Bessemer Hall of History
Encyclopedia
The Bessemer Hall of History is a museum
located in, and devoted to the history of, the city of Bessemer, Alabama
.
The museum is housed in the former Alabama Great Southern Railroad
(later Southern Railway
) depot in downtown Bessemer. The depot, built by the AGS in 1916, served passengers until the Amtrak
era began in the early 1970s. The building sat unused for several years, but was reopened by the city of Bessemer in 1985, and officially rededicated during the city's centennial observance in 1987. The museum houses a wide array of artifacts from the city's history as a mining
, steel
making, and industrial center.
The museum building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Hall of History is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Bessemer is located in Jefferson County, Alabama
, between Birmingham
and Tuscaloosa
.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located in, and devoted to the history of, the city of Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
.
The museum is housed in the former Alabama Great Southern Railroad
Alabama Great Southern Railroad
The Alabama Great Southern Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is an operating subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation , running southwest from Chattanooga to New Orleans through Birmingham and Meridian...
(later Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
) depot in downtown Bessemer. The depot, built by the AGS in 1916, served passengers until the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
era began in the early 1970s. The building sat unused for several years, but was reopened by the city of Bessemer in 1985, and officially rededicated during the city's centennial observance in 1987. The museum houses a wide array of artifacts from the city's history as a mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
making, and industrial center.
The museum building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The Hall of History is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Bessemer is located in Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...
, between Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
and Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
.