The Fourth Avenue Historic District is significant because it is the only surviving remnant of what was once the heart of black Birmingham’s social and cultural life (1908 – 1941). It’s building evidence the primary force which shaped the district’s character: the black community’s attempt to fulfill social and cultural needs within the restrictive confines of racial segregation and discrimination.
Our Legacy
Birmingham’s Social and Cultural Life
Black Social Life
The significance of the district was not confined to its landmark buildings. The street, and the shops, bars and poolrooms that were oriented to it, provided another forum for black social life.
Duke Ellington
In the Masonic Temple’s dance hall, big bands and big name performers played to packed houses. Duke Ellington and his band performed here regularly.
The Masonic Temple
The Masonic Temple dominates the skyline of the district and its business and cultural life. Here were housed masonic groups, offices for many black firms and professionals, and a branch of the library. The grand ballroom featured social and athletic events.
The Penny Savings Bank
The Penny Savings Bank, one of four black-owned banks in the city, encouraged savings and provided money for buying homes and businesses.
Birmingham’s Black Business District
The Fourth Avenue Historic District is the only place left in the city which tells the story of the Jim Crow years in Birmingham (1908-1941). Prohibited from patronizing the white restaurants, movie theaters, and personal service establishments, black developed businesses in those areas to serve their community. They also offered professional services (medical and legal) to the black community. Although now somewhat diminished by the demolition of some structures and the dispersal of black life that has come with integration and suburban expansion, important structures remain which document what was once the center of commercial activity in black Birmingham.
