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.