REEXAMINING the OLD DEPOT MUSEUM in SELMA, ALABAMA, USA

Abstract

Housed within the distinctive architectural fabric of the former L&N Railroad Depot and listed on the Water Avenue Historic District National Register of Historic Places, the Old Depot Museum depicts life in Alabama and the histories that made Selma the “Queen City of the Black Belt.” Formally known as the Selma/Dallas County Museum of History and Archives, collections range from the times of prehistoric American Indians to the Civil War, continuing through the Depression and the historic path of the Civil Rights Movement, illustrating how a site that was once home to a Confederate foundry became a critical repository for the preservation and interpretation of key documents, artifacts, and photographs related to “Bloody Sunday”, as one of the most significant incidents of American Civil Rights Movement, and its aftermath. Through enlightening and enriching displays, Selma’s Old Depot Museum provides unparalleled educational opportunities for the general public and area schools, with particular respect to the path from slavery to voting rights for African Americans. This paper presents a research project that brought the architectural fabric and archives of the Old Depot Museum in Selma to life, both on-site and remotely through Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) and other technology, including LiDAR, 360° photography, photogrammetry, and UAVs. The findings of this project offer a workflow for digitally documenting and showcasing other cultural heritage sites, underscoring the importance of redundancy in digital captures and platform flexibility for information integration and dissemination.