HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INC.

Minutes of Meeting, 7-28-03

 

Those present:  Lindsey Stricklin, Jerry Dowd, Margaret Taylor, Betty Champion, Susan Hargett, Charlotte Dean, Nancy Muse, Jim Ingrum, Tom White, Lee Freeman, Bill McDonald, Iva McClure, Judy Tiffin, Vince Brewton, Billy Warren, Linda Wilson

 

  1. Bill McDonald made the motion that the minutes of the 6-23-03 meeting be approved.  Betty Champion seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

     
  2. Lindsey Stricklin gave this treasurer's report:
    1. Checking Account balance                    $ 1,647.94
    2. Savings Account balance                         5,104.31 + 11.40
    3. Forks of Cypress balance                        3,223.38

 

Tom White made the motion that the report be approved.  Margaret Taylor seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

 

  1. Lee Freeman and Bill McDonald made this report on the progress of the Florence video:
    1. Shane Wilson has been hired as the videographer.
    2. Jerry Dowd has agreed to be the technical director.
    3. Mary Jane McDaniel is writing the script.
    4. Production should begin next week.
    5. A huge thank-you is due Nelson Starkey, Bobby Denton and Lynn Greer for securing $25,000 for this project.

       
  2. Vince Brewton reported that our new web site is now accessible even though, at the moment, it contains only a home page.  The web address is:  historicalflorence.org.  He made these suggestions about the developing site:
    1. One major purpose of a web site is to gain visibility for the person or group creating it.
    2. Anyone with connections to other web sites (even if they aren't related to historic preservation per se) should ask the webmaster of those sites for permission to connect our site to them.
    3. In particular we should have links to these sites:  the City of Florence, the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Bureau and the Shoals Chamber of Commerce.
    4. The creation of a gallery of pictures of historic homes in Florence would be an excellent addition to our site.
    5. For a web site to be useful, it must have traffic.  We need to use every means possible to get the word out that we have a site.

       
  3. Billy Warren reported that the series of seven walking tours recently completed had a total of 450+ participants from 14 states!  He suggested that a follow-up discussion involving, Main Street, HPI and the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Bureau is in order so we can determine ways to capitalize on the obvious interest in walking tours.

     
  4. Billy Warren distributed copies of two articles (one on the history of Weeden Heights; the other on the history of Wilson Park) written by Bill McDonald and published recently by the Times-Daily.  Billy complimented Bill for this excellent series of historical articles.

     
  5. Billy Warren distributed copies of the special centennial booklet published in Florence in 1918.

     
  6. Nancy Muse, representing the Shoals Environmental Alliance, invited everyone to these meetings of the Alliance:
    1. 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 29, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, with Leon Bates speaking on invasive, take-over plants such as privet hedge; and
    2. 6:30 p.m., Monday, August 25, Florence Event Center, with a panel of speakers on the topic, "Smart Growth, Green Space."

 

Billy Warren also encouraged everyone to attend because the purposes and goals of the Shoals Environmental Alliance mesh very well with those of HPI.

 

  1. Linda Wilson, chairman of the Archives Committee for Florence City Schools, stated that the closing of Bradshaw and Coffee High Schools has created a challenge for the preserving of artifacts that reflect the history of the two schools.  The Archives Committee is busy now determining which items should be preserved, but the biggest challenge is locating a building to house the collection.  The Board of Directors of HPI agreed that there is a need for an archival site for Florence and Lauderdale County, so the current Bradshaw-Coffee need could become the impetus to make it happen.  These suggestions for a possible archival building were forthcoming:
    1. A portion of Brandon Elementary School
    2. A portion of Richards Education Center
    3. Sam Phillips's home on Royal Avenue
    4. The Martin Industry building on Tennessee Street
    5. The Martin Industry building on Royal Avenue

       
  2. In a discussion of the possibility of HPI's creating an additional brochure for walking tours of Florence's historic districts, Billy Warren noted that the districts listed below contain the numbers of houses/buildings indicated:
    1. College Place – 52
    2. College Place Expansion – 8
    3. Seminary –O'Neal – 13
    4. Wood Avenue Expansion #1 – 48
    5. Wood Avenue Expansion #2 – 18
    6. Walnut Street Expansion – 20
    7. Cherry Street – 52
    8. Downtown Florence – 21
    9. Downtown Florence Expansion – 94
    10. Locust Street – 180

       

After some preliminary discussion about how to approach the project, Lindsey Stricklin suggested that we gather information and create a mock-up of a brochure.  From that, we can determine whether to go forward with the project, and, if we do, an approximate cost.  These people agreed to serve on a subcommittee to develop a mock-up:  Lee Freeman, Susan Hargett, Lindsey Stricklin, Nancy Muse, Jim Ingrum, Billy Warren, Vince Brewton.

 

  1. Lee Freeman shared a picture of a slave collar dated 1853 and engraved "Bullock and Stevens, Florence, Alabama."  He asked if anyone knew of a business by that name that had ever existed in Florence.

     
  2. Lindsey Stricklin stated that Sweetwater is deteriorating more and more.  Jim Ingrum added that a magnolia tree has fallen on one of the columns.

     
  3. Lindsey Stricklin invited everyone to Waterloo this Friday, August 1, at 6 p.m.  The Shoals Dixieland Band will play as part of the W. C. Handy Music Festival.