The National Trust for Historic Preservation presented Vulcan Park in Birmingham, Ala. its prestigious National Preservation Honor Award. The project was one of 21 national award winners honored by the National Trust during its week-long 2006 National Preservation Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. More than a century ago, Birmingham, Alabama's local leaders hatched a bold plan to promote the city's industrial fortitude and cache of iron reserves. New York sculptor Giuseppe Moretti was hired to create Vulcan, a 56-foot iron Roman god of the forge, for exhibition at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

The towering statue dominated the Fair's Palace of Mines and Metallurgy and came home with a Grand Prize. Despite the honor, Vulcan languished until the 1930s when the local Kiwanis Club launched a campaign to reclaim the god as a proud civic symbol. Local architects and stone masons were hired to create a park atop Red Mountain -- the very source of the iron ore from which Vulcan was made – as a setting for the statue. To anchor Vulcan on its 124-foot tower, the statue's hollow torso was filled with concrete, but by 1999, cracking and deterioration had created a safety hazard, and the city of Birmingham closed the park. Soon after, the nonprofit Vulcan Park Foundation was formed to save the statue.

In a groundswell of affection, citizens rallied to save their hometown colossus, raising more than $15 million to give the statue a complete makeover. Concrete that had been poured into his hollow core was removed, and Vulcan was completely dismantled. Layers of lead paint were removed and replaced with a protective zinc coating, cracks were repaired, unsalvageable parts were replaced, and a long-lost spearpoint was reinstalled in his upraised hand. Meanwhile, a 1970s marble skin was removed from the original pedestal, and WPA stonework in the park was restored.

Today, the reassembled statue, which required 11 crane lifts, is supported by a stainless-steel internal armature. Children at instructional session download large version "Vulcan is one of the most memorable works of civic art in the United States," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The rehabilitated statue and park now serve as the gateway to the history and sites of Birmingham, and every year, thousands of people visit the mountaintop where the newly-buff Vulcan stands atop a vein of the red ore from which he was made."

The National Preservation Awards are bestowed on distinguished individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and corporations whose skill and determination have given new meaning to their communities through preservation of our architectural and cultural heritage. These efforts include citizen attempts to save and maintain important landmarks; companies and craftsmen whose work restores the richness of the past; the vision of public officials who support preservation projects and legislation in their communities; and educators and journalists who help Americans understand the value of preservation.