Collegeville: Difference between revisions

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(New page: '''Collegeville''' is a neighborhood in the North Birmingham community of Birmingham. It is bounded to the North by 35th Avenue North, to the South by 27th Avenue South, to...)
 
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The neighborhood took its name from the [[Lauderdale College]] elementary school, sometimes called "the college", which operated at the corner of [[27th Court North|27th Court]] and [[34th Place North]] until it burned in [[1916]]. The neighborhood is home to [[Bethel Baptist Church]], the pulpit of [[Fred Shuttlesworth]] and a pivotal organizing site during the [[Civil Rights Movement]] in Birmingham. The church is one of Birmingham's three National Historic Landmarks.
The neighborhood took its name from the [[Lauderdale College]] elementary school, sometimes called "the college", which operated at the corner of [[27th Court North|27th Court]] and [[34th Place North]] until it burned in [[1916]]. The neighborhood is home to [[Bethel Baptist Church]], the pulpit of [[Fred Shuttlesworth]] and a pivotal organizing site during the [[Civil Rights Movement]] in Birmingham. The church is one of Birmingham's three National Historic Landmarks.


In the late 1950s [[George Washington Carver High School]] was built in the neighborhood, joining [[|Hudson K-8 School|Hudson School]] and [[Calloway School]]. The 550-unit [[Collegeville Housing Community]] was constructed as part of an [[urban renewal]] project in [[1964]]. [[Maclin Park]], adjacent to the project, serves the entire neighborhood.
In the late 1950s [[George Washington Carver High School]] was built in the neighborhood, joining [[Hudson K-8 School|Hudson School]] and [[Calloway School]]. The 550-unit [[Collegeville Housing Community]] was constructed as part of an [[urban renewal]] project in [[1964]]. [[Maclin Park]], adjacent to the project, serves the entire neighborhood.


In the early 1970s the city invested in covering ditches, repaving streets, clearing dilapidated structures and creating community programs such as a [[Birmingham Police Athletic League]] team. The [[Birmingham Police Department]] also instituted the [[Collegeville Pilot Project]], putting heavy heat on criminal activity in the neighborhood during [[1970]]. The public responded by improving cooperation with police investigations. These efforts were spurred in large part by [[Lula Menefee]], chairman of the [[Collegeville-Harriman Park Coordinating Community]]. She urged [[Operation New Birmingham]]'s [[Community Affairs Committee]] to tour the district, which they found in appalling condition. They, in turn, appealed to the [[Jefferson County Department of Health]] to enforce sanitation laws in absentee-owned properties and to the City of Birmingham for assistance in securing water and sewer connections to under-served pockets of houses.
In the early 1970s the city invested in covering ditches, repaving streets, clearing dilapidated structures and creating community programs such as a [[Birmingham Police Athletic League]] team. The [[Birmingham Police Department]] also instituted the [[Collegeville Pilot Project]], putting heavy heat on criminal activity in the neighborhood during [[1970]]. The public responded by improving cooperation with police investigations. These efforts were spurred in large part by [[Lula Menefee]], chairman of the [[Collegeville-Harriman Park Coordinating Community]]. She urged [[Operation New Birmingham]]'s [[Community Affairs Committee]] to tour the district, which they found in appalling condition. They, in turn, appealed to the [[Jefferson County Department of Health]] to enforce sanitation laws in absentee-owned properties and to the City of Birmingham for assistance in securing water and sewer connections to under-served pockets of houses.

Revision as of 13:33, 22 January 2008

Collegeville is a neighborhood in the North Birmingham community of Birmingham. It is bounded to the North by 35th Avenue North, to the South by 27th Avenue South, to the east by Boyles Yard, and to the west by more railroads. The neighborhood is bisected by Huntsville Road, which is the only through-street connecting Collegeville to the rest of the city.

It was historically an industrial area with worker's housing built adjacent to factories and mills owned by the Sloss-Sheffield Corporation, L&N Railroad, Southern Railroad, U. S. Pipe, Jim Walters Corporation and GATX Tank Corporation. Isolated by industrial tracts and railyards, it was one of the few neighborhoods reserved for black residents under Birmingham's segregation laws.

The neighborhood took its name from the Lauderdale College elementary school, sometimes called "the college", which operated at the corner of 27th Court and 34th Place North until it burned in 1916. The neighborhood is home to Bethel Baptist Church, the pulpit of Fred Shuttlesworth and a pivotal organizing site during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. The church is one of Birmingham's three National Historic Landmarks.

In the late 1950s George Washington Carver High School was built in the neighborhood, joining Hudson School and Calloway School. The 550-unit Collegeville Housing Community was constructed as part of an urban renewal project in 1964. Maclin Park, adjacent to the project, serves the entire neighborhood.

In the early 1970s the city invested in covering ditches, repaving streets, clearing dilapidated structures and creating community programs such as a Birmingham Police Athletic League team. The Birmingham Police Department also instituted the Collegeville Pilot Project, putting heavy heat on criminal activity in the neighborhood during 1970. The public responded by improving cooperation with police investigations. These efforts were spurred in large part by Lula Menefee, chairman of the Collegeville-Harriman Park Coordinating Community. She urged Operation New Birmingham's Community Affairs Committee to tour the district, which they found in appalling condition. They, in turn, appealed to the Jefferson County Department of Health to enforce sanitation laws in absentee-owned properties and to the City of Birmingham for assistance in securing water and sewer connections to under-served pockets of houses.

By 1980 it could be reported that, although the air remained sulfurous, community life was healthy and active among the neighborhood's 7,000 residents, nearly 100% black. Nevertheless, two decades later the community was still known primarily for its low incomes and limited opportunities.

In January 2008 Mayor Larry Langford announced plans to revitalize the neighborhood through public and private investments. In addition to repairing streets, sidewalks and drainage, he proposed demolishing the former Carver High School, building new homes on vacant lots, and contributing $1 million toward the renovation of Bethel Baptist, now a popular stop on the Civil Rights Trail for African American heritage tourism.

References

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