Maryvale in Mobile in Mobile County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Thomas James Place

Mobile County

Photographed by Mark Hilton, June 24, 2023

1. Thomas James Place Marker

Inscription. Built in 1942 and named for an early Mobile architect, Thomas James Place provided homes within close proximity to Brookley Airfield for defense workers and their families. It was one of approximately twenty-five local federal housing facilities constructed during World War II. The 796-unit Thomas James Place project consisted of one- and two-story, two-bedroom frame buildings situated in curvilinear streets named after various birds. This and the fact that the layout resembled an egg, led to the development's informal nickname, "Birdville." The Mobile Housing Authority acquired the development in 1948 for low-income housing, and made alterations to the structures, including brick siding and new windows, though some retained their World War II-era appearance. Thomas James Place was slated for demolition in the early 2020s after years of deferred maintenance caused substantial deterioration.

Erected 2021 by the Mobile Housing Authority.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 30° 39.243′ N, 88° 4.437′ W.

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Marker is in Mobile, Alabama, in Mobile County. It is in Maryvale. It is at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Eagle Drive, on the right when traveling south on Michigan Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1688 Michigan Ave, Mobile AL 36605, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Alabama’s Gulf Coast

and in the Mobile Bay area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley (approx. ¾ mile away); Sha'arei Shomayim Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away); A National Cemetery System (approx. 1½ miles away); The Markers In This Memorial Area (approx.

Thomas James Place Marker with one of the homes visible on the right. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, June 24, 2023

2. Thomas James Place Marker with one of the homes visible on the right.

1½ miles away); Restoring Justice / Lives Lost in The Segregation Era (approx. 1½ miles away); Mobile National Cemetery (approx. 1½ miles away); Crew of CSS H. L. Hunley Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); CSS Alabama Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mobile.

Regarding Thomas James Place. As of June 2023, only about 200 people remain in a pair of sprawling public housing complexes, but soon, they will have to join their neighbors who moved long ago.

R.V. Taylor Plaza and Thomas James Place, which run along Michigan Avenue, contain 1,368 homes but they are aging and dilapidated, and most are vacant and boarded-up, giving the neighborhood the feel of a ghost town.

Eventually, the homes in Thomas James Place will be demolished, and the land will be sold to the Mobile Airport Authority to make way for expansion of the emerging Mobile International Airport.

View of some of the Thomas James Place homes near the marker. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, June 24, 2023

3. View of some of the Thomas James Place homes near the marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 25, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,181 times since then and 160 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 25, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.