For Immediate Release
January 18, 2017
Media Contact: Jacqulyn Kirkland, 334-230-2690 or jacqulyn.kirkland@ahc.alabama.gov
ANNISTON HARDWARE COMPANY BUILDING PROJECT APPROVED FOR FEDERAL TAX CREDITS
In November 2016 the Anniston Hardware Company Building project in Anniston, Alabama, was approved by the National Park Service for the twenty-percent federal rehabilitation tax credit program.
The Anniston Hardware Company Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource in the Downtown Anniston Historic District.
J.C. Sproull and his brother, W.C. Sproull, who moved to Anniston from Rome, Georgia, in the late 1880s, established the hardware company in 1887. The building, constructed in 1897, remained in the Sproull family until the mid-1970s.
In 1963, at the height of the modern Civil Rights Movement, the entrance to Anniston Hardware was damaged by a dynamite blast. This was done in retaliation to the desegregation efforts of Miller Sproull, who was a member of the Anniston City Commission and grandson of J.C. Sproull.
The current owner rehabilitated the building for its continued use as multiple retail spaces. Sheet metal was removed from the side elevation where the hardware company once operated, revealing the historic painted sign on the brick. The façade was refreshed with new paint and repairs to the storefront. Interior finishes and systems were upgraded to accommodate new tenants. The two-story masonry building retains an intact warehouse space with timber columns and beaded board ceilings on the second level.
The National Park Service oversees the Preservation Tax Incentive program jointly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To qualify, the building has to be listed in the National Register, either individually or in a historic district. Additionally, the property must be used for income-producing purposes. For more information concerning standards and guidelines please visit www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives.htm and http://ahc.alabama.gov/federaltaxcredits.aspx
The Alabama Historical Commission manages the program for the National Park Service in the state of Alabama. The Commission administers the federal restoration guidelines so the historic materials and look of the building remain.
Renovating and reusing these historic buildings is a win-win situation for the owner and the community.
To learn more about the tax incentive, visit http://ahc.alabama.gov/federaltaxcredits.aspx
or contact Chloe Mercer at 334-230-2669/ chloe.mercer@ahc.alabama.gov.
About the Alabama Historical Commission
Located in historic downtown Montgomery at 468 S. Perry Street, the Alabama Historical Commission is the state historic preservation agency for Alabama. The agency was created by an act of the state legislature in 1966 with a mission to protect, preserve and interpret Alabama’s historic places. AHC works to accomplish its mission through two fields of endeavor: Preservation and promotion of state-owned historic sites as public attractions; and, statewide programs to assist people, groups, towns, and cities with local preservation activities. For a complete list of programs and properties owned and operated by the AHC, hours of operation, and admission fees please visit http://ahc.alabama.gov/