First African Baptist Church
The First African Baptist Church was founded by Rev. Prince Murrell in November 1866. Prior to the creation of the First African Baptist Church, enslaved and free black people attended segregated services at First Baptist Church. The First African Baptist Church held services at various members’ homes and a church on 4th Street and 24th Avenue in Tuscaloosa until the present church was built in 1907. The structure is an architectural replica of the chapel at Tuskegee Institute, a private, historically black university established by Booker T. Washington in 1881. The First African Baptist Church was constructed of local bricks and cypress logs cut from trees by members of the congregation. The interior of the church features beautiful stained glass windows and solid oak pews. The First African Baptist Church played a major role in the local Civil Rights Movement. Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a sermon to the congregation in honor of Reverend. T. Y. Rogers Jr.’s installation in 1963. Later, on June 9, 1964, the church was the starting point for a peaceful march to protest the newly constructed Federal Courthouse, which had segregated restrooms, entrances, and water fountains. Tuscaloosa police and state authorities attempted to stop the march. Mob violence ensued; thirty-three adults and children were injured. The white mob surrounded the church and broke the stained glass windows with the butts of their rifles and used the openings to throw in smoke bombs. The event became known as Bloody Tuesday. No American company was willing to repair the windows due to racism or fear of retaliation. Learning about this atrocity, the Church of England arranged to have the windows repaired in England at no charge. The lead used to repair the glass can still be seen outlining the places where it was broken.The church continues to hold services and sits adjacent to Greenwood cemetery, where many prominent Tuscaloosa citizens, both white and black, are buried.• 2621 Stillman Blvd Tuscaloosa, AL 35401• 205-758-2833• http://www.firstafricanchurch.org• HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE• Street parking, lot behind the church
Murphy-Collins African American Museum
The Murphy family built the Murphy-Collins House in 1923. William J. Murphy was the first black mortician and funeral director in Tuscaloosa. Murphy’s wife, Laura, was principal at 20th Street School. The Murphys hired George Clopton, the first licensed black contractor in the state of Alabama, to build the house. Clopton used salvaged bricks, windowsills, and other materials from the ruins of the Old State Capitol building at Capitol Park (another stop on this tour), to construct the craftsman bungalow-style home, which was popular during the early 20th century.It is the last example of the “Lace Curtain District.” This area earned its name from the lace curtains prominently hanging in the homes of black teachers, doctors, and other affluent community members who resided in the neighborhood. With the construction of Lurleen Wallace Boulevard, many homes in this historic black neighborhood were destroyed, creating a division between Tuscaloosa’s white and black neighborhoods. In 1986, the city of Tuscaloosa purchased the home from Mrs. Collins with plans to exhibit and preserve black heritage. Under the direction of the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society, the house is now a museum that focuses on accomplishments and contributions the black community has made to Tuscaloosa.•2601 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401•205-758-2861•http://www.historictuscaloosa.org/properties/murphy-collins-house-murphy-african-american-museum/•Tours – Wednesday-Saturday 1:30-4:30 or by appointment, duration 45 minutes•COST - Free•HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE - Yes•PARKING AVAILABILITY – Street parking
Trail of Tears Indian Removal Sign
Downtown History MarkerThe Indian Removal marker signifies a tragic moment in the history of Tuscaloosa and the nation. Under President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the 1830 Indian Removal Act, leading to the removal of over 45,000 people. The Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations were forced against their will to leave their homelands. The physical demands of the trip, over 2,200 miles, resulted in significant loss of life among the tribes. Some estimate that there was a loss of as many as 6,000 Cherokee people alone. In 1831 the Choctaw were the first Native Americans forced to relocate. The other tribes followed from 1831 through 1837. Take time to read and reflect on the words of Chief Eufaula, also known as Yoholo-Micco, the Creeks' leader, who addressed the Alabama legislature here in 1836.Further up the hill, up you will find the Old Tavern, Old Jailhouse, and Capitol Ruins that are within walking distance of the sign.• Open 24hrs• 446 28th Ave, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401• Handicap Accessible: Yes• Phone Number: (205) 758-2238• Website: N/A• Tour time/Visitation: N/A• Parking Availability: Street parking available at the western edge of University Blvd.
Old Jail
Downtown JailhouseThe Old Jailhouse faces Capitol Park on 6th Street. It is a two-story brick building that served as the county’s jailhouse from 1856 to 1890. The building was built as a boarding house in the 1840s. During the early 1900s, the Old Jailhouse was a boarding school, before serving as a Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall from 1951 to 1979. In the early to mid-2000s, the Capitol School leased the building from the Tuscaloosa City School Board. The now-vacant building was designed by William B. Robertson, who used Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate features and 28-inch-thick walls. One of the notorious criminals housed at the jail was the “outlaw sheriff of Sumter County,” Stephen S. Renfroe, who burned a hole in the pine floor to escape his captivity. Nearby are two historic markers that address Tuscaloosa's complicated history of violence and race. For more information please visit the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society website.• Open: Walk by/Drive by only• 2803 6th St, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401• Handicap Accessible: Not Accessible• Phone Number: (205) 758-2238• Parking Availability: Near Capitol Park Entrance, very limited Parking
Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church
Tuscaloosa’s first African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME) church, Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church, was founded on May 2, 1866. Established by worshipers who had broken off from the First United Methodist Church, Hunter Chapel served as a place of worship for newly freed African Americans. Prior to the construction of its first church, the congregation held services in an old shed, on the current site of Bryant-Denny Stadium on The University of Alabama’s campus. An old blacksmith shop on the corner of Greensboro Ave and Crescent City Avenue (now 15th Street) became the second place of worship. The third location was a family residence that is the site of the present church.Reverend Edward Hunter erected Hunter Chapel in 1880 at a cost of $6,000. The original structure burned down in 1910 and was rebuilt in its current form. The building is an example of vernacular Romanesque architecture, which features round arches as seen over the doorways. W.A. Rayfield, the first formally trained black architect in Alabama and the second in the nation, used this style as a signature for several churches and other buildings throughout the city. Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church also built a schoolhouse for the children of emancipated black citizens. On November 25, 1973, an Alabama Historical Commission marker was dedicated to Hunter Chapel and its founders.• 1105 22nd Ave Tuscaloosa, AL 35401• (205) 752-7904• Street parking
