Saving Places

Historic Preservation Month is celebrated nationally each May. Spearheaded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the observance seeks to heighten awareness about the wonderful buildings and places that are part of our shared history.

The National Trust shares historic preservation content each year during a monthlong campaign to inspire discussions about preservation, why it’s important and how you can get involved. The campaign further encourages people to share the historic places and spaces that are meaningful to them through social media.

Use the hashtag #SavingPlaces on your preferred social media platforms to join the national conversation.

2023 #SAVINGPLACESHSV CAMPAIGN

To celebrate learning about preservation and local history, the City is partnering with local organizations and businesses to showcase events and activities you can participate in throughout the month. City Blog articles and social media posts will provide additional context during Preservation Month.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Downtown Huntsville Walking Tours 

Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 20 at 10 a.m.

Led by City Preservation Planner Katie Stamps, the free Downtown Huntsville Walking Tour brings to life the evolution and history of Huntsville’s downtown commercial district from the City’s earliest settlers to the Space Race and beyond. Attendees will learn about local history, notable citizens and a diverse collection of architectural styles. Central to the tour is how Urban Renewal impacted Huntsville’s city center and how those changes were a catalyst for national and local preservation movements.

This event will include a bonus tour of “Brick by Brick: the Legacy of Henderson and Daniel Brandon” at Harrison Brothers Hardware led by Historic Huntsville Foundation Executive Director Donna Castellano. The downtown walking tour begins and ends at the historic First National Bank on West Side Square and lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Reservations are not required. Strollers and leashed dogs are welcome.

Five Points PorchFest

Saturday, May 6 from 6-10 p.m.

Five porches on Pratt Avenue will host musicians from Huntsville, Nashville and the Shoals for a unique evening of live performances. Bring a blanket, chair and cooler to enjoy the show! Please do not park on Pratt Avenue.

Make-N-Take Mother’s Day Cards

Saturday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mother’s Day is almost here – are you ready? Visit Harrison Brothers Hardware, owned and operated by the Historic Huntsville Foundation (HHF), to create a Mother’s Day card to remember.

HHF provides the cards and colored pencils; kids provide the imagination for these Make-N-Take Mother’s Day Cards, which feature local artist Christina Wegman’s original sketches of places where Huntsville moms made history!

History Harvest

Saturday, May 13 from 2-3:30 p.m.

Join William Hampton from Huntsville Revisited and the City of Huntsville at the H.C. Blake Art & History Center to share and learn about Huntsville’s Black history. We hope this event will be the first of many opportunities to come together to continue the work of identifying, documenting and recognizing historically significant places and stories connected to Huntsville’s Black community.

Preservation Happy Hour

Thursday, May 18 from 5-6:30 p.m.

If you are interested in history and preservation and would like to meet and network with like-minded professionals, property owners, advocates and volunteers, come to Baker & Able, the rooftop bar located at 106 Jefferson Hotel, on May 18! Hosted by City Preservation Planner Katie Stamps, this casual event is open to the public and does not require tickets or reservations. Beverages and small plates will be available for purchase.

Huntsville-Madison County Public Library – Career Academy

Each Saturday in May from 1-3 p.m.

Do you know a young person interested in history? Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) Special Collections is offering a series of workshops featuring activities that will focus on careers that help preserve knowledge and history. The workshops are ideal for students who work well on their own, with mild to moderate guidance. Registration is required. You can sign up on the HMCPL calendar or call the Youth Services dept at 256-532-5949.

May 6 – Junior Archaeologist
Led by Redstone archaeologist, Ben Hoksbergen

May 13 – Junior Archivist
Led by Special Collections archivist, Cait Monroe

May 20 – Junior Museum Curator
Led by Special Collections manager, Heather Adkins

May 27 – Junior Librarian
Led by Youth Librarian, Laura Noble

PARTICIPATE ON SOCIAL

We invite residents to participate on social media by sharing their favorite historic places using the hashtag #SavingPlacesHsv.

Learn more by following the hashtag #SavingPlacesHsv and visiting HHPC’s Facebook and Instagram.