Restoration Work Begins on Historic A.G. Gaston Motel
Work has begun to restore the motel that was a key location for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and others during the civil rights movement, officials announced Wednesday. The A.G. Gaston Motel is part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, designated by President Barack Obama in 2017. The city expects the renovations to be complete by December 2021.
Retired Birmingham educator Odessa Woolfolk remembers when the A.G. Gaston Motel had a lounge and a restaurant. It was the only local motel for blacks before the civil rights movement forced integration of public accommodations.
The Rev. Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders including the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy often used Room 30 to strategize for the movement. It was bombed in May 1963 but later repaired.
The motel closed in the 1970s, and it has been boarded up for decades. Now, crews are inspecting the building to determine the best way to restore it. An architect specializing in historic preservation is assisting with the restoration.
The $10 million restoration is part of a partnership with the National Park Service and the City of Birmingham.
Woolfolk, Mayor Randall Woodfin and Council President Valerie Abbott were among the speakers at a press conference Wednesday to talk about the project.
“We’ve been waiting, as a the councilor said, a long time,” Woolfolk said. “And I’m hoping I’m still around when this is done.”
Woolfolk said the motel is significant because of its rich history and the lessons it can teach visitors.
Birmingham businessman A.G. Gaston opened the motel in July 1954.
“We’re going to reminisce about the past, but that’s only because the past is a springboard to a greater future,” Woolfolk said.
In addition to the its role in the civil rights movement, the motel was also a social gathering place for dinners, wedding receptions and celebrity performances.
Woodfin wants people to share their A.G. Gaston Motel memories by sending photos and other information to [email protected] by May 15.
Tributes, not politics, play center stage as Trump hosts the Kennedy Center Honors
President Trump said he was closely involved with picking the honorees, and on Sunday he became the first president to host the Kennedy Center awards ceremony.
Thailand launches airstrikes along border with Cambodia as tensions reignite
Both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens.
Rafael Ithier, a legend of salsa music, dies at 99
The pianist, composer and arranger spent more than six decades turning El Gran Combo into one of the premier salsa institutions of Latin America and beyond.
Light from satellites will ruin majority of some space telescope images, study says
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments.
Defense Department is reviewing boat strike video for possible release, Hegseth says
In a speech on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying: "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests."
Bama, Miami in, Notre Dame out and Indiana No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year's College Football Playoff.
