Alabama Road Trip

We came across mention of the Birmingham Ornamental Iron Company recently, and wondered about its 1968 corporate headquarters (letterhead above). According to a November 2012 Google Streetview image, the building is still standing at 4363 First Avenue North.

In the 1960s, the Birmingham Ornamental Iron Company supplied ironwork based on models developed by French-born New Orleans wood carver Maurice Heullant (†1981). These were utilized for the column capitals and cornice of the Royal Sonesta Hotel, which opened in  August 1969. Heullant's papers and some renderings are located in the Louisiana Research Collection, Special Collections Division, Tulane University Libraries.

Images above:  Birmingham Ornamental Iron Company, Inc. Letterhead. 11 April 1968. Box 141. Koch and Wilson Office Records, Southeastern Architectural Archive, Special Collections Division, Tulane University Libraries.

Former Headquarters of the Birmingham Ornamental Iron Company, 4363 First Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama. Google Streetview. November 2012.