Birmingham Early 20th Century

Birmingham was known as a frontier town in its establishment in 1871, with its rows of mile-long corn-fields. It was far from being considered American civilization. However, worthy minerals that lied beneath these corn fields caused an industrial revolution for the little town of Birmingham to eventually boom into a city. Soon after two decades, the town was known for its blue-collar industriousness. “There was great wealth to be had if one were shrewd of business and as a result the men worked hard, played hard, and lived hard.” Birmingham was grimy yet ambitious, a refined but robust metropolis of the New South.
By the 1800s Birmingham was blossoming into a major city with a population of about 20,000 people in a span of 20 years. However, with the …show more content…
The late 19th century created building that fancied the Victorian era establishing houses that had the Queen Anne style. This style included characteristics such as: tall proportions, steep roofs, complex plans, and a variety of colors, textures, and materials. Over time this was seen as irrational and old-fashioned as Birmingham emerged into the 20th century. They replaced the archaic architectural themes into a more practical light. For example, the first Christian church, built in 1874, after several locations later, finally found a permanent residence in 1924. The church was designed in the Neoclassical Revival style which was popular for monumental religious buildings. Downtown Birmingham became a hotspot for other building projects to be developed. For instance, the Ridgely Apartments was built as Birmingham’s first and only downtown apartment complex. Another example of how architecture shaped Birmingham was the Essex House. The International style molded a rational aesthetic in the context of industrial materials. The use of historical allusion and imposed symmetry seemed impractical for the architecture of this time