Department of the Interior because of its significance in the history of the civil rights movement .
Preservation and restoration of the church ’ s exterior and sanctuary started in the early 2000s . Foundation cracking , water infiltration , and damage were the priority in remedial work in the basement , says Scott Thompson , senior architect with ArchitectureWorks of Birmingham . “ They had a lot of perimeter foundation cracking , lots of water damage from below grade , with no water proofing ,” explains Thompson . “ We stabilized the building , keeping water out of it .”
When work completed in the upper church , attention returned to the basement as a place where the church ’ s history could be told . According to Theodore Debro , Jr ., chair of the church ’ s board of trustees , grants from the National Park Service ’ s African American Civil Rights Grant Program , Alabama Power Foundation , and many local institutions provided funding for the museum . ArchitectureWorks refinished the basement to create a
The " experience room " is found at one end of the exhibit display space and features a film about the bombing . Method 1
Along the periphery of its basement wall , this timeline tells the history of 16th Street Baptist Church . Method 1
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