A.G. Gaston Motel: Cultural Landscape Report, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, National Park Service

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This Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) is for the A.G. Gaston Motel site in Birmingham, Alabama. Named for the motel’s owner and developer, A.G. Gaston, the motel is an icon of the Civil Rights Movement due to its association with the protest campaign aimed at desegregating Birmingham during April and May of 1963, known as Project C. The protests transformed the racial politics of the city, and influenced the national conversation concerning civil rights, including the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The motel is also a significant part of “Black Birmingham,” a term used by scholars for the geographic location of the collection of businesses, social clubs, churches, and other community fixtures that served the needs of African Americans during the period of segregation in the city.1 Gaston, who amassed a fortune over his lifetime, was a primary financer and developer of Black Birmingham. His obituary in the New York Times noted, “Gaston’s wealth and quiet approach made him a liaison between white moderates and civil rights demonstrators.”2 The significance of the property today is thus linked to these pivotal moments in United States history. Constructed in 1954, the A.G. Gaston Motel offered accommodations to African Americans, who were not allowed in most lodging facilities in the segregated city.3 During Birmingham’s civil rights activities that were associated with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights (ACMHR) campaigns, the motel served as host to strategy meetings and press conferences and lodging for participants. Following desegregation, the motel’s business declined. In an effort to stimulate business, Gaston made major improvements to the motel in 1968. These proved unsuccessful and in 1982, Gaston repurposed the property for senior housing, known as A.G. Gaston Gardens. In 1996, Gaston Gardens closed, and the property has remained vacant since that time. The city of Birmingham purchased the property in 2015. In 1992, the city of Birmingham officially recognized the importance of the Civil Rights Movement with the local designation of a six-block area as the Birmingham Civil Rights District, the opening of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) and the rededication of Kelly Ingram Park. With the BCRI to the north and the park in the block to the east, the A.G. Gaston Motel is an integral part of this district. The national significance the local area was recognized with the National Register listing of the Birmingham Civil Rights Historic District in 2006. In 2017, an approximate four-block area within the National Register district became the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument by a Proclamation from President Barack Obama. The A.G. Gaston Motel is part of the national monument. The proclamation describes changes to the ownership of the A.G. Gaston property, totaling .88 acres. The proclamation states the conveyance of .23 acre in fee simple and .65 in a historic preservation easement to the “Federal Government for the purpose of establishing a unit of the National Park System (Figure 1.1).” Per the proclamation, the National Park Service would administer the national monument as a new unit of the National Park System. The actual donation and legal transfer of the Motel site were separate actions from and prior to the proclamation.

A.G. Gaston Motel: Cultural Landscape Report, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, National Park Service

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