Alabama Department of Archives and History

The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) is the official repository of Alabama’s state records, located at 624 Washington Avenue in Montgomery. Created by a legislative act on February 27, 1901, it was the first publicly funded, independent state archives agency in the country and became a model for other states.[1]

Founding

Historian Thomas McAdory Owen led the campaign for the agency and served as its first director from 1901 until his death in 1920. It began in the old Senate cloak room of the Alabama State Capitol and moved to the Capitol’s south wing in 1906. A separate building was proposed in 1918, and Works Progress Administration funding in the 1930s, secured by director Marie Bankhead Owen, paid for it.[1]

Building

The three-storey Neoclassical headquarters was built from 1938 to 1940, with walls of white Alabama marble on the first two floors and bronze entrance doors by Nathan Glick showing eight scenes from state history. The east wing was completed in 1970 and the west wing in 2005, adding 60,000 square feet.[1]

Collections and museum

ADAH collects and preserves records, documents and artifacts of Alabama history and is the official repository for state agency records. The Museum of Alabama on the second and third floors includes exhibits on Native American history and the state’s military history from the French colonial period to the Vietnam War, along with a hands-on gallery for children and the Alabama Sampler Gallery. The first floor has a research room, Statuary Hall and auditoriums. In 2022 its board approved the repatriation of Native American human remains and burial items as federal law requires. Steve Murray became the sixth director in August 2012.[1]

Founding

The Alabama Legislature funded the department on February 27, 1901, and Thomas M. Owen founded it and served as first director. It is described as the first publicly funded, independent state archives agency in the United States and became a model for other states. Its mission is to collect and preserve archives, documents and artifacts related to Alabama history and to serve as the repository for state agency records.[2]

Building

It stands at 624 Washington Avenue in Montgomery in a three-story Neoclassical building constructed from 1938 to 1940. An east wing was completed in 1970 and a west wing in 2005 added 60,000 square feet. The Museum of Alabama occupies the second and third floors, and the first floor includes Statuary Hall.[2]

Directors

Directors have included Thomas McAdory Owen (1901-1920), Marie Bankhead Owen (until 1955), Peter A. Brannon (1955-1967), Milo Howard, Edwin Bridges (1982-2012) and Steve Murray, named in August 2012.[2]

FAQs

When was ADAH founded? February 27, 1901.

Why is ADAH notable? It was the first publicly funded independent state archives in the United States.

Where is it? 624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History
2. Wikipedia: Alabama Department of Archives and History

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue