Tuesday marked another step forward in the restoration of Alabama’s first capital.

Old Cahawba has received a $100,000 grant from the Daniel Foundation of Alabama to help with construction of a new, permanent visitor center for the park.

“Our old visitor center got struck by lightning and burned to the ground, and we’ve been limping along repurposing another structure that we have on site with limited hours,” said Old Cahawba Archaeological Park director Linda Derry. “Getting this building that will be bigger and better and wonderful would make all the difference in the world.”

The Daniel Foundation of Alabama’s stated mission is to strengthen communities within Alabama and improve the quality of life for citizens from all regions of Alabama through the support of quality educational programs, arts and culture, civic and community programs, and medical care and research.

Derry said the donation is the first step toward starting on the new building that will have a visitor center, gift shop, multipurpose room and archeology lab and exhibits.

Derry said work will also be done to use the current, temporary visitor center for other purposes.

“We’re doing it in steps,” Derry said.

“We’re currently working on taking the building that we have … and finishing them out, so we’ll have a better temporary structure that will later become administrative offices. It’s like a complex of buildings.”