Since 1994, the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation have joined forces to sponsor Places in Peril, a hugely successful program that annually spotlights significant endangered properties and attracts philanthropists with a passion for keeping Alabama's historical places in existence and intact. Clanton's Hotel Wilson, built in 1914 by Peyton D. Wilson, was selected last October by the Places in Peril committee for recognition this year. Issue 144, Spring 2022, of the acclaimed Alabama Heritage magazine will feature the elusive Hotel Wilson, in what is sure to bring delight to many locals who have long wondered the fate of this stately Clanton landmark. The hotel will appear as one of the state of Alabama's forgotten treasures, and as a landmark designated as highly worthy of preservation. Hotel Wilson is one of the most unique properties that has ever been featured by Places in Peril due to the preservation being slated to not only restore Hotel Wilson to her lovely Great War, late Edwardian splendor, but largely because her new purpose will be to address a 21st century social crisis, serving gravely under-served, at-risk Alabama women.  

Executive Director of www.HomegirlIndustry.org and Clanton native, aka 'homegirl', Sallie Higgins, has lived in California for many years and has come home to help at-risk homegirls in danger of having dire futures. Higgins elaborated, "Homegirl Industry will provide at-risk women of Chilton County and surrounding areas with a safe place to eat, sleep, study, exercise, discover their strengths, address their weaknesses, go into the community to volunteer helping others, to be creative with art and drama therapy, to exercise, to earn a living, and become educated. There are many women in our community who need guidance and resources that are presently unavailable to them. We will facilitate a place to break the cycle of despair, so that our program beneficiaries may move past grim beginnings, leading more productive lives for themselves henceforth, and ultimately, for generations of children to come."  

"Some of our program beneficiaries will come from the saddest and fastest growing segment of the homeless population, aged-out foster youth who have outgrown foster homes due to their age, and who desperately need a roof over their heads and other help so that they may learn to effectively take care of themselves. Others will be escaping abuse or neglect of one form or another. Many have been held back by a continuous cycle of poverty and other circumstances that created a lack of quality conditions for a good start in life."

"These young women will receive an amazing opportunity. Once Hotel Wilson is renovated they will live here, get caught up on their education, and receive important services to deal with past trauma and to fill-in for the guidance they missed-out on in their earlier years. They will reside on the top two floors in small apartments where the hotel's guest rooms once were and have employment opportunity and job skills training in our open-to-the-public cafe' and kitchen, which will be located on the first floor of the renovated 3-story structure. The downstairs restaurant will not only help the beneficiaries with a place to earn wages, but it is also an important sustainability aspect of our program. What better way to teach the practicality of self-sufficiency than by example with a nonprofit program that has a built-in way to take care of itself?"

"Additionally, the restaurant will incorporate and highlight Clanton's vibrant agricultural economy. We love our peaches and other fresh local produce that Chilton County is famous for. We envision a farm-to-table dynamic eatery created from homegrown Chilton County produce and prepared by local talent with southern influences that stretch from Memphis to New Orleans. We are so fortunate and excited to be working together with enthusiastic and compassionate community leaders who bring both skilled human resources as well as the desire and passion to help others. We look forward to working together to create this wonderful hub of historic beauty, and the kind of hope and happiness that changes lives for the better."

Please check out Alabama Heritage Magazine's upcoming issue featuring Hotel Wilson along with other places throughout the state selected for preservation by Places in Peril.