Brown & Jacobs Building
The Brown & Jacobs Building, also called the New Williams Building, later redeveloped as the New Williams Lofts and as The William is a 4-story brick commercial building on Block 86 at 1911–1913 3rd Avenue North.
The building was originally constructed circa 1906 for Brown & Jacobs Furniture & Carpets. The building was heavily damaged by fire and the business, restyled as House of Jacobs, relocated to 2012–2014 3rd Avenue North in 1915.
The damaged building was repaired and renovated for Joe Goldstein's New Williams clothier in 1918. Miller & Martin designed the renovations, which included a crenellated pediment above a deep cornice supported on brackets. A second cornice divided the 3rd and 4th floors. The larger double-hung windows on the 2nd and 3rd floors were grouped together into one masonry opening with terra-cotta spandrel panels marking the floor line.
Iron fire escapes were installed across the central portion of the 3rd Avenue façade.
Another renovation to the storefront was undertaken in 1946. It featured a deeply recessed entrance with curving walls clad in purple stone. An asymmetrical curved marquee awning extended over part of the sidewalk with an aluminum edge, supported on a single stone column with a truncated hexagonal pyramid cap.
The New Williams downtown store closed in 1983.
In 1989 the Brown & Jacobs Building was recognized as a contributing structure to the Downtown Birmingham Retail & Theatre Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places.
A redevelopment of the building as the 16-unit "New Williams Lofts" was begun in 2006, but work stalled during the Great Recession.
Stone contractor and bar owner David Carrigan purchased the building through his Clovenstone Real Estate Development business in 2022 and began demolition for redevelopment. In 2024 the company announced that "The William" would include 27 "boutique residences" on the upper floors, offered for $1,495 to $2,250 per month. Twelve of the units have exterior windows facing the street or alley while the other 15 face an interior atrium. Residents have access to a rooftop bar as well as to cleaning and laundry services.
Bruce Lanier of Architecture Works designed the renovations, carried out by Blackstone Construction for about $10 million. Carrigan's Public House relocated to the ground floor from the Blackstone Building on Morris Avenue as lead retail tenant. The pub added a public entrance on the alley.
Tenants
- 1911–1913: Carrigan's Public House (David Carrigan 2024–)
- 1911:
- Brown & Jacobs Furniture & Carpets (1906–1917)
- New Williams clothier (Joe Goldstein 1918–1983)
- Debbie's Alabama Beauty College
- 1913:
- Clark & Jones Piano Co. (June 1917-1929)
- Nisley Shoes (1937)
- 1911:
References
- Nelson, Linda & Melissa McAnnally (November 16, 1988) "Downtown Birmingham Retail & Theatre Historic District." National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - added March 21, 1988
- Thornton, William (November 21, 2024) "Popular Birmingham restaurant Carrigan's moving, making ‘new and exciting’ changes." AL.com
- O'Leary, A. J. (November 27, 2024) "Behind the $10 million project known as The William." Birmingham Business Journal
External links
- The William website