Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)

IMG 7074 Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)
Unveiling of the A.G. Gaston Boulevard signs at the A.G. Gaston Motel on July 1, 2019. Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin was joined by Sen. Doug Jones and community leaders today in the courtyard of the A.G. Gaston Motel to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the landmark’s opening.

DSC 1383 Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)
A.G. Gaston Motel is past of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now

A momentous place in U.S. history, the Gaston Motel was where civil rights leaders the Rev. Martin Luther King, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and others gathered to develop strategies during Birmingham’s civil rights movement of 1963.

A.G. Gaston, a Birmingham African-American millionaire, opened the motel on July 1, 1954 to offer first-class lodging, entertainment and dining options for African-Americans traveling through a segregated South. Notable celebrities such as Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington and Harry Belefonte stayed at the motel. In the 1950s and 60s, African Americans found few motels or hotels that would cater to them simply because of the color of their skin.

“The A.G. Gaston Motel represents Mr. Gaston’s entrepreneurial excellence and where history happened,’’ said Mayor Woodfin. “Many people visiting the motel, put their lives on the line for civil and human rights so that we all could experience a better America.’’

DSC 2182 Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)
Senator Doug Jones and Mayor Randall Woodfin at the A.G. Gaston Motel ceremony, June 1, 2019. Photo by Jon Eastwood

Alabama Senator Doug Jones added:

Throughout the country, we restore those places of freedom whether it is Philadelphia, Boston, areas that are famous for freedom and liberty. But there is no place more famous for freedom than right here in Birmingham, Alabama.

DSC 2191 Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)
Birmingham “Foot Soldiers” of 1963 attending the A.G. Gaston Motel ceremony.
Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now

There is no bell like the liberty bell in Philadelphia.  There is no bell at the A.G. Gaston Motel.  But I guarantee you that at room 30 freedom was ringing out every time there was a strategy session, every time there was a meeting. People like these folks over here (pointing to the Foot Soldiers of 1963 in the audience) took to the streets of Birmingham, freedom was ringing out. And we cannot forget that.

Restoration of the A.G. Gaston Motel

Closed in 1986, today, the National Park Service and the City of Birmingham are partnering to restore the motel to its original look. Crews have been assessing the roof, windows, doors, frames, brick exterior, etc. to determine what is needed to restore the building to its historical significance of 1963. A. G. Gaston Construction Co. will perform the historic restoration.

The project is expected to be completed by December 2021. It will serve as a visitors’ center as well as a place for meetings and more.

A.G. Gaston Boulevard honorary designation

IMG 7039 Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)
Unveiling of the A.G. Gaston Boulevard signs at the A.G. Gaston Motel on July 1, 2019. Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now

Along with several events celebrating the anniversary, the city will be honorary designating  Fifth Avenue between 15th Street and 16thStreet North as A.G Gaston Boulevard. Mayor Woodfin, Senator Jones, Gaston’s family and community leaders were on hand for the unveiling.

Additional events

In addition to the morning ceremonies, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is proving a sneak peek of the their new exhibit, “A. G. Gaston: The Man and His Legacy,” which features the contributions and achievements of A. G. Gaston. The exhibit, officially opens on July 2, 2019.

IMG 9404 Birmingham celebrates 65th Anniversary of A.G. Gaston Motel and designates A.G. Gaston Blvd. (Photos)
Nicholas Perkins, President and CEO of Perkins Management Services Company and the presenting sponsor of BCRI’s A.G. Gaston exhibition. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

Other events include the “It Began at Bethel” and reception at the historic Bethel Baptist Church, where Birmingham’s civil rights movement began in the 1950s under the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. The address is 3200 28th Ave. North.

“Community Conversations: Birmingham’s Black Business District,” presented by Urban Impact and the A.G. Gaston Conference, at the Ballard House, 1420 Seventh Ave. North.

Collecting Stories

Last, in effort to preserve memories and history the City of Birmingham is collecting people’s stories and photos of the A.G. Gaston Motel. To share, please submit memories, photos and/or phone numbers to gastonstories@birminghamal.gov.

For more information about the restoration project, please visit www.birminghamal.gov/gaston.

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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