Tim Garner preserves a treasure at Remington Hall in Fort McClellan
His eyes were intense, and he looked like he was running away from death.
That was the scene on one of the murals that grace the walls of Remington Hall Officers’ Club at Fort McClellan.
Developer Tim Garner walked me through the place where colorful murals painted directly on the plaster walls feel akin to a Renaissance museum.
Tim Garner helps keep history alive at Fort McClellan from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
You had to wonder what was going through the minds of the artists as they depicted the stunning scenes. The haunting panorama of bodies trampling over each other is across from a peaceful scene of a girl with a white dove, which is next to one of two men sharing a drink.
“The murals themselves were painted by two German prisoners of war who were incarcerated here during World War II, Albin Sagadin and Herbert Bolau,” Garner said. “Painted directly on the plaster. I was asked once by a museum curator if we could somehow move the paintings. I told him, ‘This has to be the museum.’”
Garner is working to preserve what used to be a restaurant and an event center at the fort. Built in 1936, Remington Hall showcases a body of work that is a priceless legacy of murals completed in 1945 by the former Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps soldiers.
“If you sat around the bar with the boys late at night, I’m sure you would get lots of ideas about the story behind the murals. Being an ex-military officer myself, I had a fondness for being in officers’ clubs. The great history of this place is not only the murals, but also the fact that President Dwight Eisenhower himself visited often and called the place a gem,” Garner said.
The murals are varied in subject matter. On the south wall, one depicts a soldier talking to a young woman holding a folded umbrella. Another on the north wall displays a man with one leg propped up on stones. The colors are intense, and the emotions you experience viewing them are visceral.
“I don’t know what the future holds for Remington Hall, but I know what my vision is. This needs to be a museum,” Garner said. “Anniston has a unique opportunity because it has three museums already, which is rare for a city with only 30,000 inhabitants. This would greatly add to the rich military history of the area.”
Whether the man on the mural was evading death or something else, I’m glad he’s still gracing the walls of what could become one of the most fascinating museums in Alabama.
Alabama Bright Lights captures the stories, through words, pictures and video, of some of our state’s brightest lights who are working to make Alabama an even better place to live, work and play. Award-winning journalist Karim Shamsi-Basha tells their inspiring stories. Email him comments, as well as suggestions on people to profile, at karimshamsibasha@gmail.com.
