TUSCALOOSA, AL — The City of Tuscaloosa on Wednesday officially unveiled its new Linton's Barbershop Plaza, honoring the legacy of the Rev. Thomas Linton and his decades of work preserving the city's Civil Rights history.
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The $1.4 million project, funded through the city's Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative, transformed the former site of Linton's barbershop at 1305 T.Y. Rogers Jr. Avenue into a public space dedicated to remembering Tuscaloosa's role in the Civil Rights movement.
Mayor Walt Maddox, District 7 Councilor Joe Eatmon and Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History & Reconciliation Foundation Co-President Tim Lewis spoke during Wednesday morning's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Too often, we see efforts to overlook or forget the history that helped shape our country," Maddox said. "The City of Tuscaloosa has chosen to stand in the gap. We are committed to remembering our history, celebrating it and ensuring its lessons endure."
Maddox said the project represents the city's commitment to recognizing individuals whose contributions helped shape the community.
"By honoring our history, we honor the people who changed our community for the better," Maddox said. "Reverend Linton's legacy continues to make Tuscaloosa stronger, and today we celebrate that."
The city says Linton devoted the final four decades of his life to preserving the history of Bloody Tuesday and the broader Civil Rights movement in Tuscaloosa.
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His barbershop became an informal museum, housing photographs, documents and other historical artifacts that helped educate hundreds of visitors and schoolchildren about the city's struggle for racial equality.
The Linton family later sold the property to the city with the hope that the site would continue honoring the courage and sacrifices of local Civil Rights activists. The family also entrusted Linton's collection of Civil Rights artifacts to the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History & Reconciliation Foundation.
"Today is an opportunity to recognize leaders in our community," Eatmon said. "It's an opportunity to provide a space where future leaders in our community can meet and have those conversations that were once had in this barbershop."
The city says the newly completed plaza features an art installation by artist Caleb O'Connor depicting the former barbershop and incorporating a relief of Linton.
Additional features include interpretive panels highlighting major milestones in Tuscaloosa's Civil Rights history and a central walkway displaying a historical timeline.
As Patch previously reported, construction began in 2025.
Lewis said the plaza represents an important first step toward a broader effort to preserve and publicly display Linton's extensive historical collection.
"This is step one towards making a bigger statement here in Tuscaloosa, having a place where we can show all of the things Reverend Linton collected that talked about the movement, but also talked about the history of Tuscaloosa," Lewis said.
Click here to learn more about the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail.
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