Historic Structure Report: 1029 Gurnee Avenue, "The Mural Building"

Lawrence, Charles; Lord Aeck Sargent

The building at 1029 Gurnee Avenue is alternatively called the “Mural Building” because of a 2011 mural of a Greyhound bus that commemorates the May 14, 1961 Freedom Riders event which partly occurred in the alley formed by this building and the adjacent Greyhound bus station. The building is importantly connected to the story of the Freedom Riders. The Greyhound bus that carried the Freedom Riders was blocked into the narrow alley created by the bus station and this building. The bus was only able to depart after the police arrived and cleared the way. The physical barrier created by this building is important to the way the story unfolded and provides an important context for the Freedom Riders National Monument, which was created in 2017. The structure at 1029 Gurnee Avenue is actually only a portion of a single-story, commercial storefront building in a historic area of downtown Anniston, Alabama. The building is divided into two unequal commercial spaces. This project is limited to the 1029 Gurnee Avenue portion of the front elevation and the corresponding rear elevation, the north-facing exterior wall with bus mural and interpretive signage, the 1029 Gurnee Avenue portion of the roof, the interior, and associated building features. This Historic Structure Report (HSR) provides narrative, graphic, and physical information about the property’s history, development, and existing condition. The work involved in collecting this information included research, field-measured drawings, and a visual assessment. The HSR also provides recommendations for the treatment of identified conditions and a conceptual scope of improvements to accommodate the desired future use(s).

Historic Structure Report: 1029 Gurnee Avenue, "The Mural Building"

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