Frequently Asked Questions

Rangers can help answer your questions and connect to other historic sites. Check below for answers to some of our most common questions.

NPS/ Jacob Garrett

 

National Monument Questions

What is a National Monument

A national monument is an area of federal land set aside, most often, by the president under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Presidents use this power to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest. Many national parks were first protected as national monuments.

Who Runs Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument?

Freedom Riders National Monument is run by the National Park Service, a bureau under the Department of the Interior. The site is run by a superintendent that oversees park rangers and other staff in protecting this important part of American history.

Why was Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument created?

In 1963, Fred Shuttlesworth invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to Birmingham. The civil rights leaders took up residence at the A.G. Gaston Motel in April and May of 1963 to plan Project C and confront “probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States”. The motel would serve as headquarters, a place to stage events and press conferences, and a place to strategize.

As protests unfolded, images of snarling police dogs unleashed against nonviolent protesters and of children being sprayed with water from fire hoses appeared in print and television news across the world. These dramatic scenes of violent police aggression against civil rights protesters shocked many, and elevated civil rights from a Southern issue to a pressing national concern.

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument commemorates, preserves, and interprets to the public the dramatic events of Project C and the struggle for human and civil rights that played out in 1950's and 1960's Birmingham. It is made up of the A.G. Gaston Motel, which the NPS manages in partnership with the City of Birmingham, and other prominent Civil Rights Landmarks including 16th Street Baptist Church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, and Kelly Ingram Park.

Is the Historic Bethel Baptist Church part of the national monument?

The Historic Bethel Baptist Church was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2005. The church's importance to Birmingham's civil rights history stems from it's connections with Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. 

Historic Bethel Baptist Church is mentioned in the proclamation establishing the monument, laying the basis for partnership and interpretation, and possibly subsequent action by the President or Congress to include it in a park unit boundary if circumstances allow. The church is located six miles from the A.G. Gaston Motel and the other historic properties in downtown Birmingham.

 

A.G. Gaston Motel Questions

Who owns the A.G. Gaston Motel?

The National Park Service operates the original 1954 motel, including the master suite used by Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, courtyard, hotel lobby. The City of Birmingham owns the 1968 expansion including the resturaunt. Both organizations work together manage and operate the A.G. Gaston motel in cooperation so members of the public visiting experience the preserved resource in a seamless fashion.

What is the current status to restore the A.G. Gaston Motel?

In June, 2022, the City of Birmingham completed a multi-year long restoration of the Gaston Motel's exterior, courtyard, the coffee shop, dining room and a special exhibition space. The National Park Service completed a partial restoration of the lobby interior in December 2024.

Further restoration efforts including exhibit space, offices, elevator access to the second floor, and the master suite/war room are being planned by the National Park Service. These plans will have full public involvement and coordination with the City of Birmingham and other stakeholders. Check out our Planning page for public input about these plans.