Tuxedo Park: Difference between revisions

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The board planned to honor McAlpine, who died in [[1943]], by naming the expanded park in his memory. Many residents, however, preferred to preserve the park's association with [[Tuxedo Junction]], the nearby streetcar hub made famous in [[Erskine Hawkins]]' [[Tuxedo Junction|jazz standard]]. McAlpine was instead made the namesake of a [[McAlpine Park|larger new park]] in [[Pratt City]].
The board planned to honor McAlpine, who died in [[1943]], by naming the expanded park in his memory. Many residents, however, preferred to preserve the park's association with [[Tuxedo Junction]], the nearby streetcar hub made famous in [[Erskine Hawkins]]' [[Tuxedo Junction|jazz standard]]. McAlpine was instead made the namesake of a [[McAlpine Park|larger new park]] in [[Pratt City]].


Architect [[E. B. Van Keuren]] prepared pro bono designs for a service building and bathhouse for the park and supervised the refurbishment of the swimming pool. [[A. G. Gaston]]'s [[Brown Bell Bottling Co.]] won the bid to construct and operate a concession stand for $100/month plus a percentage of gross receipts. The reconditioned swimming pool, the only public pool open to Black residents, opened on [[August 12]] of that year for a short season.
Architect [[E. B. Van Keuren]] prepared pro bono designs for a service building and bathhouse for the park and supervised the refurbishment of the swimming pool. [[A. G. Gaston]]'s [[Brown Belle Bottling Co.]] won the bid to construct and operate a concession stand for $100/month plus a percentage of gross receipts. The reconditioned swimming pool, the only public pool open to Black residents, opened on [[August 12]] of that year for a short season.
 
The park hosted regular concerts by members of the [[American Federation of Musicians Local No. 733]]. Beginning as early as [[1945]], the [[A. G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club|Smith & Gaston Kiddie Club]] used Tuxedo Park for programs. In [[1952]] the organization brought 3,000 children from across the state for a play day and picnic.
   
   
Like all other city parks, Tuxedo Park was closed by the City Commission in [[1963]] in order to avoid court-ordered integration, and reopened in [[1964]] when those ordinances were repealed by the newly-elected [[Birmingham City Council]].
Like all other city parks, Tuxedo Park was closed by the City Commission in [[1963]] in order to avoid court-ordered integration, and reopened in [[1964]] when those ordinances were repealed by the newly-elected [[Birmingham City Council]].
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* "Exercises Will Open Tuxedo Park Pool." (August 17, 1944) {{BN}}, p. 26
* "Exercises Will Open Tuxedo Park Pool." (August 17, 1944) {{BN}}, p. 26
* Adams, Fred (May 31, 1945) "Park Board's Swim Season Opens Friday" {{BN}}, p. 14
* Adams, Fred (May 31, 1945) "Park Board's Swim Season Opens Friday" {{BN}}, p. 14
* "3000 Negro children frolic at park." (August 10, 1952) {{BN}}, p. B-4


[[Category:Birmingham parks]]
[[Category:Birmingham parks]]

Revision as of 18:20, 1 January 2021

This article is about the public park. For the residential subdivision, see Tuxedo Park subdivision. For the apartment community, see Tuxedo Park Apartments.

Tuxedo Park is a 3.4-acre public park located between 13th and 16th Streets and between Avenue U and Avenue T in Ensley.

The park was developed on a site which included an existing privately-owned swimming pool popular with Black residents of Ensley since it was first opened in the 1920s. In 1933 the Birmingham Red Cross maintained the park. A proposal was made to relocate the playground at Councill School to Tuxedo Park, but no action was taken. The property had been improved during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration.

In the early 1940s William McAlpine, representative of the Alabama State Federation of Civic Leagues, was instrumental in efforts to expand the number of city parks for Black residents of Birmingham. After pledges of $5,000 each from Erskine Ramsay and Louis Pizitz, the idea was approved by the Birmingham City Commission in 1944. Birmingham City Commission member Bull Connor insisted that the city be paid $2,000 to reimburse outstanding liens from the WPA work before turning the land over to the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board. Ultimately, $12,750 in private donations made the opening of the park possible.

The board planned to honor McAlpine, who died in 1943, by naming the expanded park in his memory. Many residents, however, preferred to preserve the park's association with Tuxedo Junction, the nearby streetcar hub made famous in Erskine Hawkins' jazz standard. McAlpine was instead made the namesake of a larger new park in Pratt City.

Architect E. B. Van Keuren prepared pro bono designs for a service building and bathhouse for the park and supervised the refurbishment of the swimming pool. A. G. Gaston's Brown Belle Bottling Co. won the bid to construct and operate a concession stand for $100/month plus a percentage of gross receipts. The reconditioned swimming pool, the only public pool open to Black residents, opened on August 12 of that year for a short season.

The park hosted regular concerts by members of the American Federation of Musicians Local No. 733. Beginning as early as 1945, the Smith & Gaston Kiddie Club used Tuxedo Park for programs. In 1952 the organization brought 3,000 children from across the state for a play day and picnic.

Like all other city parks, Tuxedo Park was closed by the City Commission in 1963 in order to avoid court-ordered integration, and reopened in 1964 when those ordinances were repealed by the newly-elected Birmingham City Council.

Currently the park is undeveloped, consisting of cleared land with a few stands of mature trees. The Village Creek Park Master Plan, adopted by the Village Creek Society in 2010, anticipates a larger 42-acre multi-use park which would encompass all of Tuxedo Park, most of which would be excavated for a proposed lake.

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