Thursday, January 28, 2010

Saving the Historic YMCA


Selma's historic YMCA building on Broad Street is falling down, and while some want to raze it, others want to save it.

A standing-room only crowd attended a presentation held by the Historic Preservation Society the other night, and now a committee will meet with the owner, the city and an architect.

Built in 1885, the YMCA building was the first in Alabama and one of the first in the South. At right, Linda Derry, chairman of a Black Belt Heritage Area committee, informs the audience via slides.

Special thanks to guest photographer Jacque Johnson.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a good cause. Saving most anything is better than putting it in a landfill.

Jim Klenke said...

I hope they are able to save it.

Kate said...

It is good to see citizen involvement in preserving historic sites.

Lowell said...

Well, I hope they preserve it; it seems in this country we knock things down too easily...

We've got a similar situation here with the old Ocala city auditorium...it needs repairs and the feeling of many is to raze it...but it's a great old building and has a lot of historic value...

I don't know what will happen.

Chattahoochee Valley Daily said...

It will be expensive, but I am sure worth it in the end. It's a nice old building.

Janet said...

Well, it's possible this building can't be saved, at least not all of it. If the facade can be saved, that will be a big plus.

Virginia said...

More power to the "savers"!!! We must protect these wonderful places that reflect the history of our cities.
V