By By Chuck Bodiford Publisher
During the tail end of Rodney Owens administration as Mayor of Atmore, the city applied for a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission. The city received the grant and with matching funds hired Pamela Sterne King to come in and provide an architectural and historical inventory of Atmore's buildings that are 50 or more years old.
King, of PS King Associates, is a historic preservation consultant. As such, some of her responsibilities include preparing: National Register Nominations; Historic Preservation Plans and Design Review Guidelines and Historic Standing Structures Surveys.
For the City of Atmore, King has prepared a Historical Survey and Nominations.
Because of King's work the nomination can be sent to the National registry officially naming parts of Atmore as a historic district. Approximately 500 buildings qualified as meeting the age requirements. This nomination is now ready for review which will occur in March of 2005 by the Alabama Historical Commission. If approved, the nomination would then go to Washington. The actual survey is at the Atmore Public Library. It was recently bound and put on a shelf.
There are really no restrictions to being part of a historic district. If you are part of one and want to paint your building purple or tear it down, you can. Really the only stipulation is if Federal funds are involved with the building," said King. "To those that own the buildings, it is really a good thing, by providing some really nice tax benefits. Essentially, the owner of the building could receive a tax credit on their income tax, and if federal money is available, you can access those grants."
On Wednesday morning, King will be the guest speaker for the Chamber of Commerce's monthly "Business Before Hours" meeting. The meeting will start at 7:30 a.m. allowing King to give what is being called a historical and architectural perspective of Atmore's commercial and residential buildings. At the meeting a slide show will be given displaying different styles and ages of some Atmore's historic buildings. "Hopefully, we can get people excited about what they already have here in Atmore," said King. "The district in Atmore would probably be one of the biggest in south Alabama maybe, except Mobile."
Make sure to stop by the Chamber's Business Before Hours on Wednesday to see if your property could be included in the historic district.
The following is a list of some of the buildings King plans to include in the slide show: American Legion Bldg, Gerlach's , Curiositiques Antiques (Old Atmore Hardware), The Strand, We Care (Old Carney Mill Commissary), Edward D. Jones and Southern Computer Bldg., Jasmine Place, Health Plus Chiropractics, Post Office, Country Charms, Ridgeley Street buildings between Main and Trammell, Pepsi Cola, Trinity Episcopal Church, 201 South Carney (residence), Bondurant Hardware, Bateson Furniture Company, Old service station on Nashville next to Bateson's, Decorating Center, Gregg's Salon, Central Farm Supply (Currie's Gin), Grain Silos near Central Farm Supply, Methodist Church, Atmore Lions Community Center, Swift home on Pensacola Avenue, 700 and 800 blocks of Pensacola Avenue, 308 East Horner (residence), 300 Block of Horner, 107 Ashley Street, McCants Grocery Store (Carver and Ashley Street), Grand Betty's, Gaines AME, Masonic Lodge 106 Union Street, Atmore Glass, First Baptist Church, Old First Baptist sanctuary, 400 and 500 blocks S. Main, St. Robert's Catholic Church, Vanity Fair , 500 block East Nashville, Railroad Tressel, Trawick home near old city park (W.M. Carney Home), Nancy's ETC. (old city hall) and Staff Chevrolet.