
![]() Neglect and lack of funds threaten Barton Academy, one of Alabama’s finest early Greek Revival buildings and one of the nation’s oldest remaining public school buildings. Designed in 1836 by nationally prominent New York architects James Gallier, Charles Dakin, and James Dakin, Barton Academy won national acclaim for its architectural excellence. In spite of its overwhelming significance, there is little public sentiment for the building. Lacking routine maintenance, the building deteriorates further, and the cost of repairing it increases. The Mobile Board of Education, which uses the building as its central office, thinks it cannot address the maintenance issues without provoking public outrage over the cost. The board wants to relocate its offices, leaving Barton Academy without a firm plan for reuse. Local advocates suggest it could be an arts magnet school—a good use for Alabama’s first public school building.
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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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