This photo is courtesy of Vestavia Hills Historical Society.
Believe it or not, Vestavia Hills has not always been the colorful city it is today. Around 100 years ago, it was home to just a private road and few estates. The unofficial formation of Vestavia Hills began in 1925 when former Birmingham Mayor George Ward purchased 20 acres of land along Shades Crest. He then built his estate on 10 acres and named it Vestavia, by pairing the words “Vesta,” the goddess of the hearth fire and home, and “Via,” the Latin word for “ roadway.” The former mayor designed the house to be a replica of the Temple of Vesta in Rome. The estate was surrounded by statues of famous Romans, pools, fountains, and acres of gardens. His other 10 acres of land sat across the road from his estate and was used as a wildlife sanctuary visitors could tour.
Ward’s “Vestavia” estate became infamous for the garden parties he threw. The Greek-themed parties featured dancers in togas and servers dressed as Roman soldiers. These parties garnered the mayor a reputation for being batty and eccentric. He would also open his house to the public on Sundays, so they could see his pet peacocks strut along the estate. Once, 8,000 people visited the house in a day. Ward’s party days came to an end in 1943 when he died. The estate was liquidated, and what we know today as Sibyl temple was donated to the Baptist Church. The church then put the temple on the edge of Vestavia as a landmark. Finally, in 1950, with 607 residents, the city of Vestavia Hills came to be.
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