City of Birmingham, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, National Park Service

A.G. Gaston Motel Restoration

Lord Aeck Sargent played a pivotal role in the meticulous restoration of the A.G. Gaston Motel, a landmark mid-century modern structure central to the Civil Rights Movement. Originally constructed in 1954 by A.G. Gaston, Alabama’s first Black millionaire, the motel was an essential site for African American travelers during segregation and gained historical prominence as the location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his colleagues planned the 1963 Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign. Given its dual significance—as both a witness to the fight for civil rights and an example of period-specific architecture—Lord Aeck Sargent managed the complex preservation effort alongside the City of Birmingham and the National Park Service. This collaboration required careful navigation of ownership responsibilities to maintain historical integrity while addressing modern preservation standards, serving as a potential model for future public-private stewardship projects.

LOCATION

Birmingham, AL

SERVICES

Full Architectural and Interior Design
Coordination with Local & State Agencies
Historic Preservation

SIZE

30,000 sf

PROJECT TYPE

Adaptive Reuse, Civil Rights Site, Museum

"The efforts of all team members, and in particular the architectural firm of Lord Aeck Sargent, construction managers A.G. Gaston Construction and City personnel, resulted in a beautiful restoration of the motel that complies with historic preservation requirements and exemplifies what concentration on knowledge and experience of team members can enhance the public and visitors’ perception of those facilities of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham."

— Denise P. Bell, Director, Capital Projects Department, City of Birmingham

Adaptive Reuse/Historic Preservation Honor Award

The Aspire States (AIA Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina)

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Historic Renovation Public Building Georgia Design Award

Atlanta Magazine