FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andi Martin, Marketing and Public Relations Manager
andi.martin@ahc.alabama.gov, 334-230-2680
April 15, 2019
Civil War Living History & Saturday Skirmish Weekend Announced,
Site Celebrates 55 Years as Alabama Park
(Montgomery, AL) The Alabama Historical Commission and Confederate Memorial Park are pleased to announce the Civil War Living History & Saturday Skirmish taking place on Friday and Saturday, April 26-27. Living historians will be present in the site from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26th, and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th.
Confederate Memorial Park holds a Living History Weekend each year in April. During the two-day event, visitors will have a chance to walk in history's footsteps through the exploration of sights and sounds of the Civil War with living history demonstrations and activities that include: infantry drill & firing, cavalry horses and equipment, artillery firing, commissary and food, soldier's equipment, authentic uniforms, music, flags, civilian life, and civil war camp instruction.
On Saturday, April 27, visitors will experience living history demonstrations from 10:30 am-11:30 am, followed by a cemetery ceremony beginning at 11:30 am, and a skirmish between authentically uniformed and equipped Union and Confederate reenactors beginning at 1:00 pm.
Admission to all outdoor activities is $2.00 per person each day and admission to the state-of-the-art museum is an additional $2.00 per person each day. Souvenirs, drinks, snacks, and hot dogs will be available for purchase. All groups are asked to make reservations in advance.
“Our Civil War Living History allows us to bring a sense of authenticity and deepened understanding to this time in our history with fresh perspectives and an interdisciplinary approach through outdoor, living history demonstrations,” said Assistant Site Director, Calvin Chappelle.
This year’s living history event is officially endorsed by the Alabama Bicentennial Commission. Alabamians may not be familiar with Confederate Memorial Park’s unique history and connection to the Civil War. The 102-acre site was never a battlefield, nor was it established as an outlet to remember the fallen. Rather, the property was a site to pay homage to the living. The park’s history is embedded by a deeply Alabama characteristic –honoring our people.
Jefferson Falkner, a lawyer from Montgomery, had a vision and wished to provide a home for aging veterans who could no longer afford to support themselves. In 1901, Faulkner donated private lands in the Mountain Creek area so that a facility could be assembled. On those lands, a small hospital, barn, mess halls, cottages, and a then-modern sewage system were built for the many who would come to reside on the lands, living out their final days.
Visitors can explore with a self-guided tour of the site, including two cemeteries, and the museum, which tells the story of many of its residents. The park is also a vast greenspace, touting a nature trail that combines an Alabama "Treasure Forest" with features from the soldiers’ home.
Confederate Memorial Park, a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission, is located at 437 Co Rd 63, Marbury, AL 36051.
To learn more about Confederate Memorial Park, or the Alabama Historical Commission, please visit www.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 ahc.alabama.gov