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FOLEY – The Baldwin County Historic Development Commission Chairman Claudia Campbell approached the Foley council during the March 5 meeting concerning the Historic Marker Project going on around the county. The Historic Development Commission consists of 12 individuals who are appointed by the County Commission and represent all areas of the county.

“One of the things that we are trying to do for the bicentennial of Alabama is for Baldwin County to participate in a big way,” said Campbell. “We have a Historic Marker Program that was approved by the County Commission, so that 84 unincorporated areas can have historic markers placed.”

The markers are 180 pounds of bronze and are made at a local foundry. The markers are two sided, allowing for either two separate stories to be scripted upon them or for one long continuous story to run front and back.

“We’d love for Foley to participate in this program,” said Campbell. “The County Commission pays for unincorporated areas to have markers, while all cities and municipalities pay for their own.”

The cost of the markers is $3,000, and individual areas can have their local historians or Historical Commissions discuss what areas would be best to have a marker placed. Some areas that were suggested by the Foley Council were the Holmes Medical Museum, the Train Depot and Museum, the Hamburg potato shed, and the Magnolia Hotel.

“It’s just something interesting that we thought would be a fantastic bicentennial project for the county,” said Campbell.

The application procedure can be found on the Historical Development Commissions’ website, along with the requirements for the markers, with the main requirement being the site of the suggested marker being at least 50 years old. For the markers that municipalities pay for themselves, they have the option to install the marker themselves or the county will do it for them. The entire process from commissioning the marker to placement takes approximately 6-months.

“I think those markers are great,” said council member Ralph Hellmich. “I know whenever I’m travelling and I see one, I’ll pull over and stop. It drives my wife crazy, but I’m not passing a historical marker, they tell a story.”

Foley has handed out flyers in the past detailing certain historical sites in the city, which have been picked up and enjoyed by those who followed them, stated Jeanette Bornholt, Genealogy & Alabama History Division Head at the Foley Public Library.

“Every area of Baldwin County has so much history, we’re an amazing county,” said Campbell. “…We’re promoting this through the bicentennial, it’s a great time. I mean, 200 years has gone by in a flash, and we want the next generation to know what was going on and what we remember.”

Along with the historical markers, the Historic Development Commission is also promoting recognizing historic buildings in areas as well. They offer a shield and banner that goes directly onto a building’s side, displaying the date the building was constructed and who the original owners were and moves to the present.

The time frame for the historical markers is until the end of 2019, when the Alabama bicentennial will be celebrated.

To learn more about the Baldwin County Historical Development Commission and their projects concerning the Alabama bicentennial, you can find their website at www.bchdc.org.