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By Sarah Aghedo

Special to the Selma Times-Journal

Selma’s city seal declares “Civil War to Civil Rights and Beyond,” and Selma’s motto is “Historic Places, Social Graces.” Clearly history is a large part of Selma’s identity.

That history is also reflected in Selma having the largest contiguous historic district in Alabama. Not surprisingly, then, there are three key historic preservation organizations at work here to ensure that this history, particularly as it is reflected in its historic structures, continues to be told.

If you own property in one of the four historic districts that comprise this large contiguous district, and you are ready to modify a porch or to add a fence to outline your lot, which of these three organizations guides your choices? Is it the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), the Selma Historic Development Commission (SHDC), or the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society (SDCHPS)?

If you want to change the exterior of your building or propose “material changes in appearance to a designated historic property or a property within a historic district,” it is the SHDC you should contact.

This is the commission that is charged with ensuring the City of Selma’s
“historical, cultural and aesthetic heritage” is protected and preserved.

The commission meets twice a month to review Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) applications from property owners. These applications detail the plans for change to a contributing structure in one of the historic districts. The commission’s review ensures the changes don’t conflict with design guidelines developed by the Secretary of the Interior. The COA application either will be approved or denied.  By following this process, the mayor-appointed, city-council-approved commission helps to keep the integrity of the historic districts intact so that their value is retained and irreplaceable structures are not compromised (www.selmahdc.org).

Additionally, two other organizations affect preservation in Selma.

The AHC was created in 1966 to ensure the state of Alabama complied with the National Historic Preservation Act. It does this in two main ways: 1) by preserving and promoting state-owned historic sites like Old Cahawba, and 2) through programs to assist with local preservation activities. Their programs include the National Register of Historic Places, the Black Heritage Council, and the Alabama Cemetery Register, to name a few, as well as grants for preservation activities at the local level (https://ahc.alabama.gov).

The SDCHPS is a local nonprofit organization “dedicated to preserving and promoting our area’s history.” The society maintains Kenan’s Mill and Heritage Village in Old Town among other historical structures, and they organize the annual Tour of Homes each Spring. The SDCHPS was started in 1971 in response to the loss of historic structures like the Hotel Albert, and they have been working since then to preserve the structures telling the history of Selma (www.historicselma.org).

Thus, there are three organizations involved in preserving and promoting Selma and Dallas County’s history. They each just have different roles to play.

Sarah Aghedo is the executive director of the Selma Redevelopment Authority. She is writing a series of stories highlighting Preservation Month. To contact her, please call 334-407-9313 or email her at info@selmara.org. For more information, log on to www.selmara.org.