By Sasha Heller
Staff Writer

DAPHNE, Ala. — The construction of Baldwin County Bicentennial Park — which will commemorate the area’s 200th anniversary — will be the topic of a Wednesday discussion.

John Jackson, director of Baldwin County Department of Archives and History, and Nick Warren, special historic projects coordinator for the Archives and History department, will be the guest speakers of Jubilee Mornings, set for 10 a.m. at the Daphne Public Library.

The property—367 acres that include wetlands as well as hardwood/pine forest —is on the Highway 225 corridor near Stockton.

A list of some of the project’s plans is as follows.

<The Baldwin County Museum of Cultural Interpretation. Numerous relics and artifacts will be displayed; most are from local, prehistoric “mound-builder” Indian cultures, according to Warren.

<The Lower Alabama Architectural Collection will include examples of early Baldwin County architecture. These “dog-trot” style homes and early commercial structures will be moved to the park and preserved in their original state.

<A 19th century village — including buildings that house trades ranging from blacksmith and tinsmith to candle-making and glassblowing — will allow visitors to meet with period tradespeople and learn how early Baldwin County settlers crafted their goods.

<A Native American lifestyles exhibit will display the culture of the Choctaw Indians, who inhabited a local plantation in the 18th century. The exhibit will illustrate the dynamics of a contemporary American Indian family.

<Baldwin County Park—a specialized section of the project filled with flora and fauna—will allow guests to picnic or explore the gardens. The park will be landscaped with brick walkways and gardens at the entrance. “The bricks will be set in the shape of Baldwin County,” Jackson said.

<An antebellum wharf system will be fashioned on the banks of Hastie Lake. The wharf will include a restaurant that specializes in 1840s to 1850s delicacies.

“It’ll be country cuisine,” Jackson said. Pork dishes served with corn and beans will be the restaurant’s specialities.

<A 19th-century working farm. Students and visitors can experience daily realities of farm life—circa 1850—and understand the need for certain crops and farm functions.

<The “Freedom is Never Free” memorial area will honor the proud military traditions and contributions made by generations of Baldwin County residents who have served in the armed forces.

<A scenic byway route to be built along state highways 225 and 59, according to a news release.

Besides developing the park project, Jackson is  working on introducing historical archives into the department.

“We’re working with Baldwin County-produced documents,” Jackson said.

Such items include court documents that date back to 1810, and minutes of the Baldwin County Commission going back to 1860, according to Jackson.

He said the department has also been collecting supplemental materials from people who can elaborate on the county’s history.

Included is the Walter Overton art collection, from the artist noted for his “Southland Sketches,” which were watercolor paintings of the Gulf Coast.

The educational part of the project is intended for students to take field trips and learn firsthand about Baldwin County’s history and culture.

“This becomes attractive to other counties around us for educational opportunities,” Warren said.

Warren said the $6 million park — which developers expect will attract 300,000 visitors annually — should bring income into the county through trickle-down spending; that is, park tourists are expected to spend money on local lodging and restaurants. Also, the park is expected to offer many job opportunities.

“We’ll have the initial phase of the project finished by December 2009,” Jackson said, adding that the park should be completed within three to five years.

For questions concerning donations, contact Baldwin County Department of Archives and History at 580-1897.

For more information on the library presentation — to be held in the community room — contact the Daphne Public Library at 621-2818.

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