Nabers' Grove
Nabers' Grove was a grove of large water oaks in the vicinity of William Nabers' plantation home in what later became part of Birmingham's Southside. Nabers owned much of the land that was acquired by the Elyton Land Company for the development of the city of Birmingham. His house was a frequent meeting place for the company's directors and agents, and soon became a favored destination for escape from the heat and commotion of the fast-growing city.
As blocks of lots were laid out south of the Railroad Reservation, Nabers' Grove was recorded as Block 158, bounded by 16th and 17th Streets and by Avenue D and E. The city of Birmingham erected a large open pavilion, dubbed a "Crystal Palace" on the eastern part of the site in 1875. As the pavilion hosted frequent rallies and band concerts, along with dances and barbecues, the surrounding grove of trees remained popular as a place to picnic or for young courters to sneak away.
Beginning in the 1880s the popularity of Nabers' Grove was eclipsed by the larger, fancier resort at Lakeview Park. The Crystal Palace was demolished in 1886.
References
- Dubose, John Witherspoon (1887) Jefferson County and Birmingham, Alabama: Historical and Biographical Birmingham: Teeple & Smith, Publishers; Caldwell Printing Works.
- Sulzby, James F. Jr (1945) Birmingham Sketches From 1871 Through 1921. Birmingham: Birmingham Printing Company, pp. 27-30