Photo courtesy of Padraic Major.
Birmingham Bowl_Legion Field
A shot of Legion Field during a Birmingham Bowl college football game. The Birmingham City Council plans to seek federal landmark status for the stadium.
The Birmingham City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, Dec. 8, to pass a resolution supporting the idea that Legion Field should be designated as a National Landmark and placed on the National Register of Historical Places maintained by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
City Council President William Parker submitted the item, and Mayor Randall Woodfin concurred, according to the text of the resolution.
The stadium, once referred to as “The Football Capital of the South,” was built in 1927 and named to honor the American Legion.
It has hosted hundreds of college football games, including many involving The University of Alabama and Auburn University.
Legion Field is the site of the annual Magic City Classic between Alabama State and Alabama A&M, the largest HBCU classic in the country, each year since 1946.
The annual Birmingham Bowl college football game is played there.
In addition, the stadium served as the home for several professional football franchises and was the site of some Olympic soccer matches in 1996, music concerts by artists like Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones and revival meetings hosted by famed evangelist Billy Graham in 1964 and 1972.
“In November, Wrigley Field received this designation for its role in the history of Chicago and American sports,” Parker said in a news release on Dec. 7. “We need to ensure that Birmingham’s history and this stadium are preserved for future generations to enjoy."
