Lyric Building

The Lyric Building in 1930

The Lyric Building under construction in 1912

The Lyric Building is a 6-story office building constructed in 1914. The Lyric Theatre occupied a major portion of the building, and it's lobby takes up the ground-floor corner entrance at 1800 3rd Avenue North on the corner of 18th Street.

The project was financed by real-estate developer Louis V. Clark, who purchased three adjoining lots and hired the Hendon Hetrack Construction Company to erect the concrete-framed structure.

The office building continued to operate after the theater closed in 1958. It was sold Birmingham Landmarks, saviors of the Alabama Theatre, for $10 in 1993. Early efforts to restore the theater, in tandem with redevelopment of the office building as an arts center, were not realized.

An extensive project to preserve and renovate the theater was completed in 2016. Some of the ground floor spaces were incorporated into the redesign to accommodate accessible restrooms and reception areas. Notably the longstanding Lyric Hot Dogs restaurant lost its lease in December 2013.

Tenants

Ground floor

• 3rd Avenue North
  • 1800: Lyric Theatre lobby entrance
  • 1802: former location of Lyric Barber Shop & Lyric Billiard Parlor (1929)
  • 1804: former location of Lyric Confectionery / S. M. Theodos home-made candies (1925-1931), The Karmelkorn Shop (1941-1946), Merit Finance Co. (1970), First City Mortgage, Birmingham Art Association
  • 1806: former location of National Loan & Jewelry Co. (1925-1964), House of Hats (1964), Consolidated Toy Distributors (1971-1976), Birmingham Art Association gallery (1998), Place Design Studio, Create Birmingham (2013)
    • 1806½: former location of Lollar's Cameras (1929-1941), Lyric Hot Dogs (1957-2013)
  • Health Spot shoe store (1956)
  • Bardon's Seven & Nine (1961)
  • Foot So Port Shoes (1961)
  • Birmingham Beauty Supply (1981-1991)

