L. R. Hall Auditorium

The L. R. Hall Auditorium is a 500-seat auditorium located in the A. G. Gaston Building at 424 16th Street North. The Gaston Building is an office building constructed in 1959 by black businessman A. G. Gaston in the Historic 4th Avenue District. The building was designed in the international style by a firm from St Louis, Missouri.

The auditorium was in use during the Civil Rights Movement, but Gaston did not permit it to be used for movement events. A scheduled performance by Al Hibbler, a blind singer who traveled from New Jersey to support the movement, was canceled hours before it was to have begun. (Eskew - 1997)

A 2003 renovation commissioned by SouthPace Properties preserved the building's original style while updating its commercial spaces. The renovation was designed by Bob Moody and carried out by Charles & Vinzant. The building is currently owned by Dr Richard Walker.

In addition to weddings and youth rallies, the L. R. Hall Auditorium hosts frequent late-night events organized by Fresh Affairs Entertainment and others. At the July 15 and August 19, 2008 meetings of the Birmingham City Council, Mayor Larry Langford complained about out-of-control youth at the location, requiring heavy police response. In the August meeting he called the hall a public nuisance and asked the city to have it shut down, predicting that "this is another Banana Joe's in the making." (Bryant - 2008)

References

• Eskew, Glenn T. (1997) But for Birmingham: The Local and National Movements in the Civil Rights Struggle. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: UNC Press. ISBN 0807846678, p. 231
• Birmingham Historical Society (May 2003) "Birmingham Historical Society 2003 Preservation Awards." Birmingham Historical Society Newsletter. p. 2
• Bryant, Joseph D. (August 19, 2008) "Birmingham mayor calls L.R. Hall Auditorum a public nuisance." Birmingham News