Conservation Fund acquires Alabama's Edistone Hotel, a Civil Rights landmark
The Edistone Hotel, a historic structure dating back to 1855, has been acquired by the Conservation Fund as part of its Legacy Places Initiative aimed at safeguarding endangered African American heritage sites. This hotel, which has been closed since the late 20th century, is located close to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, known for the 1965 Bloody Sunday incident. Phillip Howard, the initiative's director, emphasizes the critical need to protect these locations. Additionally, the Fund has purchased the Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery. The Edistone, situated on land formerly used for slave auctions, was included on the Places in Peril list in 2022. Following a tornado in 2023, the Fund is working with Model of Architecture Serving Society to envision the building's future.
Key facts
- The Conservation Fund acquired the Edistone Hotel in Selma, Alabama.
- The hotel dates to 1855 and is a Civil Rights landmark.
- It is part of the Legacy Places Initiative for African American heritage sites.
- The hotel is near the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of Bloody Sunday in 1965.
- The Conservation Fund also acquired the Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery.
- The Edistone was built on land used for slave auctions and later housed a Freedmen's Bureau office.
- In 2022, it was listed on the Places in Peril list.
- The Conservation Fund is partnering with the City of Selma and architects Mass.
- Mass has created renderings for a community gathering place with grocery and co-working space.
- A 2023 tornado caused debris that is being removed.
Entities
Artists
- Phillip Howard
- Sarah Aghedo
- Jha D Amazi
- Jo Ann Bland
Institutions
- Conservation Fund
- Legacy Places Initiative
- Selma Redevelopment Authority
- Alabama Historical Commission
- Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
- Model of Architecture Serving Society (Mass)
- National Park Service
- The Art Newspaper
- The Conservation Fund
- Black Belt News Network
- Selma Times-Journal
- Courthouse News Service
- MASS Design Group
Locations
- Selma
- Alabama
- Edmund Pettus Bridge
- Montgomery
- Philadelphia
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- United States
- Dallas County
- Boston
- Massachusetts