Depot Board President Pat Pack, Lee Buffington of Turf Tamer Inc. who provided the rosebushes and landscaping at one end of the depot, and Curator Ann Houston
The Fort Payne Depot Museum, sitting at the crossroads of downtown Fort Payne and serving as a focal point on the gateway to Lookout Mountain attractions, is undergoing a beautification of its grounds.
Overgrown shrubs have been removed and new and colorful flowers, grasses and bushes have been added, opening up the view to the beautiful pink sandstone Romanesque architecture structure built in the late 1800s. The landscaping is being donated by local citizens, clubs and businesses in their support of the depot.
The grounds around the depot have been sectioned off into various sizes for groups, businesses and individuals to sponsor and pay for the landscaping in that section.
The section purchased may be done in memory of someone or in recognition of someone. For instance, sections already landscaped were purchased by individuals such as Colleen Roebuck as a memorial for her husband Bobby Roebuck and Jane Mauldin as a memorial for her husband Carl Brown.
The Depot Museum board of directors set aside a large section near the entrance to the depot through donations as memorials in memory of long time board member and dedicated supporter Emma Kane Jordan.
Included with the memorial donations to Emma Kane Jordan is a beautiful bronze plaque placed at the Depot Annex in the restored Coal and Iron Building that faces U.S. Highway 11 across the street from the Depot Museum. This building houses 89 dioramas donated to the Museum by the L.A. Shankles family. Ms. Jordan was instrumental in securing the room to display the detailed works of art and the plaque dedicates in her honor this location as the Emma Kane Jordan Diorama Room. An additional plaque honoring Jordan will be placed at the Depot Museum grounds within the new landscaping.
Plots of land are still available for purchase and the Depot Board of Directors is encouraging the community to help support their efforts in beautifying this prominent landmark in the hub of downtown Fort Payne where thousands of visitors to DeKalb County and her residents pass by daily on their way to our scenic Lookout Mountain attractions and to their homes. A plaque with donors names will be placed on the wall near the entrance of the museum.
Please contact the Depot Museum at
depotmuseum@bellsouth.net, attention Curator Ann Houston in your desire to provide the landscaping for a section of the grounds around the museum.