The Forest Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Forest Park is a large suburban residential park of approximately 230 acres located 2 miles from downtown Birmingham. It occupies a slope near the crest of Red Mountain and the whole is designed on broad, sweeping lines with the streets and sidewalks following the natural contour of the mountain.
Homes in the district occupy large lots on steeply sloping terrain. Most of the homes were designed by accomplished architects for individual owners, rather than
as commercially developed structures. Ninety (90%) percent of the structures are
considered to contribute to the district and of the 90%, 75% are considered architecturally significant. Georgian and Federal Revival adaptations comprise a
large percentage of the houses in Forest Park. These two story brick structures
are usually four or five bays wide and are adorned with porticos. Most have delicate fan and side lights. The typical English Tudor is characterized by a first story of either brick or rock and second story of stucco with half-timber trim. There
are stucco gables, hipped or mansard roof, and in many cases, porches with natural rock columns. Spanish and Mediterreanean houses are scattered throughout. They are mostly masonry constructed with a stucco exterior, many with terra cotta roof, Moorish columns, wrought iron trim and arched windows. The California Bungalow and simpler bungalow styles are evident in both one and two story structures.
Perhaps the most interesting group of houses to be built in Forest Park are the "Simplicity Houses." These structures (appearing primarily on Tenth Avenue and Forty-third Place), were always built at the rear of huge lots with the intention that they be used later as servants quarters when the main house was built. During the construction of the main house, the family lived in the "Simplicity House". They are characterized by one or two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bath and invariably were of frame construction. In many cases the "Great House" was never built, because of the depression.
Forest Park is separated from Redmont (a later development) by a strip of land fronting over three thousand feet on the north side of Altamont Road on the crest of Red Mountain. This parkway completed the park-styled development when the City of Birmingham purchased it as the city's first mountain park in 1927. Known as the Altamont Parkway today, this property runs for three-fourths mile, affording a most commanding view of Birmingham and Jones Valley below.
BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION
On the west, the Forest Park Historical District is bounded by Highland Park Golf Course and 38th Street which separates the district from that of Highland.
The northern boundary is Clairmont Avenue with three blocks of Overlook Road. Proceeding east, the Historical District ends abruptly past the 4600 block of Clairmont Avenue where new construction begins, thus offering a drastic contrast to the fifty year old structures of the historic area.
The eastern boundary is Linwood Road until it reaches Landale. There it takes in 8 houses on Landale and one on Rockford which is one block south of Landale. The structure on Rockford (now a residence) was originally an outbuilding for 973 Linwood Road. It was once used as a carriage house. The entire street of Rockford Road (with the exception of that house) is new construction.
To the south, the boundary is Cherry Street which is used as an alley behind Cliff Road. This street runs almost parallel to the Altamont Parkway, the boundary between Forest Park and Redmont.
Description taken from the National Register of Historic Places Inventory- Nomination Form
