Leggs’ work to create a National Civil Rights Monument in Birmingham receives boost from NPS Designation
President Barack Obama has declared Birmingham, Alabama’s A.G. Gaston Motel—the “epicenter” of Birmingham’s civil rights movement—along with four other nearby landmarks as a national monument, one of his final executive orders before leaving the Office of the President. The Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument will forever preserve the history of the most pivotal movement of the 20th century and offer a place for reflection and education. UMD’s Clinical Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation, Brent Leggs, will continue to help lead efforts in the development of the motel and surrounding site, as part of his work as project manager for the A. G. Gaston Motel National Treasure campaign for the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP).
UMD’s Historic Preservation Program Director Don Linebaugh noted the importance of this designation, saying “The work being done by Professor Leggs and his colleagues at the National Trust, National Park Service and in Birmingham, is a huge step toward recasting the role of the preservation professional. This new role protects, preserves and acknowledges the value and dignity inherent in the stories, places and legacies of all Americans.”
Birmingham, Alabama, was a hotbed for civil rights activities in the 1960s, with the A.G. Gaston Motel at the center of some of the movement’s most turbulent chapters. Room 30, known as the “war room,” served as the meeting place for many of the movement’s top leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Ralph Abernathy and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth.
Prior to the designation by President Obama, Leggs was a committed force in advocating for the Gaston on behalf of the NTHP. Vacant for 20 years and showing significant signs of deterioration, Leggs helped secure its place on NTHP’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places; in 2015, it was deemed a National Treasure. Those efforts paved the way for Leggs to save the motel from partial demolition and set into motion a plan for active preservation and, subsequently, national protection by the federal government. With the new designation, Leggs and his colleagues at the NTHP, National Park Service and City of Birmingham can begin rehabilitation and programming efforts. The motel will be annexed with the nearby Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to become the new Freedom Center. The programming will combine interpretive, nonprofit and commercial activities, including a museum, educational offerings, a potential artist/scholars-in-residence program and a restaurant.
“The National Trust is exceptionally proud of its leadership role in Birmingham,” said Leggs. “We are honored that President Obama’s final act ensures the perpetual preservation of America’s diverse cultural heritage.”
The Gaston will join other landmarks of Birmingham's Civil Rights District, including the 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, Bethel Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, as part of the nationally-protected site.
Learn more about the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, here.