In September 1983, a decade after it closed, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark Museum opened with much fanfare. Published in an Editorial of The Birmingham News, “Sloss has its greatest importance as a living museum, reflecting much of Birmingham’s social, industrial and cultural history.” When first opened, Sloss chose to focus on the more positive parts of its history. Yet today, Sloss historian Malugani says that “we are striving now to make sure space is given equally to explain both the positives and the negatives so that people can leave with an accurate and fuller understanding of industry's impact on Birmingham.” This explanation includes the darker history of convict leasing, and the prisoners they used as laborers in Sloss coal mines. Malugani says that what they want visitors to come away with is “An understanding of the mental, emotional, and physical strength that men had to exhibit to work here, all in the name of providing a better future for their families.”
When deciding to turn the furnace into a museum, they had major issues to resolve, such as the size of the site. As Malugani states, “the sheer scope of the site can be overwhelming.” He also said, “It is incredibly expensive to preserve a site like this.” Other debates included keeping everything original vs restoring. For example, the laboratory was heavily damaged, and they debated rebuilding it. They ultimately decided to keep everything as original as possible.
When visiting Sloss Furnace it is obvious why the Birmingham communities would want to save this beautiful historic site. Malugani describes their message to the public as “a three-part story: how vital the iron industry was to start(ing) and building Birmingham, the process of making iron at a site like ours, and the experiences of the men who worked in this type of industry.” I discovered when I visited Sloss Furnaces that they had effectively told this story. You could not be in this landmark site without picturing what it was like in its heyday. You could almost feel the oppressive heat from the forge and see the workers going about their normal day. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark Museum is not only a vital piece of history for Birmingham but also to all Alabamians.
Additional resources
- “Chamber’s Conclusion Furnace Land as Park Ruled Out.” The Birmingham News, 18 Mar. 1976.
- Crowe, Bill. “City Voters Mostly Agreed Action Needed; Sloss Only Real Point of Difference.” The Birmingham News, 11 May 1977.
- DXR. 26 July 2016. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloss_Furnaces#/media/File:Sloss_Furnaces,_Birmingham_AL,_North_view_20160714_1.jpg. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
- “History.” Sloss Furnaces, 9 Jan. 2018, www.slossfurnaces.com/history/.
- Malugani, Tyler. Personal interview 5 Apr. 2024.
- Rigney, Topsy Smith. “Sloss Foundry a Landmark.” The Birmingham News, 13 Apr. 1976.
- “Sloss Stirs Again.” The Birmingham News, 2 Sept. 1983.