By By Janet Little Cooper
Members of the Atmore Historical Society are off to a good start with their second annual commemorative Christmas tree ornament sale.
"We were able to get the design and completed ornaments back in time to sell them at Williams Station Day a couple of weekends ago," AHS corresponding secretary Hattie Maxwell said. "We sold about 120 at the festival and then had two class reunions who requested some of the ornaments."
Maxwell, who chairs the Christmas Ornament project, is excited about this year's sales.
"We were able to sell 350 ornaments last year," Maxwell said. "And we anticipate that number to increase this year due to the popularity of last year's ornament."
AHS is more than prepared for an increase in sells this year due in part to the 2006 ornaments design. The former Escambia County High School and junior high building, currently the Atmore YMCA building, is the featured design of this year's genuine pewter wreath encircled with an antique gold finish.
"Thousands of local residents received part of their public education in this beloved old building that dates back to 1926, making it 80 years old this year," Maxwell said. "To commemorate that history, we decided to have the building's image etched on the Christmas ornament. I found a picture of the building in an old Atmorala and sent it to the company, The Hometown Collection for an artist rendering."
A brief written history of the building is encapsulated on the flip side of the collectible that is framed by a holly wreath.
This is the second year the Historical Society has sponsored a Christmas ornament with a local theme. The 2005 ornament featured an etching of the replica of Atmore's train depot decorated for Christmas. All profits from ornament sales help the local Historical Society preserve Atmore's past for future generations.
Ornaments are now available for purchase ($10 each) from Hattie Maxwell. She can be reached at (251) 368-4608. The ornaments will also be available at various businesses and at the Peavy-Webb building in Heritage Park located on the corner of Craig and Main streets.