Five Points South in Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

The Works Progress Administration

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 17, 2013

1. The Works Progress Administration Marker

Inscription. The WPA (Works Progress Administration) funded the design and construction of Vulcan Park in the late 1930s. This was done in conjunction with the Alabama Highway Department’s improvement of U.S. Highway 31, the major north/south route that runs along the east side of the park.

Erected by Mr. and Mrs. William M. Spencer III and Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects series list.

Location. 33° 29.508′ N, 86° 47.745′ W. Marker is unreadable. Marker is in Birmingham, Alabama, in Jefferson County. It is in Five Points South. It can be reached from Valley View Drive west of Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South. Located in Vulcan Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham AL 35205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

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 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 walking distance of this location: Building The Park (a few steps from this marker); Birmingham District Minerals (a few steps from this marker); South View (a few steps from this marker); The Lone Pine Mine

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(a few steps from this marker); Vulcan Statue (within shouting distance of this marker); Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); A New City (within shouting distance of this marker); Mining Red Mountain (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Birmingham.

Also see . . . Vulcan Park and Museum. (Submitted on October 6, 2013.)

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 17, 2013

2. The Works Progress Administration Marker

Local builders and stonemasons, funded by the Works Progress Administration, executed the park’s design. As with other WPA-era projects in Birmingham and across the state, native sandstone was prominent feature.

Illustration by Paul R. Olson image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 17, 2013

3. Illustration by Paul R. Olson

Thanks to careful study of original plans and historic photos, today’s park looks very much as it did in the 1930s.

Courtesy of Alabama State Archives image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 17, 2013

4. Courtesy of Alabama State Archives

The WPA was the principal relief agency of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression-era New Deal; it put millions of unemployed people to work on civic projects.

The Vulcan Visitor's Center (marker is on extreme right). image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 17, 2013

5. The Vulcan Visitor's Center (marker is on extreme right).

The marker has become deteriorated. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 26, 2021

6. The marker has become deteriorated.

Mostly due to weathering, and possibly due to its original construction materials, this marker is now mostly unreadable.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 26, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 1,092 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 5, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 5. submitted on October 6, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 6. submitted on December 26, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.