209-211 21st Street North

The Lunsford Hotel at 211 21st Street North by O. V. Hunt. Courtesy Samford Special Collections

211 21st Street South or, more properly, 211 Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard North, is a 4,000 square-foot parcel located on Block 84 in downtown Birmingham on the east side of 21st Street adjoining 2nd Alley North, across the alley from the Jackson Building and across the street from the City Federal Building.

In the early 1890s the property, divided in two parcels, was owned by George Lunsford and his wife Susan. In 1892 George constructed the five story Lunsford Building, which he operated as the Lunsford Hotel. In 1894 the hotel became the first home of the Birmingham Medical College, a predecessor to UAB.

The hotel was operating in the 1930s as the Milner Hotel, with an office supply company on the ground floor. Later, with the upper floors removed, it was renovated as a two-story building that at one point housed a Dr Scholl's Foot Comfort Shop.

Former Barber Dairy president George Barber purchased the property in the 1990s. In 2009 he had the existing building on the site demolished. In September of that year he offered the property for free to anyone pledging to construct a business and occupy the site for a minimum of five years. In 2012 Barber struck a deal with law student Harris Stewart to construct the Trim Tab Brewhouse on the lot.

References

• Lunsford v. Harrison (November 27, 1901) Supreme Court of Alabama
• Tomberlin, Michael (September 23, 2009) "Free property for anyone who will build, run business in downtown Birmingham, Alabama." Birmingham News
• Diel, Stan (January 20, 2011) "Birmingham businessman George Barber finds few takers for downtown land giveaway." Birmingham News
• Diel, Stan (May 10, 2012) "Brewpub planned for George Barber's free downtown lot." Birmingham News

Exernal links

• Google street view showing building in 2008
• property offer from Barber Companies