Work finally begins on home linked to famous trial

Bayne Hughes, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·3 min read

Oct. 17—Work to protect a deteriorating Northwest Decatur house linked to the Scottsboro Boys trial began last week almost two years after a nonprofit took it over promising renovations, and the group hopes the progress spurs fundraising it needs to turn the property into a museum.

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Frances Tate, chairwoman of the nonprofit CEOTA (Celebrating Early Old Town with Art), said that Paul Graham Construction began to weatherize the home at 818 Sycamore St. N.W. by replacing the roof, fascia board, tongue-and-groove board in the porch and the soffit.

"We're in the process of starting renovations," Tate said.

Victoria Price, one of two accusers in the Scottsboro Boys case, is believed to have stayed in the home during the landmark 1931 trial in Decatur. The CEOTA organization plans for the museum to feature the city's role in the civil rights movement and events like the Scottsboro Boys and the Tommy Lee Hines trials. It would also feature Old Town, Decatur's oldest neighborhood, and Tate's art.

In September 2019, the City Council approved an agreement that will eventually give ownership of the historic home to CEOTA. The group has raised about $100,000 of the $500,000 needed for the renovation.

John Allison, of the Morgan County Archives, serves on the nine-member CEOTA board. He said they've had a difficult time getting enough contributions to save the home until recently.

"We're finally getting traction so we can get enough money for the preliminary work to secure the home (from the weather)," Allison said.

Allison said the coronavirus pandemic slowed the group's fundraising efforts in 2020.

Allison said some people didn't understand the group's vision at first. He said he's hoping that will change "now that work has begun" and people can see the project start to come together.

"We feel like the project will snowball once people will see what we're trying to do," Allison said. "We do think we have a worthy project."

Tate said CEOTA's goal of $500,000 would complete Phase 1 of its plans. This phase focuses only on renovating the house and turning it into a museum.

Approved with the 2019 transfer, the agreement between the city and the nonprofit has a three-year work schedule in which incremental benchmarks for improvements must be met. Either party can decide that the deal is not working out, and CEOTA would then purchase the home.

Under the agreement, either CEOTA or the city can elect to implement a clause in which the organization would buy the house for $22,500, with a 3% annual increase.

Community Development Manager Allen Stover has been keeping an eye on the project's progress for the city. Some council members expressed concern at the time of the transfer that the house would continue to deteriorate.

"From a city standpoint, I do wish they had made more progress," Stover said. "It's been a slow process, so it's good to see they're finally making some progress."

In Phase 2, CEOTA would proceed with plans for a larger, multimillion-dollar civil rights museum. The museum would be on property that extends from the Scottsboro Boys house to the end of Church Street Northwest.

Tate said CEOTA estimates that it needs to raise $10 million for the museum.

Allison said he thinks it's a worthwhile vision to not only show the city's connection to this historic case, but also to "show the arc of Old Town's history."

Allison said he feels the city would also benefit from having one of the only civil rights museums in north Alabama.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.