MONTGOMERY-On Tuesday, April 14 the Alabama Bicentennial Commission announced the Alabama Bicentennial Legacy Awards and Commendations.
The awards recognize outstanding projects by communities and organizations that were part of the commemoration of the statehood anniversary. Awards were given in two categories: commendations for outstanding bicentennial programs and projects and legacy awards for projects of exceptional and lasting impact. Forty-one commendations and 21 legacy awards were given, representing more than 40 municipalities in 35 counties.
“Communities invested time and resources in an amazing range of projects,” noted Alabama Bicentennial Commission chairman Sen. Arthur Orr. “Our successful bicentennial celebration owes a real debt to their efforts, especially for projects that will be important to the state, its communities and its citizens for a long time to come.”
Projects include celebration events and activities such as exhibitions, school projects and city murals. Many initiatives focused on preservation and restoration of sites and structures, including Huntsville’s Constitution Hall Park and Lightning Point Shoreline Restoration in Bayou La Batre. While many projects were locally focused, some were regional or even statewide, like the Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail. Many are especially notable for their long-term relevance and impact.
The awards represented every region of the state and ranged from small towns like Mooresville (population 50) and Lillian (population 117) to major metros, including Birmingham, Montgomery and Huntsville. Stand outs include Baldwin County, which pledged to erect more than 50 new historic markers, and Cullman County, which sustained extensive programming over the three-year celebration.
Alabama League of Municipality communications director Carrie Banks, who served as co-chair of the Bicentennial Local Activities Committee, noted that “collaboration and partnership were key.
“Many communities created bicentennial committees, which brought chambers of commerce, public libraries and tourism offices, among others, to the table.”
Community partners also included junior colleges, county commissions and historic sites like Vulcan Museum and Park and Old Cahawba Archaeological Park.
Each winning project will receive a bronze plaque noting the name of the project and its award. The plaques will be a public reminder of the achievements of Alabama communities during the bicentennial commemoration.
For more information about the Alabama Bicentennial Legacy Awards and the bicentennial commemoration, visit www.ALABAMA200.org or call 334-242-4537. A full list of awards follows.
Alabama Bicentennial Legacy Awards
Athens Bicentennial Mural (City of Athens)
Limestone County Courthouse Bell and Judge Rosenau Memorial (Limestone County Commission)
Baldwin County Bicentennial Marker Series and Bicentennial Battle Site Paintings (Baldwin County Department of Archives and History)
Lightning Point Restoration Project (Alabama Nature Conservancy)
Evergreen Cemetery Summer House Restoration (Elba Chamber of Commerce)
WWI and WWII: Memories of Baldwin County (Baldwin County Heritage Museum)
Alabama Constitution Hall Park Restoration (EarlyWorks Family of Museums, Huntsville)
Ditto Landing Ferry Boat Recreation (Ditto Landing, Huntsville)
From Wilderness to Statehood: Celebrating Cahawba (Alabama Historical Commission)
Daniel Pratt Continental Preservation Project (Prattaugan Museum)
Tuscumbia Landing Project (Alabama Trail of Tears Association)
Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail (University of Alabama Center for Economic Development)
Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Square and Walkway and Minerva Sculpture (Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission)
Discovering Alabama Bicentennial Specials (Discovering Alabama) Tuskegee University Civil Rights Trail (Tuskegee University Archives)
Union Springs Murals on Main Street (Tourism Council of Bullock County)
Alabama 200 Celebrates Historic Lowndes County (Elmore Bolling Foundation)
Rosa Parks Statue and Montgomery Plaza-Klein Park (City of Montgomery).
Alabama Bicentennial Commendations
Athens Bicentennial Bash (Athens)
Limestone County Memorials Map and Documentary (Limestone County Archives)
Remembering the Great War (Drake Middle School)
Alabama Bicentennial: The Stories of our People (WRBC Fox News)
Project Chelsea Preservation (Chelsea Middle School)
Wallace State Stars Fell on Alabama Bicentennial Musical Salute (Cullman County Bicentennial Commission)
Colony Bicentennial Mural Display (Cullman County Museum)
Celebrating Our History: Inventory of Archival Collections (UNA, Collier Library and Information Services)
Sumter County Alabama Bicentennial Audio Tour (Sumter County Commission, City of Gainesville, City of Livingston and City of York)
History of the Town of Glen Allen (Glen Allen)
Historic Guntersville City Cemetery Celebration (City of Guntersville)
Homewood Public Library Bicentennial Programming (Homewood Public Library)
Planting Seeds for Alabama History (Historic Huntsville Foundation)
Level Plains 100-Year Time Capsule (City of Level Plains)
Alabama Heritage Garden (Lillian Recreational Park)
Louisville Bicentennial Mural (Town of Louisville)
Honoring Our Founder, Loxley Families & History (Bicentennial Committee of the Town of Loxley)
Dora F. Finley African American Trail UNESCO Marker (Mobile Bicentennial Celebration)
Mooresville Bicentennial Garden (Town of Mooresville)
Heritage of Blount County, Alabama 200 Edition (Blount County Historical Society)
Rising Phoenix: A Historical Tour of Phenix City (Central Freshman Academy)
Historic Rosenwald School & Museum Sharing Legacy (Paulette Newberns)
Pinson Writers’ Project (Pinson Valley High School)
Clean and Green: Keeping Alabama Beautiful (John S. Jones Elementary School)
Using the Community as a Classroom (Handley High School)
Franklin Co./City of Russellville: The Way We Were (Franklin County Archives)
Happy Birthday, Alabama (Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism)
Semmes Heritage Day (Semmes Heritage Park)
One State, Many Stories: Sharing Our State History (Pinecrest Elementary School)
Tusca200sa Bicentennial Celebration (Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission)
“Rollin’ on the River” (Webb Elementary School)
The Alleyway by Main Street Wetumpka (Main Street Wetumpka)
Winfield Mule Day/Happy Birthday, Alabama (Winfield Main St.)
Jefferson County Courthouse (Jefferson County Commission)
Baldwin County: Our People. Our Place. Our Stories (Baldwin County Department of Archives and History)
Making Alabama Bicentennial Art Contest and Discovering Our Places Bicentennial Adventure (Cullman County Museum)
Explore Mobile 2017-2019, From Fort to Port and Beyond (Mobile Bicentennial Celebration)
Bicentennial Bus Project (City of Montgomery)
Vulcan Park and Museum Bicentennial Celebration (Vulcan Park and Museum)
Media Release/Bicentennial Alabama/Daniel Sparkman
