Vulcan Park
Vulcan Park is a 10-acre public park first constructed in the late 1930s as a setting to house the statue of Vulcan on Red Mountain, overlooking the city. The statue of Vulcan, along with the tower and the park grounds, underwent a significant program of restoration in 1999.
After his return from the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, Vulcan was displayed at the Alabama State Fairgrounds. His uplifted arm had been damaged in transit and was re-cast and attached at the wrong angle, without a spear. He was used for advertising and re-painted several times.
As early as the late 1920s community leaders were looking for a more suitable setting for the iconic statue. A committee formed by the Birmingham City Commission, Birmingham Park and Recreation Board and the Birmingham Kiwanis Club secured assistance from the Federal Works Progress Administration to develop a park alongside Montgomery Highway on Red Mountain.
References
- "Vulcan statue." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Mar 2006, 00:29 UTC. 20 Mar 2006, 00:31 [1].
- Morris, Philip A. (1995) Vulcan and His Times. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.