Old Alabama Town Is One of the Best of the Montgomery Day Trips

The Old Alabama Town along with the Landmarks Foundation and the City of Montgomery, with the purchase of the Ordeman House in 1967, cemented a unique partnership.

This partnership has resulted in the restoration and the interpretation of over 50 authentically restored 19th and early 20th century structures the stretch along six blocks in downtown historic Montgomery.

Old Alabama Town Reception AreaOld Alabama Town Reception Area

Since opening to the public in 1971, the Ordeman House has become the center or the nucleus around which Landmarks Old Alabama Town has grown.

The Mission of the Landmarks Foundation and Old Alabama Town

Pictures of Old Montgomery TownPictures of Old Alabama Town

Through its historic village, visitors are able to view authentically restored as well as furnished buildings that reflect the lives and people who built Central Alabama.

The Landmark Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established in 1967 to foster and encourage historic preservation movements in Montgomery Alabama.

It oversees Old Alabama Town and works as an independent entity on community preservation and restoration projects.  

The mission of the Landmarks Foundation and Old Alabama Town is not only to preserve Central Alabama’s architectural structures; it is to interpret and present it, as well as its history and culture.

This can be accomplished by doing the following

  • Identifying historic at-risk properties
  • Join with other community groups to preserve these properties
  • Oversee the restoration of these at-risk properties
  • Authentically restore these properties to their origin
  • Operate the outdoor history museum, Old Alabama Town
  • Operate as guides to the 60,000 plus annual visitors

Located in the heart of Montgomery historic downtown, the Landmarks Foundation has imitated an innovative recycling project as well, to complement its preservation efforts.

Since it first historic restoration project for the City of Montgomery in the year 1967, Landmarks has come across many interiors as well as exterior later added materials.

These addition materials must be removed in order to accomplish the original restoration as present in their mission statement for old Alabama Town.

In this process, Landmarks did not want to pollute the public landfill with perfectly good items, so they established what is referred to as “Rescued Relics.”

This is a not-for-profit salvage warehouse the offers many historic architectural materials from a variety of styles and themes.

For anyone that has just completed a restoration project on a historic home, “Rescued Relics” accepts anything that is pre-1960.

This includes building materials as well as anything of use from other renovations or remodels.

All of these donations are tax deductible, and all the proceeds go directly to Old Alabama Town and Landmarks.

What is Old Alabama Town?

North Hull Street Grocery in Old Alabama TownPicture Two of Old Alabama Town

Old Alabama Town is an outdoor Museum that focuses on what life was like in Central Alabama during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Located just a few blocks for the state capital of Alabama, it offers visitors a living history experience and also provides a place for the restoration projects by the Landmarks Foundation.

The facility covers six Montgomery blocks and is home to more than 50 historic buildings.

There are self-guided tours that both demonstrate as well as educate the public on all aspects of how early life was in Alabama.

The houses that are located on North Hill Street offers visitors a view of the architectural styles of both the 19th and 20th centuries.

The main impetuses for the original creation of Old Alabama Town lie in the efforts to preserve Montgomery’s very own First White House of the Confederacy.

Before Old Alabama Town was born, the White House’s Association s struggled for more than 20 years to do two things.

The first was to restore the Capital to its original state, and the second was to find a home for it near the state capital.

It was these efforts that sparked the drive to preserve and restore as much of Downtown Montgomery as was possible.

In 1967, the Montgomery City Commission established a non-profit Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery (LFM), to do just that.

In 1968 the LFM purchased the Ordeman House, as mentioned above, and by 1990 the LFM had purchased and restored more than 30 structures.

Some of the Restorations 

Restored House in Old Alabama TownPicture Three of Old Alabama Town

Here is a partial list of some of their restorations of Old Alabama Town

  • The Molton House-Circa 1850’s-acquired in 1993
  • The Dogtrot-Circa 1850” s-acquired in 1979
  • The Cram-Lakin House-Circa 1850’s-acquired in the 1980’s
  • The Graves Haigler House-Circa 1841-acquired in the 1980’s
  • The Martin-Barnes House-Circa 1834-acquired in 1981
  • The Ware-Farley-Hood House-Circa 1850’s-acquired in 1989
  • The Church-Circa 1888-acquired in 1977
  • The Thompson Mansion-Circa 1850’s-acquired in 1988
  • The Lucas Tavern-Circa 1810’s-acquired in 1980
  • The Adams Chapel School-Circa 1895-acquired in 1982
  • The Ordeman-Mitchell-Shaw House-Circa 1850’s-acquired in 1996

Old Alabama Town is a historic and very interesting place to on one of your Montgomery day trips.

It is well worth your time.

References

http://www.landmarksfoundation.com/about-us

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