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Published by The University of Alabama,
The University of Alabama at Birmingham,
and the Alabama Department of Archives and History

AH Field Trips: Montevallo

3/17/2014

 
King House, University of MontevalloKing House, University of Montevallo
Montevallo holds a special place in the hearts of a few members of the Alabama Heritage team. When I was earning my teaching certification, I traveled down Highway 82 twice a week to take classes in the education department. Donna Baker actually began her collegiate studies at Montevallo before transferring to Auburn. Our team decided to visit Montevallo the campus of “Unconventional Wisdom” and the town on its latest field trip.

The Olmsted Brothers—of the landscape architecture firm famous for designing New York’s Central Park, Atlanta’s Ponce de Leon Avenue parks, and the grounds of Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina—also developed the first plan for the Montevallo campus. Their basic design ideas are still followed. One of the historic places we enjoyed was the Edmund King House built in 1823. At one point used for classrooms and an infirmary, this residential home is now used for guests who visit the campus. King was a planter and businessman who financed the earliest ironworks in the area around 1820.

Field trips with the Alabama Heritage team always conjures up interesting stories. When I was taking classes at Montevallo, I had a fellow teacher making the trek with me each week and we took turns with the driving. The very first week of class, my colleague drove and we immediately ran a redlight on campus and ended up totaling his car. No one was hurt, but we both were confused, as we had no idea why we were in a wreck and if the other car ran a stop sign. Getting out of his car, we looked around a barely noticed a traffic light. The light was painted a dark color, and was much older with lower-wattage bulbs. Up in the sky, it falls against the backdrop of the campus’s healthy trees. We were definitely at fault, but immediately went the one block down to the Town Hall to discuss it with the locals. The very next week, that traffic light was painted a bright yellow. Boy howdy did it ever stand out! (Or maybe we were just more cognizant the next trip.) Either way, the local authorities were john-on-the-spot to ensure the situation was rectified to avoid any other problems when out-of-towners like us showed up!
The Montevallo First Baptist ChurchThe Montevallo First Baptist Church, established 1855.
Downtown Montevallo definitely has a small village vibe on its Main Street with small antique shops and art supply stores nestled inside buildings dating back to the 1800s. Fun fact: We learned that Montevallo is the exact geographical center of Alabama. The First Baptist Church, established in 1855, was built on land donated by Edmund King, which then became dormitories. The current structure was built on the corner of Main Street and Middle Street in 1910. But let’s don’t leave out the most important part of our trip: lunch. As par for the course, our Alabama Heritage team prefers to eat locally, and on this day chose the Main Street Tavern. Located in an 1800s building on Main Street, the restaurant boasts a beautifully crafted wooden bar with original tile floors and fine detailing on the ceiling. Oh, and the burgers are pretty darned good!

Carved tree in Orr ParkCarved tree in Orr Park
After filling up with delicious food, our team headed over for a nice walk through Orr Park. This park is filled with beauty and quirkiness. Trees have been carved into works of art by Tim Tingle, giving that area are the park the name “Tinglewood.” The public art began in the 1990s when Tingle, a local coal miner, decided to transform storm-damaged cedar trees into people, dragons, gnomes, and other magical creatures. It’s definitely a site to behold with visitors from all over the world enjoying the unusual attraction. Just another example of someone taking the initiative to create something beautiful out of destruction. These trees will be here in Orr Park for years to come, bringing tourism to the small community of Montevallo, and smiles on the faces of those who experience it.

Country Feed Store
This abandoned Country Feed Store was found on the way to Montevallo.
AH Team
Ghidorah never looked so good!! — with Rebecca Minder, Susan Reynolds and Cindy Sanford at Orr Park.

Author

Rebecca Todd Minder is the digital media editor for Alabama Heritage.


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