The Sand Town community is a significant story of resilience. The descendants of those who worked tirelessly to establish this historically significant African American neighborhood continue to reside in the area. Though many of the community’s original physical components have disappeared from the landscape, the community strongly desires to salvage and revitalize what remains, prohibit any unsympathetic development, and preserve its long history to ensure Sand Town and its stories and memories remain in the consciousness of generations to come.
The Sand Town community is the oldest African American neighborhood in Mobile and one of the oldest African American communities developed in the United States. Established in 1845 by former enslaved persons and free people of color, the community was built on land deemed inhabitable by the city. Located west of I-65, the community currently occupies roughly forty acres, a small portion of its original size. The original inhabitants constructed their own schools, churches, residences, and other buildings. At the conclusion of the Civil War, over half of Alabama’s free Blacks called Sand Town home. Mt. Hebron Methodist Church was founded in 1874, and in 1875, the Rising Sons Cemetery was established behind the church. The church housed the Spring Hill School for Negro Children until the late 1940s. The cemetery is still extant today. Spring Hill College initiated the construction of a log cabin in 1937 that served as the St. Augustine Catholic Church for Colored Catholics in the area. The cabin stood until 1963, and salvaged windows and doors are evident in the current Mt. Hebron AMEZ Church.
The Sand Town community is a significant story of resilience. The descendants of those who worked tirelessly to establish this historically significant African American neighborhood continue to reside in the area. Though many of the community’s original physical components have disappeared from the landscape, the community strongly desires to salvage and revitalize what remains, prohibit any unsympathetic development, and preserve its long history to ensure Sand Town and its stories and memories remain in the consciousness of generations to come.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
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 2024
|