African American historical marker destroyed in Old Town Decatur
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — People in Decatur are outraged after a historical marker was destroyed.
This isn't the first time that a marker in the Old Town community has been destroyed.
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'Absolutely I was just devastated when I saw it on the ground,' historian Peggy Allen Towns said.
Towns was instrumental in getting the marker placed in 2016 on the corner of Sycamore and Vine Streets.
The marker tells of the forgotten contributions of African Americans to the City of Decatur.
'The sign was placed to honor Old Town which is the oldest community in the City of Decatur and it's not just a sign that's just here, but it has a story,' Towns explained.
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Established in 1821, Old Town was the home of many prominent African Americans and black-owned businesses before Urban Renewal took over in the 1970s.
On Friday afternoon, Towns said she noticed the maker was on the ground while traveling through town. This is the second time in months that a marker in the area has been destroyed. In November, a marker honoring women in the Suffrage movement in the 1930s was knocked down. Towns believes that if destroying them was not intentional, then that person would have come forward.
'Our community is one that cares about history, and I would hate to think that someone purposely knocked it down because of the African American history that the sign denotes,' Towns explained.
Towns told News 19 that they are more than just markers, they define what the community was all about and help keep their history alive.
'It talks about the resilience of people, it talks about their persistence, it talks about their determination,' Towns said.
Towns said that she immediately contacted Decatur police about the incident.
A spokesperson for the Decatur Preservation Society said it's going to take about a year to get a new marker and would cost thousands of dollars to replace.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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