Yearly Archives: 2016

Flintstone House
at 3126 Jasmine Road, was built in the early 1960s by William J. “Bill” Brennan, one of the owners of The Big Bam, Montgomery’s renowned 50,000-watt radio station.  The Brennan Brothers were radio broadcast innovators of the 1950s and 60s, when they owned and operated powerhouse stations in Jacksonville, Chattanooga, […]

Flintstone House

 in Residential  tagged flintstone
Bishop Parker
at 152 Coosa Street (across from the stadium) was built as a Schloss & Kahn wholesale  grocery warehouse in 1905. Its current use signals the 1995 return of that venerable old furniture store to the downtown area whence it came. BP founder Charlie Parker was my wife’s uncle. -Charles Humphries

Bishop Parker Warehouse

 in Commercial  tagged bishop / parker / warehouse
Forensics Lab
on the corner of Norman Bridge and Carter Hill Roads, was completed recently. It anchors the SW corner of the ASU campus, and signals the conclusion of a political struggle that extended over a decade. For years Forensics was the underfunded stepchild of State government, and had to choose between […]

State Forensics Lab

 in Government  tagged forensics / lab
Some of you won’t believe it, but in 1970 this pink and black structure at 2827 East South Boulevard was the Montgomery presence of the University of Alabama. At the time this was a hot property, situated directly across the boulevard from highly successful neighbors Wal-Mart, Gulf American Insurance and the […]

University of Alabama Montgomery Presence

 in Education  tagged university
Lucas Tavern
Relocated to and restored on this corner in Old Alabama Town in 1980. It’s original location was East Montgomery County, near Waugh, where it had been built in 1818 as a wayside hotel and tavern. Supposedly it hosted the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825. In 1845 the structure became a […]

Lucas Tavern

 in Residential  tagged lucas / oldest / tavern
Bus Council
The headquarters is at 2 North Jackson Street, sits right behind the huge Gordon Persons Building, very appropriate since Persons was the last businessman governor we’ve managed to elect. The Council represents over 5,000 Alabama businesses, and was formed in 1985 with the merger of the Alabama Chamber of Commerce and […]

Business Council of Alabama

 in Commercial  tagged business / council
John Knox
at 4401 Narrow Lane Road, opened in 1970 as a new concept in elder-care. It was built by the East Alabama Presbytery, using some kind of Federal grant, offering “Christian care” assisted living apartments for retired people. A highly rated skilled nursing facility was added in 1976, and a dementia […]

John Knox Manor

 in Commercial / Religious  tagged elder / john / knox / manor
Winter-Loeb
at 105 Tallapoosa Street was a 1903 collaboration between architect Frank Lockwood and contractor Algenon Blair. The keystone arch theme almost gives it a whimsical feel. The Winter-Loeb wholesale grocery company was organized circa 1895 by immigrants Isaac Winter and his brother-in-law, Jacques Loeb. My wife’s grandfather, Edward Eugene Langham, […]

Winter-Loeb Building

 in Commercial  tagged loeb / winter
Flowers Hall
was constructed in 1910 in English Tudor Gothic style, following the lead of prominent East coast colleges. It was the first building on the new 55-acre campus of the Women’s College of Alabama, and for many years it was the only building.  During those early years Flowers housed classrooms, the […]

Huntingdon Flowers Hall

 in Education  tagged flowers / huntingdon
County Health Department
at 3060 Mobile Highway was built by the County Commission in 1994. It is operated under the authority of the State Health Department (Mobile and Jefferson County Health Departments are independent). The first floor of this building is one of six primary health care centers in our county, and it […]

County Health Department

 in Government  tagged county / health
County Jails
  The new jail (on the right) connects to the old jail (on the left) via a bridge across McDonough Street. The new facility, with its 700 bed capacity, brings the total capacity up to 1100. That’s hard to believe, considering that for 30 years 1957-1986 our county jail capacity […]

County Jails

 in Government  tagged county / jail
MCC
…founded 1903, is situated on Narrow Lane Road at the head of Fairview Avenue. Their present handsome clubhouse (pictured) is pseudo Greek Revival, called that because its exterior is synthetic stucco on Styrofoam. Their first club, built 1905, was on Carter Hill at the head of Narrow Lane. Their second […]

Montgomery Country Club

 in Commercial  tagged club / country / mcc
Intermodal Parking Deck
The deck is positioned to serve RiverWalk activities, Biscuit games, the Convention Center, Train Shed functions, the Alley bars, and the RSA’s new performing arts center. The bridge towers which lead across the tracks to the river walk are visible on the right end. The deck, including the bridge, cost $17 […]

Intermodal Parking Deck

 in Government  tagged bus / deck / intermodal / parking
Advertiser Plant
located adjacent to the Intermodal Deck on Molton. The Advertiser, predecessor of which was founded in 1829, is today only a cog in the Gannett media chain. But it had a proud and illustrious history. It claims to have been the leading newspaper of the Confederate States. The paper has […]

Advertiser Plant

 in Commercial  tagged advertiser
Hilltop Arms
High above the City at 600 Montgomery Street was probably built with much pride about 1950. I actually worked there in a first floor office for a few months in 1954. Today it is a failed, abandoned blight which looms over our downtown. All its windows are broken out, no […]

Hilltop Arms

 in Commercial  tagged arms / hilltop