Village Creek: An Architectural and Historical Resources Survey of the Village Creek Project Neighborhoods, City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.

摘要

A cultural resources survey conducted by the Birmingham Historical Society from April to June 1984 recorded 651 domestic dwellings and other structures in selected sections of the flood plain of Village Creek, a small tributary of the Black Warrior River that meanders through the City of Birmingham. This creek played an important role in supplying the Magic City's first industries and inhabitants with water, but it is no longer considered a primary resource. Demographic and economic patterns in study areas with the three communities of East Lake, East Birmingham, and Ensley, while tied to booms and lulls in Birmingham's industrial economy, evolved on different tracks. The architectural character and history of each community was accordingly distinctive and revealed a close relationship between class and housing type. In addition, the shotgun house type exhibited an unexpected persistence in the black neighborhoods of Ensley that were included in the survey. This traditional house form was still being constructed in the 1960s in a community with a strong tradition of working class home owners and remarkable continuity in residency patterns.