The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society will hold its annual fundraiser on August 7, 2010, offering tours of landmarks designed by Alabama architect David Oliver Whilldin. The $50 ticketed tour will run from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. and include lectures on Whilldin's life and work, as well as guided tours of buildings like the Bama Theatre and private homes. The fundraiser provides income for the Society to maintain its five historic properties and staff, as membership and donations have declined. Whilldin was a prominent Tuscaloosa architect from 1902 to 1961 whose notable designs included the Bama Theatre and Tuscaloosa High School.

1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Adriene LaPorte
June 9, 2010 334.444.9489
aplaporte@crimson.ua.edu
Annual Fundraiser Offers Valuable Historic Experience
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society’s yearly fundraiser on
Aug. 7, 2010 will be a tour of land marks designed by Alabama architect David Oliver Whilldin.
Cost of attendance is $50 and tickets can be purchased at the Battle-Friedman House on
Greensboro Avenue. The tour will last from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.
“This one event is where the society will get a good bit of income to run our five
properties and pay our staff,” said Katherine Mauter, executive director of the Tuscaloosa
County Preservation Society. “The economy has hit everybody, non-profits in particular, and the
society’s membership is low.”
Whilldin worked in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Gadsden from 1902- 1961. His most
notable Tuscaloosa designs are the Bama Theatre, the former Tuscaloosa High School and the
RBC Bank Building.
“He brought high design to a city that had not had a lot of new construction since the
Civil War. He was highly skilled and had a wide range, which he expressed in his Tuscaloosa
structures,” said Ian Crawford, head docent with TCPS.
The tour begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Bama Theatre with guest speaker Mark Shelby.
Shelby is the author of a book about Whilldin, and will give a history of Whilldin’s life and the
structures he designed.
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2. After the lecture participants can tour Whilldin’s work, at their leisure, with a map of all
Whilldin’s buildings listed. Currently the Bama Theatre and a home on Greensboro Avenue will
be open for walk-in tours, but requests for other buildings and homes to open have been made. A
casual reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m. will end the day at a TCPS member’s residence.
“Whilldin’s designs for schools in the 1920’s are an inspiration for architects designing
K-12 school projects today. Such projects as Tuscaloosa High School and Philips High School in
Birmingham exhibit a civic pride in public school education,” said Edward Griffith, vice
president of Krebs Architecture and Engineering Inc.
“All of the buildings around town that I’ve always loved, I’m finding out now, are
Whilldin’s designs. That makes me like them even more. I think a lot of people will feel the
same once they learn about all the work he did. These are buildings people pass by all the time,
and don’t give a second thought to,” Mauter said.
For more information about tickets or sponsorship contact Katherine Mauter TCPS
executive director at 205-758-2238, or by visiting her office behind the Battle-Friedman House
1010 Greensboro Ave. Tuscaloosa, Ala. 35401. To learn more about this event and others visit
www.historictuscaloosa.com.
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The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society, founded in 1966, is recognized as one of the
strongest preservation groups in the Southeast. The non-profit organization aims to promote
awareness and appreciation for historic landmarks by preserving Tuscaloosa County’s historic
structures and by building relationships with the community.