File photo.
Susan Way Zuber with the HPC said the commission began work last September on a documentary about the history of the “Pink House,” located at 214 Edgewood Blvd.
A slice of Homewood history is being preserved on film through the efforts of the Homewood Historic Preservation Commission and the UAB history department.
Susan Way Zuber with the HPC said the commission began work last September on a documentary about the history of the “Pink House,” located at 214 Edgewood Boulevard.
The house, also called the “Secret Garden Home,” was built in 1921 and includes an Italian-style home, stables, a studio and extensive gardens. The home was the residence of local socialites, artists and philanthropists Georges and Eleanor Bridges.
“They were quite the figures in Birmingham,” Zuber said.
In summer 2018, the developer who now owns the property received approval from the Planning Commission to resurvey the property and tear down the house, building five homes in its place. The Pink House stands on what used to be six separate lots.
The plans to redevelop sparked a movement by residents to fundraise and buy back the house to preserve its history and the beauty of the architecture and gardens. The Homewood Historical Preservation Society set a fundraising goal of $2.5 million for the purchase and needed repairs to the property.
After these efforts failed, the Society in December changed its focus to seeking individual investors who could contribute larger amounts toward the preservation effort. More details about that effort is available atsavethehomewoodpinkhouse.com.
“I know that everyone wishes that we could preserve the house,” Zuber said.
She said the HPC realized that it was not in a position to save the Pink House, but they could preserve its history. They enlisted the help of UAB history students to find archives related to the home and the Bridges family, as well as conduct interviews of people who knew them and the most recent owners of the house.
“They were very excited about the opportunity to save the history in film,” Zuber said.
As part of the filming process, Zuber said they uncovered some pieces of history they hadn’t known before. For instance, Georges Bridges would often bury pieces of his sculptures in the garden if he didn’t like how they turned out, and some of those were dug up by later residents.
The developer, Patrick O’Sullivan, had originally planned to demolish the house and begin construction in early 2019, so Zuber said the house remaining “longer than we anticipated” has been helpful in getting the footage they need for the documentary.
O’Sullivan said due to delays from his contractor on another project, he expects demolition and site work to begin on the property within the next four to six months. The final design work is being completed. He said he has received interest from people about buying it to renovate as a single-family home, but no purchase offers have come from it.
As of mid-May, Zuber said the HPC wants to complete the documentary in time to submit it to the Sidewalk Film Festival, held in downtown Birmingham in August.
After that, she said they want to find other places to show the film, including through the statewide historic commission, so audiences will know “what a jewel they have and if it can’t be saved, what remarkable people lived in that home and the history they createdin Birmingham.”
“We would like to get it out as much as possible to the public,” Zuber said.
Even though they aren’t counting on it, Zuber said they would like to see the chance to preserve the house in more than just film.
“There’s always hope that someone out there who actually loves history and beautiful architecture and gardens will come and say, ‘I think this is worth saving,’” she said.
