The Historic Huntsville Foundation (HHF) celebrated National Preservation Month in May with the receipt of two grants to fund a major upcoming project.

The nonprofit historic preservation organization received grants from the Alabama Humanities Alliance and the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville/Ruth and Lyle Taylor Endowment Fund.

The project, Cornerstones of Freedom Heritage Trail, is a self-guided history trail bringing needed attention to historic sites from Huntsville’s Reconstruction Era history.

The Heritage Trail will highlight stories of Huntsville’s freed men and women who were committed to education, entrepreneurship, and political equality.

The Heritage Trail will debut in October 2024. There will be fifteen sites on the trail, most of them in downtown Huntsville.

The public will have access to information about the Heritage Trail through signage erected at strategic locations. There will be brochures and QR codes to provide an interactive experience.

The project will be kept updated with the latest historical information made available to the HHF.

“The program will be constantly evolving because what we are learning is constantly evolving. As we learn more information we will keep adding it,” said HHF executive director Donna Castellano.

According to Castellano, when people hear about what the HHF is doing, they come forward with information they may have about historic sites.

Some of the sites to be referenced on the Heritage Trail are the Rust Institute, the city’s first freedman school; the offices of The Journal, a newspaper operated by Henry C. Binford; and the Huntsville branch of the Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company.

Buildings constructed by Henderson Brandon and his son Daniel will also be highlighted on the Heritage Trail.

The Brandons were prominent Black Huntsville business owners and political leaders.

Many of Huntsville’s early buildings and public works were constructed by the Brandons, including the Harrison Brothers building, which is owned by the HHF and houses the Historic Huntsville Museum.

“There are Black Huntsvillians whose stories have not been told, and it’s an honor to be able to bring those stories forward. By doing so we add depth and texture to Huntsville’s history and its cultural heritage,” said Castellano.

According to Castellano, when HHF first debuted a program that highlighted the citywide, state, and national impact of free Black citizens in Reconstruction Era Huntsville, they weren’t sure how it would be received.

“Huntsville has boldly stepped forward to tell the history of its Reconstruction Era,” said Castellano.

”It has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my professional career to see the way that these programs about free Black Huntsvillians have been embraced by the city, state, and national governments,” continued Castellano.

Castellano cited the support of several entities including the mayor’s office, the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the State of Alabama.

“Huntsville is only the second site in the state to receive a listing in the National Park Service’s Reconstruction Era National Historic Network,” said Castellano.

“We’re proud to tell the stories of those Black Americans who first experienced freedom and to have their history represented in our city,” said Castellano.

“The Historic Huntsville Foundation’s work has always been vital to our city’s culture and this project is no different. We are proud to support their mission of advocating for the preservation of each and every piece of Huntsville’s compelling story,” said HHF board member Bart Siniard.

The Historic Huntsville Foundation is a nonprofit organization that assists in the preservation of architectural and historic resources in Huntsville and Madison County and promotes historic downtown revitalization.

Support for the Cornerstones of Freedom Heritage Trail project also came from Siniard Law, Downtown Huntsville Inc., the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Archives, Special Collections and Digital Initiatives, the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, and Ms. Ollye Conley, Huntsville historian.