The commission shall have the following duties and powers:
(1) To promote and increase knowledge and understanding of the history of this state from the earliest time to the present, including the archaeological, Indian, Spanish, British, French, Colonial, Confederate and American eras, by adopting and executing general plans, methods and policies for permanently preserving and marking objects, sites, structures and ruins as defined in Section 41-9-242;
(2) To promote and assist in the publicizing of the historic resources of the state by preparing and furnishing information to public mass media and to governmental agencies charged with publicity and to coordinate any of its objectives, efforts or functions with any agency or agencies of the federal government, of the State of Alabama and of other states or local governments having objectives similar or related to those of the commission;
(3) To accept for renovation, maintenance, restoration, preservation or management and operation any building or site within the State of Alabama owned by the United States, the State of Alabama or any agency or subdivision thereof or by the National Trust for Historic Preservation or by natural or corporate persons, public or private, upon such terms and conditions as to the commission shall be deemed in the best interest of the State of Alabama in conformity with the purposes of this division;
(4) To acquire, by exercise of the power of eminent domain, historic structures of paramount or exceptional importance, such as those Alabama landmarks eligible for nomination to or recorded in the National Register of Historic Places; provided, that at least two-thirds of the members of the commission shall vote to acquire such structures by the exercise of this measure;
(5) To charge admissions at the various buildings and sites under the control of the commission throughout the state and to sell booklets, pamphlets and souvenirs at said locations and to retain and use the proceeds of said sales and admissions for the furtherance of the purposes of the commission as defined by this division;
(6) To adopt a seal for the commission and to use the same on its brochures, stationery and other official publications and upon its historic site markers;
(7)a. To acquire, receive and take title to, by purchase, gift, lease, devise or otherwise, and to own, to hold, keep and develop, and to sell, transfer, convey, lease, and assign to any person or otherwise dispose of property of every kind and character, whether real, personal or mixed, whether tangible or intangible, whether in trust or otherwise, together with any and every interest therein, in furtherance of the lawful objectives of the commission;
b. To negotiate for Dismals Wonder Gardens in Franklin County; to be held in trust for the Alabama Indian Commission. The administration of said property shall be by and with consultation with the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Indian Commission for the preservation of the historical heritage of said property and shall utilize any proceeds therefrom, including interest on any investments, for the preservation of the property;
c. To administer such property or trusts, whenever any such property is received or held to be used for the benefit of the historical heritage of the State of Alabama, for preservation of historic sites, buildings and objects, or for other lawful objectives of the commission, as it deems in the best interest of historical preservation or in furtherance of the objective for which the property is held or the donation or gift is made; and to convert such property or any portion thereof into securities or other forms of property and use the proceeds therefrom, including any interest on investments, as it deems will best promote the objectives of the commission;
d. To accept as trustee, beneficiary, or both, any interest in such property, together with any proceeds from its investment, for the benefit of historical preservation or other purposes of the commission, upon such conditions as may be acceptable to the donor and the commission. No such undertaking entered into by the commission or its agent or agents shall bind the state to pay any state moneys to anyone; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent the commission from undertaking payments out of the proceeds from such trust funds as a condition of the acceptance of the donation. All trust funds administered pursuant to this act may be required by the commission to pay the expenses of administering the same. Such gifts shall be deductible from Alabama state income tax by the donor or donors;
e. To convey title or any interest in real estate by deed or other instrument executed by a majority of the commissioners or by agent or agents authorized by a majority vote of the commission; and to convey property other than real estate by agent or agents authorized by a majority vote of commissioners present and voting.
(8) To maintain an office in a location in the state to be selected by the commission for the use of the executive director, the employees and the commission and to acquire the necessary furniture and equipment therefor;
(9) To prepare, create, purchase and distribute pamphlets and brochures describing the various historic buildings and sites under the jurisdiction of the State of Alabama or any of its agencies;
(10) To make and publish a survey of the buildings, ruins and sites of historic, architectural or archaeological significance within the State of Alabama and to make available such survey to individuals, institutions and governmental bodies desiring copies of same;
(11) To determine from such survey the buildings, ruins and sites listed therein which are considered worthy of permanent preservation, to certify same as being worthy and to publish said list;
(12) To establish criteria for the certification, selection and acquisition of historic properties for state ownership and for state aid to local historic site projects;
(13) To nominate selected landmarks with historic, architectural and archaeological significance to the National Register of Historic Places using priorities established by the commission;
(14) To establish and maintain an Alabama state historic preservation depository into which may be deposited antiques, relics, artifacts, mementos, paintings and other objects contributed to or acquired by the state or the commission. The commission shall have the authority to restore these objects and to use them for the furnishing of its own historic buildings and other selected landmarks in Alabama;
(15) To rent or lease any of its acquisitions to public or private agencies;
(16) To publish an informational newsletter which shall periodically report on and promote local, regional and state historic preservation activities;
(17) To produce and publish technical ("how to") manuals on historic preservation;
(18) To publish and present citations and distinguished service awards to selected private and public organizations and individuals for outstanding achievements in preserving the heritage of Alabama;
(19) To purchase, produce, sell and distribute historic souvenir items;
(20) To improve, restore, preserve, renovate, maintain, exhibit, repair, rebuild, recreate and reconstruct its acquisitions, and the commission shall have jurisdiction over the same and the exhibits located thereon;
(21) To purchase or otherwise acquire and to erect and maintain "historic markers" on such buildings, roads, trails, routes and sites as it shall designate and to cooperate with and assist local, regional and state historical groups in selecting and erecting such markers; and
(22) To accept the gift of money and real and personal property from any and all public and private sources. Such gifts shall be deductible from Alabama state income tax by the donor.
Last modified: May 3, 2021