Vulcan Statue
Under a cooperative effort between the Kiwanis Club’s Tom Joy and Birmingham parks superintendent R. S. Marshall and with the WPA and Alabama Highway funding and manpower the project moved ahead. Architects Warren, Knight, and Davis designed the tower, carefully placed during construction to avoid mine chambers below. Italian immigrant stone masons, who had worked on fine houses during preceding boom years, crafted the stone for both tower and grounds improvements. The design reflects the excellent site-sensitive work that came to be identified with WPA projects across America.
As the statue of Vulcan was put into place, piece by piece, the lower half was filled with concrete. Metal rods extended from the legs into the concrete top of the shaft to anchor the statue. The cast iron was painted aluminum and illuminated for nighttime visibility, echoing the Art Moderne chevron pattern on the observation platform railing.
All in all, this period represents the peak of Vulcan in this landscape setting.Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.
Location. 33° 29.513′ N, 86° 47.728′ W. Marker is in Birmingham, Alabama, in Jefferson County. Marker is on Valley View Drive. The Vulcan Center is located at the top of Red Mountain. It is the largest cast iron statue in the world at 56 feet tall and it depicts the Roman god, Vulcan. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham AL 35209, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Lone Pine Mine (a few steps from this marker); A New City (a few steps from this marker); Industry (a few steps from this marker); The Works Progress Administration (within shouting distance of this marker); South View (within shouting distance of this marker); Before Birmingham: Jones Valley (within shouting distance of this marker); Building The Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Kiwanis and Vulcan (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Birmingham.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 649 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 20, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.