School buildings touch the lives of almost everyone in a community and serve as a common thread among gene rations. Often, as in the case of Pinson, local folks contributed materials and some times even labor. Yet these structures, which mean so much to so many people, are coming down across Alabama before attempts are made to explore preservation alternatives.
The halls of Pinson Elementary School have resonated with the patter of little feet for seventy-eight years. Known as the "rock school" to many locals because of its cobblestone veneer, the building--most recently used as a day-care center--is typical of many of Alabama's historic schools of the 1920s. And like many others of the same era, the Pinson School is slated for demolition, in this case to make way for a larger school on the same site. Members of the local Turkey Creek Historical Society are trying to save the school for use as a community center or other adaptive re use. Unfortunately, they have had little success in eliciting support from the Jefferson County school board. The subject of school re use is a complicated one, involving politics, functionality, and growing school-age populations. Add shrinking budgets to this mixture, and one understands how preservation becomes a low priority. Too often, however, the situation is couched as an either/or proposition-either maintain the existing school or build a new one. There are other options, however, and it is often possible to renovate and expand an existing school for considerably less than it would cost to build a new structure. The Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Preservation Alliance have worked in tandem to convince local school boards to preserve and re use their schools. One such success is the historic Skyline School in Jackson County, which was saved from the wrecking ball and is presently being rehabilitated; another success is Mobile's Leinkauf Elementary School.
School buildings touch the lives of almost everyone in a community and serve as a common thread among gene rations. Often, as in the case of Pinson, local folks contributed materials and some times even labor. Yet these structures, which mean so much to so many people, are coming down across Alabama before attempts are made to explore preservation alternatives.
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Alabama's Endangered Historic LandmarksEach year since 1994, Alabama Heritage has highlighted threatened historic sites throughout Alabama. The “Places in Peril” list has identified more than 215 imperiled historic resources throughout the state, and is compiled by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. The locations highlight the results of deferred maintenance, perceived obsolescence, development pressures, and lack of funding—forces that now more than ever threaten our cultural legacy. But awareness is a powerful force, too, and can cultivate a renewed determination to be responsible stewards of our heritage. For more information, visit the AHC or the ATHP websites. Alabama Heritage is proud to bring to you a selection of the places designated as perilous. Please keep your comments to information relevant to the featured place in peril. Alabama Heritage reserves the right to delete any comment that we deem inappropriate. Archives
May 2023
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