Highland Avenue: Difference between revisions

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* Intersection with [[22nd Street South]]/southbound [[Red Mountain Expressway]] onramp
* Intersection with [[22nd Street South]]/southbound [[Red Mountain Expressway]] onramp
** 2225: [[Highland Tower]] (former home of [[Highland Booksmith]], [[Highland Coffee]], and the offices of ''[[Birmingham Weekly]]'', former site of the [[E. H. Cabaniss residence]])
** 2236: former location of [[Birmingham Baptist Hospital]] Highland Avenue unit (1964)
** 2236: former location of [[Birmingham Baptist Hospital]] Highland Avenue unit (1964)
** 2240: [[Bottega Favorita]] building, [[Bottega Restaurant]] and [[Bottega Café]], former location of [[Burke-Andrews Specialty Shop]], [[Gus Mayer]]
** 2240: [[Bottega Favorita]] building, [[Bottega Restaurant]] and [[Bottega Café]], former location of [[Burke-Andrews Specialty Shop]], [[Gus Mayer]]
** 2244: former location of [[Boy Scouts of America Birmingham Area Council]] (1964)
** 2244: former location of [[Boy Scouts of America Birmingham Area Council]] (1964)
** 2250: [[Highland Plaza Condominiums]]
** 2250: [[Highland Plaza Condominiums]]
** 2251: [[Highland Tower]] apartments, former location of the offices of ''[[Birmingham Weekly]]'', former site of the [[E. H. Cabaniss residence]])
** 2253: former location of [[Highland Towers Sundry Shop]] (1964), [[Highland Booksmith]], [[Highland Coffee Company]]
** 2255: former office of [[Walter Haynes]] (1964)


* Avenue continues over Red Mountain Expressway on [[Highland Avenue Overpass]]
* Avenue continues over Red Mountain Expressway on [[Highland Avenue Overpass]]
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===[[Highland Park]] neighborhood===
===[[Highland Park]] neighborhood===
* Intersection with [[23rd Street South]]
* Intersection with [[23rd Street South]]
** 2300: former location of [[John Jenkins, Jr]] medical office (1964)
** 2310: [[Phares Apartments]]
** 2312: [[Gordon Court Apartments]]
** 2311: [[Crescent Building]] ([[Brice Building Company]], [[Sirote & Permutt]], [[Koch Aesthetic Dentistry]])
** 2311: [[Crescent Building]] ([[Brice Building Company]], [[Sirote & Permutt]], [[Koch Aesthetic Dentistry]])
** 2313: former location of [[John Carroll Convent]] (1964)
** 2217: former location of [[John Carroll Catholic High School]] (1964)
** 2320: [[2320 Highland Avenue]] office building
** 2320: [[2320 Highland Avenue]] office building
** 2325: former location of [[Bishop Toolen's Catholic Center]] (1964)
* [[Caldwell Park]]
* [[Caldwell Park]]
** 2401: [[Highland Crescent]], former site of [[John Carroll Catholic High School]], former location of the [[Eli Smith residence]]
** 2401: [[Highland Crescent]], former location of the [[Eli Smith residence]]
 
