BIRMINGHAM – The Alabama Power Archives will unveil its newest exhibit, “It Takes a Village,” on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The exhibit features the development of the company villages built to house workers and their families during the construction of early power plants. 

Most of these villages were in remote areas, driving the company to construct houses, hospitals, schools and recreational facilities.

One recent acquisition to the archives is a hand-drawn layout of the Lay Dam 1930 workers’ village by J.B. Murphy. Murphy grew up in the village in the 1930s and ‘40s and is writing the story of his life there.

The Alabama Power Archives displays artifacts documenting the company’s role in the economic development of Alabama and the growth of electric power throughout the Southeast. The archives and museum are in Alabama Power’s historic headquarters at the corner of Sixth Avenue North and 18^th Street in downtown Birmingham. The museum is normally open Monday through Friday during regular business hours and is accessible through the company’s atrium entrance at 600 North 18th St.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO), provides electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.