Age-Herald Building
2107 5th Ave N. Next to the Redmont Hotel stands the Age- Herald Building (1910), originally home to one of the city s leading
newspapers. The sculptures on the façade owls fl anking the
globe-topped entrance pediment and owls and globes at the
cornice are said to signify the wise publication of news gathered
from all over the world.
Cathedral Church of the Advent
SE corner of 20th St & 6th Ave N. Walk a block west on 5th Ave N and then turn right
to walk a block north on 20th
St to the Cathedral Church of the Advent (1893), one of several
pioneer churches that maintain an active presence downtown. In
1982 this parish church became the cathedral of the Episcopal
Diocese of Alabama. The nave is usually open during the week,
as is the Rector s Garden that links the church and the Diocesan
headquarters to the south. There is a bookstore and a school
(K-8) within the complex.
First United Methodist Church
SW corner of 19th St & 6th Ave N. Walk a block west on 6th Ave to 19th St N to
fi nd another pioneer church,
First United Methodist (1893). An example of the Richardsonian
Romanesque style, it characteristically features textured brownstone,
rhythmic curves, and bold, deep-set arches. The interior centers on
a large auditorium with striking rose windows.
From First United Methodist Church, return to your starting point in Linn Park by walking north to Park Place, turn right to walk to the park, and then return along the west side of the park. Or if you wish to continue with Tour 2, walk 2 blocks west on 6th Ave N to Kelly Ingram Park.
UPPER DOWNTOWN
Tutwiler Hotel
SW corner Park Place & Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N. Turning south on Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, note the
Tutwiler Hotel (1914), which
was originally the Ridgely
Apartments. It was renovated
in 1986 and renamed for the city s premier hotel, which had been
demolished about a decade earlier.
Whilldin Building
513 & 517 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N. In the next block is the Whilldin
Building (1924). Its north
half (517) has a recessed
brick-and-terra-cotta façade.
Look for the name of the architect, D. O. Whilldin, incised in the
terra cotta above the windows to the left of the door that led to
his offi ce. The southern half of the building (513) has a limestone
façade. On the building s south wall is a mural celebrating the
New York Yankees, commissioned by the lawyer (and Yankees
fan) who owns the building.
Redmont Hotel
2101 5th Ave N. On the SE corner of 5th Ave N, the Redmont Hotel (1925) is a remnant of what was once, during the heyday
of train travel, a six-block stretch of hotels, from the Terminal
Station to the heart of the city. The hotel is named for Red
Mountain, on the southern edge of the city, where iron ore was
mined for Birmingham furnaces and today the statue of Vulcan
stands. The singer Hank Williams spent the night here on Dec.
30, 1952, on his way to perform in West Virginia and Ohio; he
died two days later, on Jan. 1, 1953, at age 29.