* Intersection with [[Milner Crescent]]/[[Highland Crescent]]
* Intersection with [[Milner Crescent]]/[[Highland Crescent]]
** 2507: [[First Lutheran Church]]
** 2507: [[First Lutheran Church]]
** 2525: [[Clivenden Court Apartments]]
** 2535: [[Parklan Apartments]]
** 2541: former location of [[Jaycees Haunted House]]
** 2541: former location of [[Jaycees Haunted House]]
* Intersection with [[Milner Street]]/[[Caldwell Avenue]]
* Intersection with [[Milner Street]]/[[Caldwell Avenue]]
* Intersection with [[26th Street South]]/[[Niazuma Avenue]]
* Intersection with [[26th Street South]]/[[Niazuma Avenue]]
** 2600: [[2600 Highland]], formerly the [[Otto Marx residence]] and [[Mary Lewis Convalescent Center]]
** 2600: [[2600 Highland]], formerly the [[Otto Marx residence]] and [[Mary Lewis Convalescent Center]]
** 2601: former location of [[Southern Medical Association]] (1964)
** 2608: [[The Store on Highland]], formerly a house used as a boarding house; [[Green Central Station]]
** 2608: [[The Store on Highland]], formerly a house used as a boarding house; [[Green Central Station]]
** 2620: [[Hanover Court]] condominiums
** 2625: [[Samuel Adler residence]]
** 2625: [[Samuel Adler residence]]
** 2621: [[Ferd Caheen residence]]
** 2621: [[Ferd Caheen residence]]
* Intersection with [[27th Street South]]
* Intersection with [[27th Street South]]
* Intersection with [[Highland Court]]
* Intersection with [[Highland Court]]
* [[Rhodes Park]]
* [[Rhodes Park]]
** 2700-2704: [[Colonial Apartments]]
** 2708: former location of [[Highland Terrace Garden]] restaurant (1964)
** 2717: [[Park Tower]] (formerly Park Tower Apartments)
** 2717: [[Park Tower]] (formerly Park Tower Apartments)
** 2727: [[Highland Condos]], former site of [[George Cruikshank residence]]
** 2727: [[Highland Condos]], former site of [[George Cruikshank residence]]
* Intersection with [[27th Place South]]
* Intersection with [[27th Place South]]
** "[[Three sisters]]"
** 2731-2737: "[[Three sisters]]"
*** 2731: [[George Harris residence]]
*** 2731: [[George Harris residence]], former location of [[Green Apartments]] (1964)
*** 2733: [[Robert Warner residence]]
*** 2733: [[Robert Warner residence]]
*** 2737: [[Eugene Enslen residence]], [[Trimmier Law Firm]]
*** 2737: [[Eugene Enslen residence]], [[Trimmier Law Firm]]
** 2732: former location of [[Knights of Columbus]] hall (1964)
* Intersection with [[28th Street South]]
* Intersection with [[28th Street South]]
* Intersection with [[28th Place South]]
* Intersection with [[28th Place South]]
** 2801: former location of [[Davis Dress Shop]] (1964)
** 2803: [[Unity of Birmingham]]
** 2803: [[Unity of Birmingham]]
** 2807: [[Rhodes Park Manor]] apartments
** 2815-2823: [[Highland Terrace]] apartments
** 2828: [[Donnelly House]]
** 2828: [[Donnelly House]]
** 2831: [[Greenbrier at the Altamont]], formerly [[Altamont Apartments]] with [[Altamont Restaurant]]/[[George's Grill]]
** 2831: [[Greenbrier at the Altamont]], formerly [[Altamont Apartments]] with [[Altamont Restaurant]]/[[George's Grill]]
*** 2827: [[Pilates on Highland]], former location of [[Strawberry Fields]], [[Celestial Realm]], [[Lodestar Books]]
*** 2827: [[Pilates on Highland]], former location of [[Gibbs-Doster Drug Co.]] (1964), [[Strawberry Fields]], [[Celestial Realm]], [[Lodestar Books]]
*** 2829: former location of [[Christian Science Reading Room]], [[Pantsari Architecture]], [[SouthTrust Bank]] branch office
*** 2829: former location of [[Christian Science Reading Room]], [[Pantsari Architecture]], [[SouthTrust Bank]] branch office
*** 2831: former location of [[Altamont Beauty Salon]]
** 2834: [[Florence Jordan residence]]
** 2834: [[Florence Jordan residence]]
** 2835: former location of [[The Party Shoppe]] restaurant (1964)
** 2838: former location of [[Birmingham Civic Ballet School]] (1964)
** 2848: [[Stephen Thompson residence]]
** 2848: [[Stephen Thompson residence]]
* Intersection with [[29th Street South]]
* Intersection with [[29th Street South]]
** 2900: apartment building, former site of [[William Rushton residence]]
** 2900: apartment building, former site of [[William Rushton residence]]
** 2904:  
** 2904:  
** 2908: [[Women's Club House]]
** 2906: [[Crews Apartments]]
** 2909: [[Sheraton Apartments]]
** 2908: [[Women's Club House]] (built 1910)
** 2909: [[Sheraton Apartments]] (built 1951), former site of [[Culpepper Exum residence]]
* Intersection with [[30th Place South]]
* Intersection with [[30th Place South]]
* [[Rushton Park]]
* [[Rushton Park]]
** 2911: [[Sheraton Laundry]]
** 2911: [[Sheraton Laundry]], former location of [[Mullendore Drug Co.]] (1964)
** 2915: [[O'Henry's]] , former location of [[Clay Scot Artworks]], [[Highlands Floral Design]]  
** 2915: [[O'Henry's]] , former location of [[Mayfield Cleaners & Hatters]] (1964), [[Highlands Floral Design]], [[Clay Scot Artworks]]
** 2917: former location of [[Highland Music]], [[Triple Platinum]] salon
** 2917-2921: [[ROJO]]
** 2921: [[ROJO]], formerly [[Highland Market]]
*** 2917: former location of [[Highland Music]], [[Triple Platinum]] salon
** 2927: [[Montcalm Apartments]]
*** 2919: former offices of [[Jeff Bagwell]], [[Elbon Christian]] and [[William K. Blake]], architects (1964)
*** 2921: former location of [[Sheraton Grocery]] (1964), [[Highland Market]]
** 2927: [[Montcalm Apartments]], formerly [[Havenwood Apartments]]
 
* Intersection with [[30th Street South]]
* Intersection with [[30th Street South]]
** 3005-3017: [[Avalon Condominiums]]
** 3005-3017: [[Avalon Condominiums]]
** 3075: IPC parking lot, former location of [[Misses Howard School]]
** 3075: IPC parking lot, former location of [[Misses Howard School]]
* Intersection with [[31st Street South]] (joined briefly)
* Intersection with [[31st Street South]] (joined briefly)
* Intersection with [[Cliff Road]]
* Intersection with [[Cliff Road]]
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** 3116: former location of [[1st Church of Christ Scientist]] (1950-)
** 3116: former location of [[1st Church of Christ Scientist]] (1950-)
** 3121: former location of [[The Forest Court]] apartments
** 3121: former location of [[The Forest Court]] apartments
* Intersection with [[32nd Street South]]
* Intersection with [[32nd Street South]]
* Intersection with [[33rd Street South]]/[[12th Avenue South]]/[[Highland Drive]]
* Intersection with [[33rd Street South]]/[[12th Avenue South]]/[[Highland Drive]]

Revision as of 00:04, 28 February 2015

The 2900 block of Highland Avenue in October 2006

Highland Avenue is an east-west street that winds for about two miles along the northern slope of Red Mountain in Birmingham's South Highlands.