Rooms

• 2nd floor
  • 201-202: A. H. Kessler chiropractor, neurocalometer and x-ray service (1925)
    • 201: Elizabeth Holt dressmaker (1941)
  • 206: J. R. Roberts & Co. loans / Thomas & Gearhart Realty Co. (1925), Benjamin Kirchner furs (1941)
  • 207: Gerhard Mols tailor (1941)
  • 208-210: McGlawn, Denton & Co. / American National Insurance Co. (1925), Lincoln Income Life Insurance Co. (1956-1964)
    • 208-209: Lyric Beauty Salon (1941)
    • 209: Railway Mail Credit Union (1970)
    • 210: Acme Button & Embroidery Co. (1941)
  • 211-212: Anthony McDevitt insurance agency (1925-1941), Federal Casualty Co. (1925), Federal Life & Casualty Co. (1941-1956), Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Co. (1941-1956)
  • 213-214: Lyric Loan Co. (1941-1952)
    • 213: Eborn Realty Co. (1925)
• 3rd floor
  • 300-302: Bruno Kieswetter massage (1941)
    • 300: G. M. Owen (1925)
    • 301-302: Allison Jewelry Co. wholesale jewelers (1964-1967)
      • 301: Disabled American Veterans of World War, Birmingham Chapter No. 4 (1925)
  • 303-304: Kentucky Home Mutual Life Insurance Co. (1941)
    • 303: Willis Allison Inc. wholesale jeweler (1964)
  • 306: George Biloe (1925), Empire Loan & Finance Co. (1941-1956)
  • 307-308: Finance Money Co. (1925)
    • 308: John M. Cooper chiropodist (1941), Edith Davis podiatrist (1952-1971)
  • 309-312: Roberts Academy of Speech (1941-1956)
  • 310-311: Orrion P. Brooks optometrist (1941-1967)
    • 311: Phil Joiner attorney (1925)
  • 312: E. H. Crawley manufacturer's agent (1925)
  • 313: Roberts Academy of Speech / Stacy Arline Roberts (1925), Local Loan Co. (1941)
  • 314-316: Acme Dental Laboratory (1964-1971)
    • 314: E. L. Walker / F. W. Marchand real estate (1925), Lillie Wood dressmaker (1941)
    • 315-316: C. B. Powell / Ida Maxwell (1925), Birmingham Dental Laboratory (1941-1961)
• 4th floor
  • 400-418: Lollar's Kodak Parlor (1910-1926)
    • 400-411: Lollar's kodak finishing (1941)
      • 400: Communications Workers of America Local No. 3902 (1956-1967)
      • 404-405: Southland National Insurance Co. (1952-1964)
        • 405: Cotton States Life Insurance Co. (1967-1971)
      • 410: Ebony Personnel Service Employment Agency (1967-1971)
    • 412: Ferrell & Vines Loan Co. (1941)
    • 413-415: The Praetorians insurance (1941)
      • 414: National Association of Letter Carriers (1970)
    • 416-417: Southern National Insurance Co. (1941)
      • 416: Sherrill Alterations (1970)
• 5th floor
  • 501: Birmingham Stenographic Bureau (1925)
  • 502: Monroe Calculating Machine Co. (1925), Structural Iron Workers Local No. 92 (1941)
  • 503: Bevie Paper Products Co. (1925), All States Life Insurance Co. (1941)
  • 504-505: G. M. Howie real estate (1925), The Weekly Call newspaper (1941), United Cement, Lime & Gypsum Workers District Council No. 5 (1961-1971)
  • 506: Employees Loan Society (1925), David Snead chiropractor (1941)
  • 507-508: National Realty Co. (1925)
    • 507: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Lodge No. 590 (1941-1967)
    • 508: Barnes Realty Co. (1970-1971)
  • 508-509: North American Accident Insurance Co. (1941)
    • 509: United Transportation Union Local 590 (1970-1971)
  • 509-510: H. E. McNamara / T. L. Fossick advertising novelties (1925)
  • 510-513: Walter Allbritton dentist (1941), W. Klyde Allbritton Jr dentist (1941-1964), Dick Allbritton dentist (1952)
    • 511: J. W. Schick building contractor (1925)
    • 512: J. M. Keever / National Realty Co. (1925)
    • 513: Alabama Retail Food Dealers Association / B. C. Apperson / Birmingham Retail Grocers & Butchers Association / The Grocers Journal (1925)
  • 514-516: A. J. Hope chiropractor (1923)
    • 514-515: Alabama State Federation of Labor (1941-1956)
      • 514: Morrow Brokerage Co. (1925)
      • 515-516: W. H. Wells chiropractor (1925)
  • 516-519: Alabama Association of Credit Men (1941)
    • 516: The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Birmingham (1964)
    • 517-519: Co-Operative National Detective Agency (1925)
      • 517-518: International Association of Machinists Lodge No. 271-372-359-252-2418 (1961-1965)
• 6th floor
  • 600-602: J. C. Glover chiropractor (1923), Glover & Albert chiropractors (1925)
    • 600: Cox Agency advertising (1941)
    • 602: International Products Co. luggage (1941)
  • 603-605: Alabama Independent Merchants Association / Merchants Journal magazine / Grocers & Merchants Association of Jefferson County / Consumers & Taxpayers Association of Alabama / Birmingham Retail Merchants Association (1941)
    • 603: General Multigraphic Co. (1925)
    • 604: Alabama Labor Council (1964-1967)
  • 606: Alabama Child Welfare Department (1925), Commercial Employment Bureau (1941)
  • 607: Sims Realty & Investment Co. / Sims Investment Co. (1925), Brown & Hill Corp. investments & loans (1941-1956)
  • 608: Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric Railway Employees (1925), Horace Weaver architect (1941), Barnes Realty Co. (1961-1964), United Federation of Postal Clerks Local No. 303 (1970)
  • 609-618: Colby Decorating Co. (1925)
    • 609-610: Clifton Moore chiropractor (1941), Alabama Fire Insurance Service (1952-1967)
    • 611-613: William Albert chiropractor (1941)
      • 611-612: Yester Ceramic Laboratory Inc. (1961-1964)
    • 614-615: Alonzo Lawley chiropractor (1952-1971)
    • 615: William Huckabee chiropodist (1941)
    • 616: Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric Railway Employees of America Local No. 725 (1941) / Amalgamated Bus Union Local No. 725 (1964), Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 725 (1967-1971)
    • 618: Clarence Klenk music teacher (1941)

• Air Way Branches (1952)
• Alabama News Magazine Inc. (1952)
• Auto Insurance Agency (1961)
• Avalon Beauty Supply (1971)
• Company Employers Group (1961-1967)
• Dixie Insurance Agency (1961)
• Charles Edwards chiropractor (1952-1956)
• Encyclopedia Americana (1952)
• Ferguson Alterations / Lorene Ferguson (1961-1967)
• Galloway Insurance Co. (1952)
• Greyvan Lines Inc. (1952)
• Home Reader Service Inc. (1961)
• Kennesaw Life & Accident Insurance (1961)
• Kime Carbon Co. (1952-1956)
• King Optical Company (1952-1956)
• Mitchell Inc. realty (1952)
• Mitchell Larimer Agency insurance (1961)
• Mutual Savings Life Insurance Co. (1952-1956)
• National Bankers Life Insurance Co. (1952)
• Wilbur Newberry optometrist (1956)
• Oneida Total Integrated Enterprises (1952-1967)
• Provident Indemnity Life Insurance Co. (1952)
• Southern Hearing Aid (1967)
• The Spectator newspaper (1920)
• Tucker Realty Co. (1956)
• Union Bankers Insurance Co. (1956)
• Vines Loan Co. (1952-1956)
• Joseph Waldner chiropractor (1952-1956)