Click image to enlarge. 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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