After years of plans, renovations, and more than $10 million in city dollars, the A.G. Gaston Motel — a National Historic Landmark — will open to the public on Thursday. “This historic site is hallowed ground,' Mayor randallwoodfin said.
The grandson of formerly enslaved people, Gaston was born in abject poverty in Alabama’s Black Belt in 1892 and rose to fame as an early Black millionaire in America.The motel is jointly owned by the city of Birmingham and the National Park Service. The park service manages the 1954 wing of the motel, which includes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s War Room 30 where he strategized plans for the Civil Rights Movement.
The building’s exterior is completely renovated to its original appearance. Additionally, the Mellon Foundation awarded a $1.1 million grant to support restoration of the interior coffee shop and original dining room, which now houses a new A.G. Gaston historical exhibit and a catering kitchen.in conjunction with the city’s observance of the 60th anniversary of major civil rights events of 1963.
63-3720 May 10, 1963 Kingwalker Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker announce an agreement with Birmingham businesses to desegregate certain sevices and jobs in the city. The leaders met with the media inside the courtyard of the A.G. Gaston Motel to make the announcement. Tom Self photo.
The city bought the property when Gaston was in the process of divesting his business empire. Gaston died in 1996 at age 103. The city of Birmingham committed $10 million to restore the 1968 portion. Meanwhile, the Park Service is restoring and will manage the 1954 portion, including King’s room. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in 1968, and his hotel room and balcony are preserved as a centerpiece of the exhibit. Likewise, an eventual centerpiece at the Gaston Motel in Birmingham will include Room 30.
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