History abounds in Fairhope. Now, longtime locals and visitors alike can discover the stories behind some of the area's oldest buildings.

The Fairhope Single Tax Corporation Education Committee has installed 20 historic building plaques and printed a self-guided walking tour map to all the plaque locations, and this newspaper aided in the research process.

And these aren’t your grandfather’s historic markers. They are interactive with Quick Response, or QR codes, embedded onto shiny stainless-steel surfaces. Two QR codes are on each plaque. The code on the left takes you to a webpage about the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation. The QR code on the right links you to the history of the building, its uses and owners.

“The way we travel has changed so much because of these,” said committee member Pam Turner, a retired Fairhope High School English teacher, holding up her smartphone. “I’m so excited for people to learn about Fairhope Single Tax, our community history, and culture in a new way.”

Wayne “Coach” Miller pitched the idea to the committee and got the full support of the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation Executive Council.

From getting permission from building owners to getting the articles written and the plaque mounted, Miller said it has been a "true committee team effort."

Rounding out the all-volunteer committee and FSTC members are Jim Estes, Debby Hackbarth, Kris Lafferty, Margaret Neely, Wendy Bashear and Alan Samry.

"These are well-researched,” Miller said. “We used national historic district information, the Fairhope Courier and local books.”

The self-guided walking tour is 2.5 miles. Plaques are located on downtown businesses, educational buildings and even two castles.

The education committee wants to add more buildings to a future map printing. If you are interested in having a building plaque, send us an email with the subject “Building Plaques” to transfers@fairhopesingletax.com. In the meantime, pick up a map, grab your smartphone, open the camera app and tap on the link to find a treasure of Fairhope history.