and incentives available for historic rehabilitation. These range from state and Federal historic tax credits, preservation easements, and property tax reductions. If you tear down a historic building, none of those tools are available to you. 

Additionally, preservation enhances real estate values and fosters local businesses, keeping historic main streets and downtowns economically viable. Heritage tourism is a real economic force, one that is evident in places that have made the effort to preserve their historic character. 

Progress and preservation are not at odds with one another. Rather, preservation spurs innovation – you can look to the ten powerful examples of historic preservation in action we shared earlier this month for evidence of that. But preservation is also intentional. It does not and will not happen by accident. Instead, historic preservation is the result of collective effort. That looks like… 

  • The public sector enshrining preservation in public policy and creating dedicated incentives for preservation 
  • Businesses and developers prioritizing preservation in their projects 
  • The design community learning to make preservation affordable and possible for their clients 

As we reach the end of Historic Preservation Month, we invite you to join the champions of preservation and to continue advocating for these special places year-round. 

That said, this piece is ultimately a cautionary tale. Let us now dive into a non-comprehensive collection of the buildings – and heritage – Birmingham did not save.

Birmingham Terminal Station

This is the one we all know about. The Birmingham Terminal Station, completed in 1909 on 26th Street North (now Carraway Boulevard), was the city’s primary railway station until the 1950s. Modeled after Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine-inspired building spanned two blocks and featured a domed central waiting room with a skylight, two 130-foot towers at the North and South wings, and many amenities. Its ornate appearance alone didn’t earn its reputation as a temple of travel, though. During its peak, 54 passenger trains passed through per day. However, when car and air travel became more popular, that number later dwindled down to just six. The once iconic structure was abandoned and neglected before it was torn down in 1969 with support of the Public Service Commission and the City despite opposition. 

Lunsford Hotel

Built in 1887 by George and Susan Lunsford, this five-story hotel was constructed with brick and terra-cotta. The building, located at 209-211 21st Street North, served as the first home for the Birmingham Medical College at its founding in 1894, one of the predecessors to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Over the years, the building changed hands, housing various hospitality concepts: Colonial Hotel (1904), New Colonial Hotel (1920), and Milner Hotel (1930s). Sometime after the 1950s, the top three floors of the structure were removed and the facade modernized with limestone. In 2009, the building was demolished, and owner George Barber sought to sell the lot to help encourage economic development. Today, the site stands as a parking lot. 

The Birmingham Southern Freight Depot

The Birmingham Southern Railroad freight depot was a two-story brick building at 14 14th Street North in Railroad Reservation. It was constructed around 1928 by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company‘s Birmingham Southern Railroad (BSRR). The building continued to serve as TCI’s primary downtown freight depot into the 1970s. In 2014 Alagasco announced plans to demolish the vacant structure as part of the redevelopment of the entire block as a new Alagasco Metro Operations Center. Sadly, the portion of the site with the handsome Depot became a parking lot and is still a parking lot today.   

The Birmingham News Building

Once located on the corner of 22nd Street and 4th Avenue North were offices for the Birmingham News – a local news-printing company that operated from 1888 to 2012. Erected in 1917, the six-story building was fashioned in the Jacobethan style and built by Birmingham-based architectural firm, Warren, Knight & Davis. Later, it would also house a joint Birmingham Post-Herald News. The building was demolished in 2007 due to a claim that it was financially infeasible to renovate the aging structure. Despite concerns about the loss of this landmark, the City allowed the News to demolish the building instead of creating a re-use strategy. A new, four-story building was constructed across the street for the News to reside, and the site of the historic building became a parking lot, as it remains today.

Fabric Buildings

Don’t be deceived by the name – when we say fabric buildings, we’re not referring to textile mills. What we’re talking about are the smaller buildings that together, thanks to their historic character, contribute to the makeup of a historic district. These buildings are important to the sense of place we have downtown, but when they are missing leave noticeable gaps in the integrity and experience of downtown. Too often these buildings are torn down to be parking lots. We lose these buildings one by one, and, before we know it, have lost the authenticity of the street. Some examples are: 

  • Junior League Building – 1st Avenue North: Torn down for parking lot for Fairfield Inn in 2017 
  • Hillman Hotel (pictured) – 4th Avenue and 19th Street North: 1901 hotel that was torn down in 1967 for a parking lot, as it remains today 
  • Terry Building – Southeast corner of 19th Street and 2nd Avenue North: 1882 retail building demolished in 1980s for parking 

This blog is the third and final part of our 2024 Historic Preservation Month series. To read part one, click here. To read part two, click here.

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