History

Highland Avenue was constructed by the Elyton Land Company in order to provide access to its 1,500-acre wooded property on South Highlands, which it wished to develop as residential estates. In 1884, with the company celebrating the payment of its first issue of bonds, secretary-treasurer and chief engineer Willis Milner suggested that the time was ripe to turn attention to the property, which was still "unbroken primeval forest", protected from timber poaching by agents of the company.

Given charge of the project, Milner planned a mule-drawn passenger railway beginning at 1st Avenue North and 19th Street and turning south along 22nd Street and branching east and west at 5th Avenue South. The two end-points, after extension, were at Five Points South and the intersection of 29th Street and 3rd Avenue South. Milner then planned, with a detailed topographic survey, the winding thoroughfare that would complete the loop.

Construction of Highland Avenue in 1885

The right of way was set at 100 feet, with no more than 3% slope to accommodate horse-drawn carriages and trolleys. Care was taken to maximize attractive lot frontages wherever possible, and to provide parks in low areas where building would be impractical. Henry M. Caldwell, president of the Elyton Company, suggested the name "Highland Avenue". Milner's plan was located on the ground by his cousin, John A. Milner by April 1, 1884.

Immediately grading and construction was begun on a 25-foot wide roadbed in the center of the right-of-way. When that was completed, during the summer, the artificial lake at Lakeview was created by piping three springs into an excavated basin within the park's boundaries. Lakeview Park was planned as a resort to attract Birmingham residents up into the hillside for pleasure, and to inspect the prospective home sites along the way.

The construction of the rail line itself had to wait for the Alabama Legislature's approval of a change in the company charter. In the mean time, the unpaved roadbed was opened to traffic. With the approval of the legislature, construction of the Highland Avenue Railroad began in earnest in 1885.

Soon later it was decided to replace the horse-drawn carriages with heavier, steam-powered dummies. The old 16-pound rails were pulled up and replaced with 40-pound rails to accommodate them. The result, which opened on June 26, 1886 was the first dummy line in the South, with trains leaving every 15 minutes, alternating directions on the one-hour round-trip loop.

Part of Highland Avenue was incorporated into the town of Highland in 1887. That section was regraded and curbed by the town. When the City of Birmingham annexed the entire area in 1893, the city graded and curbed the remainder of the avenue.

Renovations

By the 1960s, with the streetcar gone, the wide avenue's center median was frequently used for automobile parking. The issue of preserving accommodations for parking proved the be the key dispute in proceeding with improvements to the avenue. A report created in 1964 by Harold Bartholomew and Associates recommended street and landscape improvements. The Jefferson County Historical Commission was beginning a campaign to preserve the historic character of the street. By 1972 residents and business owners were meeting regularly with city officials to discuss ideas for improvement.

A major revitalization of Highland Avenue finally proceeded in the late 1970s. The renovations, designed by landscape architect Michael Kirk, provided new curbs, median planters, repairs to storm and sanitary sewers, angled parking and sidewalk and lighting upgrades. The first phase, between 23rd Streeet South and 27th Place South, was begun in 1975 and completed in 1977 for $800,000. The second phase, which continued the work to 33rd Street South, was budgeted at $1.3 million, with the general contract awarded to the Donahoo Contracting Company. Older trees were saved wherever possible and new plantings included azaleas, cherry trees, dogwood trees, crape myrtles, sugar maples, scarlet oaks, dwarf yaupon holly, dwarf Chinese holly, and blue rug juniper. Kirk specified materials from local manufacturers where possible, even redesigning the brick panels to match available paver sizes.

Route

The 2100 block of Highland Avenue in February 2006

The western end of Highland Avenue begins at the intersection of 12th Avenue and 20th Street South in Five Points South. It follows roughly the path of 12th Avenue with the exception of the areas of Rhodes Park and Caldwell Park. Highland Avenue is home to many apartments, condominiums, office buildings, restaurants and bars as it winds it way approximately 14 blocks to the Highland Golf Course, where it takes a sharp northward turn. Its eastern end is at the intersection of Clairmont Avenue in the Lakeview District.

Highland Avenue hosts numerous events, the largest of which is the annual Do Dah Day parade and festival.

Notable locations

Five Points South neighborhood

Highland Park neighborhood

Forest Park neighborhood

References

External links

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