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Birmingham At 150: Built To Last Written by Cary Estes, Jennifer Walker-Journey, and Benjamin Tomlin Featuring the photography of Nik Layman, Art Meripol, and Jeremy Dove
Ronald P. Beers, Publisher John Compton, Associate Publisher Wendi Lohr Lewis, Editor Katie Taff, Managing Editor Amye King, Designer Kurt Niland, Proofreader Gary Pulliam, Print and Production Management Laura Gilstrap, Assistant to the Publisher Cover image by Art Meripol Beers & Associates, LLC 9241 Bradford Place Montgomery, Alabama 36117 Beersandassociates.net 334-396-2896 © Beers & Associates, LLC All Rights Reserved Published 2025 Second Edition ISBN: 978-1-935921-84-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2025936653
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information herein. However, the authors and Beers & Associates are not responsible for any errors or omissions that might have occurred. Printing and Production by Friesens Corporation. Printed in Canada.
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Art Meripol
16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH One of the oldest congregations in the city and the first black church to organize there in 1873, only two years after Birmingham’s founding, the 16th Street Baptist Church holds tremendous historical significance. Founded as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama, the church hosted a number of significant speakers and guests from the pages of black history, including W.E.B. DuBois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Paul Robeson, Ralph Bunche, and many more, leading the church to become a center for leadership during the Civil Rights movement of the twentieth century. However, the darkest and most painful event of the church’s history occurred on September 15th, 1963. That Sunday morning, a bomb set by members of the Ku Klux Klan exploded, killing four young girls, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair, and injuring twenty-two more. Described by Martin Luther King Jr. as “one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity,” the terror of this attack caused the nation to know the church by name and marked the bitter cruelty of those marching against the rights of African Americans. Today, the church is honored as a member of the African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium and allows tours of its memorials and educational exhibits for those interested in learning the church’s important place in history. Pictured at right, this painting by Birmingham artist Steve R. Skipper, titled “In Perfect Peace,” captures the artist’s vision of the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth visiting the 16th Street Baptist Church. Inspired by God, this vision depicts Rev. Shuttlesworth watched over by a guardian angel behind him and the four little girls killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist church alongside him. The girls are joined arm-in-arm as Civil Rights soldiers would. 40 Photo Credit
41 “In Perfect Peace” by Steve R. Skipper
Nik Layman
HOMEWOOD In south Jefferson County, Homewood is known for many things, including its A+ education opportunities. As the home of Samford University, Homewood places itself as a spot for professional, academic, and personal development for young adults and families. Homewood is also home to the Rosendale and Hollywood historic districts, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Homewood has a diverse assortment of shops and communities that welcome all to make it their home.
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Photo courtesy City of Vestavia Hills
VESTAVIA HILLS Vestavia Hills crosses through Jefferson and Shelby counties. Its visitors can stop by for its annual Dogwood Festival every Spring, a local event that includes pageants, performances, and community activities. The City has an involved education system between five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school that is devoted to ensuring Vestavia Hills’ future is a bright one. Pictured above is the Miracle League Opening Day 2021. The Miracle League removes the barriers that keep children with mental and physical disabilities off the baseball field and lets them experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime. Teams play and practice on a customdesigned, rubberized turf field that accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent injuries. The Miracle League Field in Vestavia Hills is located at Wald Park on Highway 31 South. Among Vestavia’s green spaces is McCallum Park, pictured at left, a pet-friendly secluded park in a residential area featuring pavilions and trails. Little Shades Creek meanders through the park. 61 Nik Layman
CRAFT BEER While attending Auburn University in the 1990s, Birmingham natives Jason Malone and Michael Sellers decided that one day they would start their own business. Homebrewing was a hobby for the two, and in 2006, they decided to take their hobby to the next level. They, along with friend Eric Schultenover, created Good People Brewing Company, LLC with the plan of starting a craft brewery. Two years later, Good People Brewing Co. sold its first craft beer on July 4, 2008. In 2008, Good People Brewing Co. was the only manufacturer of beer in Alabama, and this was the first time Birmingham had seen a locally produced beer in almost two decades. Good People Brewing Co.’s original home was in a basement in the 5 Points Neighborhood across from Highlands Bar and Grill. In 2009, Good People worked hand in hand with the Free the Hops movement to reform some of the harsh laws in Alabama that limited consumer options and brewery production for many years. These reforms opened the door for what is now a vibrant industry in Alabama. In 2010, the brewery moved to larger space on 14th street in the warehouse district prior to the completion of Railroad Park and prior to the announcement of the new baseball stadium (now known as the Parkview District). In 2011, Good People Brewing became the first brewery in the South to can craft beer in what is now the standard in packaged beer throughout the United States.
