Exploring Montgomery

The storytelling continues… a collection of stories and photos from Exploring Montgomery!

Monthly Archives: June 2018

“They are always here to help.” — The Inter-library Loan and Access Services Librarian, Karen Williams The Ida Belle Young library tower is a 10 story tall building located on the campus of Auburn University at Montgomery. The library was built in two different phases. The first phase of the building was […]

Ida Belle Young Library Tower

June 29, 2018 in Education tagged aum media writing / ida bell / library / tower

Exploring the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery Throughout the country there are other Shakespeare festivals, yet Alabama’s is credited for being among the best this country has to offer. History The Alabama Shakespeare Festival has been a center point for Montgomery since 1985. However, “ASF” has not always been situated […]

Theatre on the Mind

June 25, 2018 in Education tagged ASF / aum media writing / theatre

“I can’t imagine worshipping anywhere else. There is so much history, so much strength built into this church.”- Maria Thomas, Head Secretary of Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church Old Ship African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is the oldest African-American church in the city of Montgomery. The church’s beginning dates way […]

Old Ship African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

June 22, 2018 in Religious tagged ame / aum media writing / church / old ship / zion

The State Farmers Market in Montgomery is a family-friendly market located off of Federal Drive next to the Alabama National Fairgrounds Garrett Coliseum, and near the Montgomery Zoo. According to the owner, Jean Wright, the market was built in 1986 by the state of Alabama. Today, the building still operates […]

State Farmer’s Market

June 18, 2018 in Commercial tagged aum media writing / farmer / market

The well-regarded Healthsouth Rehab Hospital, 70-beds strong, an arm of the once giant nationwide hospital chain based in Birmingham. It proudly stands out on the Narrow Lane Road, looking so crisp and tony, that no one would ever suspect that it is a remnant of the Richard Scrushy accounting scandal […]

Healthsouth Rehab Hospital

June 15, 2018 in Commercial tagged healthsouth / hospital / rehab

The home of John J Dowe and his progeny for a hundred years or more. It is noteworthy, not for what it is, but for what it once was. I had been told that this house was formerly a Victorian adorned Italianate design, which featured “Gorgas Home” curved steps leading […]

Dowe House

June 11, 2018 in Residential tagged dowe / historic registry

Up in the grand old Cottage Hills District, stands nonchalantly amongst its historic neighbors, just like it belonged there. And I guess it does. This unassuming youngster was built to be a Bed n’ Breakfast by Mark Waldo in 1987, and was designed to replicate a Victorian Cottage of 1887. […]

Red Bluff Cottage B&B

June 8, 2018 in Commercial / Residential tagged bed and breakfast / red bluff

When driving along with the fast moving traffic on our Southern loop road, it’s easy to overlook this rather imposing structure. At one time, perhaps 50 years back, this stretch was the hottest strip of real estate in town, and this was the new home offices of The Gulf American […]

Gulf American Fire & Casualty Insurance Company

June 4, 2018 in Commercial tagged american / casualty / gulf / insurance

It was built in 1994, the same year that its identical twin, the Rufus Lewis Branch, was erected out on the Mobile Highway at the head of Air Base Blvd. Tit for tat. Step into one of these and you feel like you have entered a fortress. What has our […]

E. L. Lowder Regional Branch Library

June 1, 2018 in Education / Government tagged library / lowder