HERITAGE PRESERVATION

(Drum roll, please!) Billy Warren, on behalf of the HPI Board, signed the documents accepting the Oak Street house from Irby Construction Company and immediately conveyed ownership to John VanSandt. John will restore the house for use as his office. There was a hearty applause.

Bill McDonald made the motion that the minutes of the 3-27-06 meeting be approved. Jim Ingrum seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

Billy Warren presented this treasurer’s report:

Checking Account balance $5,208.73
Forks of Cypress Account balance 3,223.28 + 11.40
Riverview Historic District balance 130.43

There was discussion regarding the proposed Cemetery Stroll on May 13. It was agreed that adequate preparations cannot be completed by that date. It was further agreed that HPI should accept Terry Pace’s suggestion that a local theater group be given an honorarium to stage the Stroll for us at a date to be decided in an agreement with the group. Jim Ingrum made the motion that Billy Warren first offer the project to Terry Pace’s group, Pillar of Fire, and to ask Terry to meet with the HPI Board on Monday, May 22. Lee Freeman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

Hester Cope reported that she, Carolyn Waterman, Bill McDonald and Billy Warren attended a meeting at UNA on April 6 of the Advisory Committee for the restoration of Rogers Hall. She stated that Dr. Dan Howard reported that the required $1,000,000+ needed for the restoration has been raised. Great news!

Bill McDonald reported that he, Robert Redd and Billy Warren attended a meeting in Mayor Irons’s office on April 11 regarding a proposed Wall of Fame to be constructed at some location along the new River Walk. Should this project come to pass, the Wall will have names of Florentines who have brought national and/or international recognition to our city. It would include people from the fields of politics, military, arts, etc. There will be further discussion with the Mayor regarding this proposed project.

Billy Warren distributed copies of a letter he wrote to Mayor Irons (as per authorization of the HPI Board) seeking approval from the City of Florence for the erection of a statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt at some location on the new River Walk. Billy reported that Mayor Irons expressed approval of the proposal, but he has not yet given written approval.

Bob Torbert circulated photographs of the new retaining wall constructed at the City Cemetery, for which HPI paid labor costs of $150 (from the $500 awarded to the project by HPI). Bob stated that the City of Florence has recently given the cemetery restoration project $5,000. He further stated that workers from Florence Marble Works will begin soon to set stones in place.

Billy Warren reported that Mr. Wayne Higgins does not know for sure whether contributions to the Wheeler Home restoration will go directly to hands-on restoration work, but he (Mr. Higgins) is scheduled to attend a meeting on April 27 and will seek the answer to that question at the meeting.

Billy Warren reported that Dr. Garry Warren at UNA is completing the necessary paperwork to propose that a certain building on the campus be designated a National Literary landmark because of UNA’s connection with T. S. Stribling, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1933.

Bill McDonald made the motion that HPI place a book in the public library in memory of Barbara and Earl White, longtime supporters of the revitalization of Waterloo, Alabama. Iva McClure seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

Following a brief discussion of the matter, Betty Champion made the motion that HPI serve as the fiscal agent for the proposed statue of FDR on the River Walk. Mary Peck seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

Bill McDonald offered words of praise for Bob Torbert who is cataloguing and transporting Bill’s personal collection of historical artifacts to the archival department at Collier Library. Already, 46 boxes have been delivered! Other Board members echoed Bill’s compliment of Bob.

Lee Freeman reported that the Natchez Trace Genealogical Society has purchased a collection of photographs of the John D. Weeden family members and has given the collection to the Local History/Genealogy room at the public library.

Bill McDonald circulated photographs of a painting done by his wife, Dot McDonald, on the front of the Sweetwater Mansion. The original painting is on display in the Board room at the public library.

Lee Freeman agreed to ask Pat Mahan to visit the local Masonic Lodge with Jim Ingrum to make digital photographs there of the portraits of Alexander Hamilton Wood and Basil Wood.

Jim Ingrum reported that restoration work is underway on the Malone House (c.1832) on East Hawthorne Street. Good news!

Lee Freeman reported that research on the international artist, Mattie Dube, is underway. Records indicate that her maiden name was probably Thweatt, that she was born in Florence in 1861, and that she died in Paris in 1944. Her paintings were exhibited at the International Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The research on this intriguing person continues.

Bill McDonald stated that he is working with Robert Steen to compile a publication on the history of Rogers Hall. Bill circulated a recent picture of a house located in Woodland (at the Bend of the River) which was George Washington Foster’s plantation house. (Mr. Foster was the builder of Rogers Hall.) Bill said that there is good reason to believe that Andrew Jackson slept in this house. Bill expressed hope that a historical marker might be erected near the house to record Jackson’s connection to it.

Hester Cope:

Circulated copies of the 12 new postcards designed (and being marketed) by the Main Street Design Committee;
Encouraged everyone to see the transformation of the former Lauderdale County Health Department building (corner of Pine and Tennessee Streets) into a facility for Hospice of the Tennessee Valley;
Reported that construction is slated to begin soon on the infill buildings on North Seminary Street across from the Post Office;
Stated that New York Life has moved into its new quarters on the ground floor of the Lucas building (Tennessee Street) and that two apartments are being developed on the second floor;
Reported that a law office will occupy the ground floor of the former Pittsburgh Paint Store building (Tennessee Street), while loft apartments are being developed on the second floor; and
Stated that the construction of the new Hampton Inn on Court Street is on track.