Issue 116, Spring 2015
On the cover: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Prairieville. [Robin McDonald]
Features
Richard Upjohn’s Gothic Revival in Antebellum Alabama
By Stephen McNair
As Alabama moved into its statehood, the landscape shifted to reflect the needs of its growing population. In some cases, settlers constructed whatever seemed expedient, but in other instances–including Episcopal churches throughout the new state–people thought a great deal about how a building’s design could influence its use. Stephen McNair explores this trend, explaining the idea behind the Ecclesiological Gothic–the school of thought that states that church architecture should reflect the very practices of its parishioners–and highlighting several of Alabama’s significant church buildings.
Harry: Faithful Unto Death
By Christopher Lyle McIlwain Sr.
In October 1854 Lincoln and Douglas held the first of their now-storied debates. And a dormitory fire broke out at Howard College, then located in Marion, Alabama. Although not related in any overt way, both of these events offer insight into the tensions that were then building across the nation. In Marion, Harry, a slave owned by the college president, rushed into the dorm to save students, ultimately sacrificing his own life to save theirs. As the town of Marion and the college community determined how best to commemorate this slave’s action, the nation continued its divisive path toward war.
“Such a Lovely Gift”: Hugh Martin’s Musical Legacy
By Maridith Walker Gender
If you’ve ever seen Meet Me in St. Louis or The Wizard of Oz, chances are you’ve enjoyed the music of Hugh Martin. Martin, an Alabama native who trained at the Birmingham conservatory, soon moved to New York and California, where he established himself as a noted figure in film and musical circles. He befriended Judy Garland, who appreciated his musical talents–but not always his advice. After trauma from his service in World War II, Martin stepped away from show business, eventually moving to California, but he thought about music until the end of his life.
A Portrait in the Pane: Lightning Photography and the Carrollton Courthouse Window Legend
By Will McCarry
Thanks to the rich storytelling abilities of Kathryn Tucker Windham, most Alabamians know the story of Carrollton and the face that haunts its courthouse window. Or at least they think they know the story. In actuality the courthouse window legend remains a historical and scientific mystery that illuminates how nineteenth-century Alabamians saw their community, new technological and scientific developments, and their relationship to the natural world.
Departments
Southern Architecture and Preservation
Of Carrots and Sticks: The National Register of Historic Places
By Susan Enzweiler
In the five decades of its existence, the National Register of Historic Places has recognized a number of historically significant structures throughout the United States. However, its role in historic preservation remains somewhat mysterious to many people. Susan Enzweiler illuminates the work of the register, explaining its purpose and mission–and how it can help with your own preservation needs.
Becoming Alabama
Quarter by Quarter
By Joseph W. Pearson, Megan L. Bever, and Matthew Downs
This installment of “Becoming Alabama” revisits the desertion of troops from the War of 1812, the waning days of the Civil War and the reactions of everyday Alabamians to the changes sweeping their nation, and the events fifty years ago in Selma. In each case these tumultuous and often violent events held repercussions that helped shape both the state and the nation.
Editor’s Note: Alabama Heritage, the Summersell Center for Study of the South, the University of Alabama Department of History, and the Alabama Tourism Department offer this department as a part of the statewide “Becoming Alabama” initiative—a cooperative venture of state organizations to commemorate Alabama’s experiences related to the Creek War, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement. Quarter by quarter we will take you to the corresponding seasons 200, 150, and 50 years ago—sometimes describing the most pivotal events, sometimes describing daily life, but always illuminating a world in flux. We will wait for the ultimate outcomes as our forbears did—over time.
Alabama Governors
Israel Pickens
By Samuel L. Webb
Israel Pickens, Alabama’s third governor, relocated to the state from North Carolina, where he had held a distinguished political career. Extremely popular with citizens, Pickens proved most significant for his policies on economics and the role of banking.
From the Archives
The Long Arc of Civil Rights History in Alabama
By Steve Murray
As the nation commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of a crucial year in its civil rights history, Alabama Heritage reflects on the various roles the state has played in this history. Steve Murray guides readers through the collection at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, highlighting artifacts that reflect the complicated yet significant role Alabama played in the civil rights movement.
Portraits & Landscapes
Cornel Wilde and Cathedral Caverns
By Whitney A. Snow
For a brief period in the late 1950s, a small Alabama community felt like Hollywood–at least to its residents. When film executives decided to use Cathedral Caverns, near Guntersville, as the site of a new movie, the community blossomed, filling with directors and actors. Many citizens befriended the actors, who entered into everyday Alabama life–to a point. The film was never actually made, leaving Cathedral Caverns and its cinematic potential untapped. For Guntersville residents, though, the excitement remained.
Revealing Hidden Collections
The Birmingham History Center
By Jerry Desmond
For decades, Birmingham lacked a site dedicated to its own history. As officials have worked to change that, collection items have poured in, being donated from a number of significant sources, but also appearing in such incongruous places as a trash receptacle. As items accumulate the History Center seeks a space in which to display its growing collection.
Reading the Southern Past
Alabama and The Great War
This quarter’s installment of “Reading the Southern Past” explores Alabama’s role in World War I, considering two primary texts on that subject. Nimrod T. Frazer’s Send the Alabamians: World War I Fighters in the Rainbow Division (University of Alabama Press, 2014) offers a deep history of the 167th (Alabama) Infantry Division and its significant role in the war, including its remarkable service in the Battle of Croix Rouge. The Great War in the Heart of Dixie: Alabama During World War I, edited by Martin T. Olliff (University of Alabama Press, 2008), offers a broader picture of the state’s wartime conditions and circumstances. Taken together, these books provide a telling depiction of Alabama’s wartime roles.
