The Pike County Chamber of Commerce will host the City of Troy’s first April Walking Tour at 10 a.m. Saturday. Everyone who is interested in the history of the downtown area is encouraged to participate.
Kathy Sauer, Chamber president, said the Chamber is excited to be a part of the Alabama Department of Tourism’s 2014 April Walking Tours, April 5, 12, 19 and 26.
“The April Walking Tours are statewide promotions by the Alabama Tourism Department that began in 2004,” Sauer said. “Community leaders lead free tours through the historic districts or courthouse squares of their hometowns. The tours are designed to make citizens more aware of their city’s history and heritage. That’s the goal of the four tours that we have planned.”
Saturday’s tour will begin on the square and will be based on the Chamber’s historical survey done to certify downtown Troy as a historic district.
“The tour will be conducted by Charles Nunnelee and the Chamber staff and will include a part of North Three Notch Street, Walnut Street and Troy City Hall and the Johnson Center for the Arts,” Sauer said. “This tour is what we’ll call our commercial tour.”
The April Walking Tour in Troy will be about an hour but could stretch a little longer.
“We’ll learn more about the monument on the square and the buildings that are of historical significance and the people who ran them,” Sauer said. “Those on the tour might be able to contribute interesting information. And, there’s nothing to say that we can’t deviate from the planned route to learn about something that we had not included on the original tour.”
The City of Troy’s April Walking Tours will alternate between the commercial tours and the College Street tours.
The tours will be canceled due to inclement weather.
“We hope that those who have an interest in Troy’s history and heritage will join us for all four tours,” Sauer said. “They will all begin at 10 a.m. and last about an hour. We also encourage those who have an interest in other cities to go the Alabama Department of Tourism’s website for a listing of the cities that are participating. This is an opportune time to learn about the history and heritage of our sister cities.”
Sauer said Brundidge will participate in the April Walking Tours on April 12. The tour will be led by Brundidge Historian John P. Johnston and will begin at 10 a.m. at studio 116 on South Main Street.