A look inside the A.G. Gaston Motel: Birmingham city set to open exhibit in coming weeks

1 year ago 31

TO GET A LOOK INSIDE THE RESTORED MOTEL. YEAH, SHE JOINS US LIVE OUT THERE THIS AFTERNOON. SO, MAGDALA, HOW DOES IT LOOK. WELL, BRITTANY, IAN, IT LOOKS VERY NICE INSIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN AG GADSDEN OR WHAT HE MEANT TO BIRMINGHAM. THEY’LL LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT HIM ONCE THEY GET INSIDE THIS MOTEL AND THEY’LL LEARN TO WHAT THIS MOTEL MEANT IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. WELCOME. THIS IS THE GASTON MOTEL. IT’S TAKEN ABOUT FOUR YEARS FOR THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM TO GET TO THIS POINT. DENISE GILMORE WORKS IN THE MAYOR’S OFFICE. SHE’S PLEASED PEOPLE WILL GET TO TOUR THE GASTON MOTEL SOON AND SEE WHERE ICONIC CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS LIKE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ONCE STOOD. REMEMBER THE PICTURE OF THE BALCONY OF DR. KING? HE WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE IN THAT ON THAT BALCONY LOOKING DOWN AND GIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE FOOT SOLDIERS. THE BIRMINGHAM OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CO-OWNS THE MOTEL. GILMORE WALKS ME THROUGH THE CITY OWNED SIDE, TELLING ME ABOUT AG GADSDEN LIFE BUSINESS VENTURES AND HIS ROLE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA. BUT WE WANTED THIS EXHIBIT HERE BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD NEVER HEARD OF AG GASTON. THIS IS WHY THEY INVESTED 10 MILLION TO RESTORE THE MOTEL INSIDE AND OUT. YOU’LL SEE THE ORIGINAL MATERIALS USED TO A LOT OF THE WOOD AND THE SIDING. THEY TOOK OFF, THEY CLEANED IT AND THEN STAINED IT AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE AND THEN PUT IT BACK ON THE SIDE. PEOPLE WILL LEARN ABOUT GADSDEN LIFE. THE BUSINESSES HE OWNS. HE HAD A NUMBER OF OFFICES, SO THIS IS ONE OF THE DESK THAT CAME FROM THOSE OFFICES, AND IT WAS THIS SPACE THAT CREATED A SAFE HAVEN FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THE 1950S TO SAFELY GATHER AND SLEEP AT NIGHT. THIS MOTEL OPENED IN 1954, AND IT HAD 32 AIR CONDITIONED ROOMS. AND IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, IN THE SOUTH, IN THE SUMMER, THAT IN ITSELF WAS SOME HIGH LIVING. BUT HE KNEW THE BLACK PEOPLE DESERVE DIGNITY. AND THAT WAS REALLY HIS BOTTOM LINE. THE CITY PLANS TO OPEN ITS SIDE OF THE MOTEL IN THE COMING WEEKS. THE HOURS WILL BE LIMITED. WE’RE TALKING THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, ONLY FROM. 10 A.M. TO 4 P.M. AND ONCE WE GET THAT OFFICIAL OPENING DATE, WE’LL BE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW WE’RE LIV

It's taken about four years for the city of Birmingham to get to this point of opening the Gaston Motel on 5th Avenue North. Denise Gilmore works in the mayor's office. She's pleased people will get to tour the Gaston Motel, now a museum, soon and see where iconic civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stood.“Remember the picture of the balcony of Dr. King? He was standing right there on that balcony looking down and giving directions to the foot soldiers,” said Denise Gilmore, the senior director of the division of social justice and racial equity in the mayor's office.Birmingham and the National Parks Service co-own the motel. Gilmore walks me through the city-owned side, telling WVTM 13 about Arthur George Gaston's life, business ventures and his role in the civil rights era.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WVTM 13“We wanted this exhibit here because we know some people might not have heard of A.G. Gaston,” Gilmore said.This is why the city invested $10 million to restore the motel inside and out. You will see the original materials used too."A lot of the wood they took off, cleaned it, stained it as close as possible and then put it back,” Gilmore said.On the side, people will learn about Gaston's life and the businesses he owns, Gilmore said while walking through the exhibit.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube"He had a number of offices," she said. "This is one of the desks from one of those offices."And it was this space that created a safe haven for Black people in the 1950s to gather and sleep at night.“This motel opened in 1954, and it had 32 air-conditioned rooms. And in Birmingham, Alabama, in the south and in the summer, that in itself was some high living. But he knew Black people deserved dignity. And that was really his bottom line,” Gilmore said.The city hopes to open its side of the motel in the coming weeks.Hours will be limited. The motel will be open Thursdays through Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

“Remember the picture of the balcony of Dr. King? He was standing right there on that balcony looking down and giving directions to the foot soldiers,” said Denise Gilmore, the senior director of the division of social justice and racial equity in the mayor's office.

Birmingham and the National Parks Service co-own the motel. Gilmore walks me through the city-owned side, telling WVTM 13 about Arthur George Gaston's life, business ventures and his role in the civil rights era.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WVTM 13

“We wanted this exhibit here because we know some people might not have heard of A.G. Gaston,” Gilmore said.

This is why the city invested $10 million to restore the motel inside and out. You will see the original materials used too.

"A lot of the wood they took off, cleaned it, stained it as close as possible and then put it back,” Gilmore said.

On the side, people will learn about Gaston's life and the businesses he owns, Gilmore said while walking through the exhibit.

Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

"He had a number of offices," she said. "This is one of the desks from one of those offices."

And it was this space that created a safe haven for Black people in the 1950s to gather and sleep at night.

“This motel opened in 1954, and it had 32 air-conditioned rooms. And in Birmingham, Alabama, in the south and in the summer, that in itself was some high living. But he knew Black people deserved dignity. And that was really his bottom line,” Gilmore said.

The city hopes to open its side of the motel in the coming weeks.

Hours will be limited. The motel will be open Thursdays through Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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