FAIRHOPE — The Alabama Historical Association held its 78th-annual meeting in Fairhope over the weekend, bringing people from across the state to learn more about history while also reflecting on past accomplishments.

Members participated in tours of historical sites in and around the area such as Baldwin County Training School, Fairhope Storybook Castles, Fairhope Colony Cemetery and the “Round House” at Tolstoy Park. They also visited places including the Fairhope History Museum and Marietta Johnson Museum.

Matthew Downs, president of the Alabama Historical Association, said it is typically a prerogative of the president to choose where the annual meeting will be held. The association chose Fairhope for this year’s meeting because of how the community is passionate and supportive of documenting its history, with Downs also being a Daphne resident.

“We’ve been all over Fairhope, and it’s a real testament to Fairhope that so many different people just want to show off their town and how much they’ve been working to preserve its history,” Downs said.

As part of their meeting, the association held an awards banquet on Friday, April 10, recognizing organizations and individuals from across the state for their contributions to preserving Alabama’s history. A keynote speech was given by Sonny Brewer, author of “The Poet of Tolstoy Park." He talked about his writing career and his experience documenting Henry Stuart and his “Round House” in Montrose.

The group also held several panels covering a variety of historical topics, with Downs giving a presidential address on Saturday, April 11. His address, which is a research project each president is required to do, details the history of the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation and their work from around the 1950s to the present day. Downs collaborated with the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation while working on his project.

“I love bringing people down here to show off part of the state that I really love,” Downs said. “I love getting to see people that I don’t get to see very often because we’re in all different parts of the state. It’s also great to kind of make connections and talk with people who are doing really cool work in history and hearing from people who are doing really interesting research. It’s the one time you get to learn all sorts of new things in a really compact time period.”