Welsh Delegation at 16th Street Baptist Church — (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

On Monday, October 28, The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Birmingham’s historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was one of ten recipients of the 2024 National Preservation Award.

Read on to learn more about this award and why Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was chosen.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church chosen for 2024 National Preservation Award

Great news for Birmingham! The National Trust for Historic Preservation—a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on historic preservation—chose Sixteenth Street Baptist Church as one of this year’s National Preservation Awards.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s awards program traces its roots back to 1960 and highlights distinguished individuals, nonprofits, public agencies and corporations that give new meaning to their communities through skillful and determined preservation work.

“In our continued effort to celebrate the power of place, we gather at this PastForward Conference to honor some of the most effective leaders in the field of preservation.

Whether preserving and honoring African American burial grounds, or repurposing a former newspaper headquarters into a thriving downtown center, the efforts of our 2024 awardees have activated meaningful sites to serve the public good.”
Carol Quillen, President and CEO, National Trust for Historic Preservation

According to a press release, the 2024 National Preservation Awards recipients include:

Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award: Thomas K. Butt (Richmond, CA)
President’s Award: Camille & Duncan Strachan (New Orleans, LA)
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award: Journal Square Block (Milwaukee, WI)
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award: Hinchliffe Stadium (Paterson, NJ)
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award: Barton Academy of Advanced World Studies (Mobile, AL)
Emerging Leaders Award: Dolly Marshall (Lawnside, NJ)
NTHP / ACHP Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation: Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument Designations (Chicago, IL and Sumner, MS and Glendora, MS)
Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence: Historic Columbia (Columbia, SC)
Trustees’ Emeritus Award for Historic Site Stewardship: Sixteenth Street Baptist Church (Birmingham, AL)
John H. Chafee Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Public Policy: Former U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (Montpelier, VT)

“We are deeply honored to accept this recognition on behalf of the Birmingham community.

Our sanctuary is a sacred space in every sense, and we are proud to continue on its legacy and history.”
Rev. Arthur Price Jr., Pastor, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Here’s what The National Trust for Historic Preservation had to say about Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church has successfully restored its buildings and become a shining example of preservation, cultural revitalization, and social activism. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the church served as the organizational headquarters, site of mass meetings, and rallying point for African Americans protesting widespread institutionalized racism in Birmingham, Alabama. The Ku Klux Klan bombing of the church in 1963 was followed by President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act into law. Today, the church remains committed to serving the community, as well as the more than 100,000 tourists who visit annually to tour the redesigned educational spaces and multi-media museum experiences that focus not only on the bombing and its aftermath, but also on the aesthetic significance of the church’s design by African American architect W. A. Rayfield.

Excited to see Sixteenth Street Baptist Church included on this list? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!