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CRAFT BEER The brewing industry continues to serve a critical role in urban and small-town redevelopment and revitalization by drawing communities together for entertainment, food, and recreation in a setting that combines a production and hospitality environment. Today, Good People Brewing Co. owns and operates Avondale Brewing Co. located in the historic Avondale Neighborhood and has collaborated with other breweries in Alabama to open The Brewers Cooperative in other cities in Alabama. Pictured below left is Nell Barron Griswold sitting on Miss Fancy the elephant at Avondale Park. Miss Fancy was a famous resident of the Avondale Zoo, an early fixture of Avondale Park. The Avondale Brewing Company adopted Miss Fancy as its mascot, with the slogan “Stay Fancy.”
Photo courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library
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Art Meripol
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Nik Layman, Photographer Nik Layman is a photographer and producer specializing in corporate and medical editorial, portraiture, and all kinds of people photography. For the last 16 years, he has developed commercial and artistic projects in Birmingham for such clients as UAB Health Systems, Alabama Power, American Family Care, Tacala, Alabama NewsCenter, Girls Inc. of Central Alabama, Ronald McDonald House, and the Birmingham Museum of Art. Nik is inspired by telling a story through images and delivering a message with clarity and sensitivity. A Montevallo native and UAB graduate, Nik lives in Birmingham with his wife, Angela, and their two Havanese, Chewie and Jabba the Pup. Art Meripol, Photographer Art Meripol began his career as a newspaper photojournalist before joining Southern Living Magazine as Senior Photographer for Travel. After 24 years of travel for the magazine, Art began freelancing in 2013 shooting for a variety of local and national publications. Two recent projects included the tasty book Alabama Barbecue Delicious Road Trips for Alabama Tourism and the National Addy award-winning book What Happened Here Changed the World. Art’s 70s and 80s concert photography is represented by rockpaperphoto.com, the definitive place for pop culture fine art prints. More of his work can be found at artmeripol.com. Jennifer Walker-Journey, Profile Writer Jennifer is a local freelance journalist whose work has been featured in USA Today, Better Homes and Gardens, Health, Shape, Sea Island Life and Omni magazines, and HowStuffWorks.com. Additionally, she was a contributing writer for the 1998 book, Birmingham: Magic for the New Millennium, also published by Beers and Associates.
Photo courtesy of The World Games
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Art Meripol
Photo courtesy Grandview Medical Center
Nik Layman
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BIRMINGHAM AT 150: BUILT TO LAST
Cary Estes, Profile Writer Cary Estes is a freelance writer based in Birmingham, Ala. He has written for a wide variety of publications, websites, and organizations, including the Alabama Tourism Department, Associated Press, Business Alabama magazine, Delta Sky magazine, ESPN.com, Livability.com, NBCsports.com, PGATour.com, Sports Illustrated and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He previously spent 15 years working as a sportswriter at the Birmingham Post-Herald. His writing philosophy is, “Everybody has a story to tell.”
BUILT TO LAST EST. 1871
Birmingham stands as a center of culture, business, industry, entertainment, and education in northcentral Alabama. The beauty of the Birmingham skyline presents a glimpse at the diverse opportunities the region offers to both visitors and those who call it home and a clue as to why it has been known as “The Magic City.” Founded in 1871, the city’s long history as a nexus of industrial growth, with iron ore, coal, and limestone production bringing generations to the area in eras past, makes it a place rich in history, and the city has expanded in time to serve as a landmark in the South and a stage for critical moments in the Civil Rights Movement and American history. Birmingham’s development as a hub of outstanding voices and progress has fostered an environment that goes to show the city is truly a place where magic continues to happen. In 2021, the city celebrated its Sesquicentennial. This book celebrates the people, places, and communities that make the Birmingham Metro area a center for excellence in Alabama and beyond.
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Art Meripol
Written by Cary Estes, Jennifer-Walker Journey, and Ben Tomlin Featuring the photography of Nik Layman and Art Meripol