The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) was created on August 19, 1966 when Governor
George Wallace signed Act Number 168 of the Special Session. Because of a report
filed by Albert McKinley
Rains, noted Alabama congressman who served in the U.S. House of Representatives
from 1945 to 1965 and author of With Heritage So Rich, Congress passed the
National Historic Preservation Act. The Commission is the agency designated
to carry out the state’s responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966 as amended and operates under the provisions of the
Code of Alabama 1975.
We work to accomplish our 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.
State law makes the Commission responsible for the acquisition and preservation
of state-owned historic properties and education of the public on historic sites
in Alabama. The Commission owns and manages 15 historic sites throughout Alabama
as public attractions. The properties range from
forts, battlefields, and archaeological sites to
historic houses and museums. Each year the Commission welcomes over
300,000 visitors to its historic sites. Educational events are held monthly to engage
visitors.
The statewide preservation programs are based on the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966. Federal law makes the Commission responsible for the National Register
of Historic Places, which is part of a nationwide program to coordinate and support
public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archaeological
places. State law makes the Commission responsible for the
Underwater Cultural Resources Act, promulgating rules and regulations for
the preservation and/or relocation of human remains and funerary objects, and the
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Act. The Commission receives an appropriation
from the federal government to support some of our activities which form the foundation
of preservation. These include the survey program to record information about Alabama’s
historic places and the Alabama
Register of Landmarks and
Heritage, which recognizes buildings and sites that are important in telling
the story of Alabama’s history. We also administer a cemetery program which provides
support to citizens, and the Alabama
Cemetery Register to record and recognize these places.
The Commission also sponsors local planning
assistance for towns who want to develop and maintain local preservation
ordinances. Federal
and state tax Incentives
are also available for the rehabilitation of income-producing properties which are
listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
The National Historic Preservation Act mandates that the Commission reviews projects
(Section 106) which use federal
money or require licenses for their effects on Alabama’s historic structures and
archaeological sites.
The Commission created the
Black Heritage Council in 1984 to advocate and advise on the preservation of
African-American historic places in Alabama. At the time of its founding, the BHC
was the first African-American advisory council of a state historic preservation
office created in the country. It is the only statewide organization whose sole
mission is the preservation of African-American Historic Places. The Commission
also created the Maritime Advisory Council and the Council on Alabama Archaeology
to advise on the topics relating to maritime archaeology, archaeology, and history.