Alabama NewsCenter — ‘Light Up Sloss’ celebrates Birmingham’s history, present and future

By Mark Kelly

Sloss Furnaces has been one of Birmingham’s most visible landmarks for generations. Situated along First Avenue North, immediately east of downtown, the towering furnaces and stacks produced pig iron from 1882 until 1971.

The Sloss complex was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1981, beginning its evolution as a tourist attraction and interpretive industrial museum. It houses a nationally recognized metal arts program and is a perennially popular venue for concerts, festivals and other events.

For all of that, local enthusiasm about Sloss reached a new high on June 21. That evening, a crowd of several hundred gathered to await the setting of the sun and the ceremonial flipping of a switch to “Light Up Sloss.” Organized by volunteers for the nonprofit Sloss Furnaces Foundation – and supported by a slate of sponsors that includes the Alabama Power Foundation – the project installed energy-efficient lighting that will offer a permanent nighttime display featuring Sloss’ furnaces, smokestacks and iconic water tower.

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