![]() |
The Alabama Capitol with marchers foot prints leading to it's staircase. |
Montgomery Alabama is a great capitol city. We were only there for a day found and it to be friendly and walkable. Parking was easy and we found a variety of things to see and do.
Alabama's capitol building is beautiful. White Alabama marble, a grand staircase and a stately rotunda make an impressive structure that is fitting for a Government building. The building (circa 1851) is designated a National Historic Landmark as the first Capitol of the Confederacy. Statues of Jefferson Davis and a Confederate monument grace the landscaped lawns which were originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, author of New York's Central Park and North Carolina's Biltmore Estate.
Those steps were the end point for Dr. Martin Luther King's 50 mile march from Selma to Montgomery to petition then Governor George Wallace to end racial discrimination in the state of Alabama. The crosswalks in Dexter Avenue leading up to the capitol are painted like the soles of the many shoes that marched with him.
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church |
We took a walk down Dexter Avenue and passed the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. King led the congregation in the late 1950's.
Entrance to The Alley |
Railyard Brewing Company |
We had wandered a long way and made our way back up to the Capitol giving our Fitbit's a workout. No trouble recording those 10,000 steps this day!
First white House of the Confederacy |
Our last stop was the First White House of the Confederacy. The building is Italianate Style and is furnished in period pieces from the 1850's to 1860's. It was built in 1832 by a relative of Zelda Fitzgerald and leased by the Confederate Government to serve as the first home of it's President. The house features many artifacts of the Confederacy and Jefferson Davis's presidency as well as a research library. It was an interesting walk back in time to see the house fully furnished as it would have been in 1861.
The Wright Flyer |
We enjoyed our day in Montgomery and headed back to base. Along the way we stopped at a red light on Maxwell Blvd.and spotted an airplane mounted on poles in a small pocket park. It was a replica of the Wright Flyer. We discovered that the Wright Brothers first flight school was located in Montgomery at the area that is now Maxwell Air Force Base. While the flight school was only in Montgomery for a year it is considered an important reason for the development of interest in aviation in Alabama. I love learning this kind of history. It made our day and we were happy to discover another facet in the history of American Aviation.
You've discovered quite a bit of history there, Bonnie. Love it! I never knew that about Maxwell and the Wrights. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt was an educational few days Jim. We really enjoyed it.
Delete