Contractor And "Sportin' Man"

Then

Not much is known about T. C. Windham prior to his arrival in Birmingham, Alabama in 1910's: only that he came from Arkansas, where he had substantial business interests. it is known that he was already a man of considerable wealth who had great skills as a builder and contractor.

At the time of his arrival, many of the city's prominent black professional and white-collar workers lived in Smithfield, a community just to the west of the Birmingham, Alabama city center. Windham soon bought a block of real estate in Smithfield and built a two-story brick mansion that reflected not only his wealth, but also his business abilities. Located on Eighth Avenue North, it featured the best contemporary craftsmanship, including elaborately carved woodwork, stained glass, and fine furnishings.

Working with his brother, R. L. Windham, Windham went on to build many other residences in the area. But it is the churches and commercial projects that now highlight the Windham construction legacy in Birmingham and throughout the south. The Masonic and Pythian Temples in the Fourth Avenue North National Register Historic District are outstanding examples of this work. In 1911, Windham built the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on Sixteenth Street, the bombing of which would become one of the most tragic events in the history of Birmingham, Alabama.

According to a former neighbor, Windham was a "sportin' man," who delighted in all the material trappings of the very rich of his day. He had a uniformed chauffeur and a full compliment of household servants. His daughter's weddings are remembered as events worthy of royalty.

Now

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