Latest / In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson / American Village - TPR's In Focus - June 24, 2026

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American Village - TPR's In Focus - June 24, 2026 · In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson

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  Support comes from the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park
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  on the main campus of Troy University,
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  featuring the International Arts Center,
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  the Fred Nall Hollis Museum,
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  and the Hua Bau Zhu Gallery.
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  More information at troy.edu slash arts park.
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  ♪♪
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  From Troy Public Radio, this is In Focus,
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  and I'm Carolyn Hutcheson.
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  If you're planning to celebrate
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  America's birthday this summer,
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  American Village in Montevallo brings history to life.
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  They're getting ready for a big celebration
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  July 3rd and 4th.
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  Melanie Poole, communications officer,
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  joins us with stories and a preview
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  of America's 250th birthday party
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  and Alabama's Sweet Home 250.
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  ♪♪
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  Melanie Poole, welcome to Troy Public Radio.
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  Thank you very much.
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  For three years, you've been working
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  on this special occasion this year.
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  What is it?
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  We have.
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  So America celebrates her 250th birthday this year,
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  the semi-quincentennial, and this is a milestone event.
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  I remember the bicentennial in 1976.
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  I was 12 at the time,
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  and everyone was extremely excited about the big birthday.
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  And you were learning about Alabama's history at the time.
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  So American Village personifies that history.
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  Give us sort of an overview
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  of what's there for your visitors.
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  It does.
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  So American Village has been here since 1999,
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  and we are a campus that's made up of replicas
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  of some of the most important American buildings,
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  such as Mount Vernon, Independence Hall,
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  the President's Oval Office,
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  Concord Bridge, and many, many others.
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  And those buildings act as a backdrop
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  for what we do best here,
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  which is historical interpretation.
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  Our staff takes you by the hand,
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  and you experience the power,
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  the drama of America's founding era.
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  You become a patriot, and you are given the choice
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  of whether we're going to fight for a new country
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  or we're going to remain British subjects.
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  And it really brings home the decisions
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  that these everyday, ordinary citizens
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  had to face back in that time.
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  Are there special programs for your summer visitors?
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  We have a stellar summer program.
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  In cooperation with America 250 Alabama,
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  we have created a summer program
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  all about the Declaration of Independence
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  and what was happening during that time.
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  You will visit with people of that time period,
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  learn about what their lives were like,
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  and those difficult choices that they did have to make.
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  And of course, we're extremely honored
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  to be designated the semi-quincentennial
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  celebration capital in Alabama.
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  We have the honor of hosting
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  Alabama's official celebration of America's 250th birthday.
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  And that will take place July 3rd and 4th,
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  right here at the American Village in Montevallo.
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  The celebration of this birthday
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  doesn't take place in Washington, D.C.
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  It takes place in the small towns and downtowns.
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  It takes place with parades,
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  with watermelon eating contests,
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  with fireworks, with fellowship
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  with your friends and neighbors.
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  And that's what we're all about here at America Village.
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  We want to bring you Alabama musicians,
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  Alabama authors, state attractions,
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  and of course, I will say we have the best
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  up-close-and-personal fireworks in the state, bar none.
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  I may be a little biased.
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  American Village is so impressive, Melanie.
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  What else can visitors see there?
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  We have the embattled farmer statue.
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  You can walk into the ballroom,
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  and it's as if you're in the East Room of the White House.
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  You can visit the Colonial Chapel
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  and hear Patrick Henry do the
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  give me liberty or give me death speech,
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  like you would hear in Bruton Parish Church.
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  Of course, we have the stocks and pillory.
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  We have the redcoats.
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  We have our replica of Mount Vernon,
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  where George Washington called home.
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  And I think the centerpiece, the crown jewel of campus,
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  is now our Independence Hall.
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  We have a talking portrait gallery.
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  So if you are a fan of Harry Potter,
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  you're gonna walk into this seemingly dull,
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  boring portrait gallery.
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  But all of a sudden, those pictures come to life,
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  and they have a very lively discussion
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  about the Declaration of Independence.
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  You'll walk across the hall and become a delegate,
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  and you will decide whether you want to have a new nation
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  and sign your name on the Declaration of Independence.
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  We have a wonderful, talented staff
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  of costumed historical interpreters.
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  And when you arrive on campus,
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  you're just thrust back into
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  the time of the American Revolution,
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  and you get to take part in it.
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  So are you saying that you have reenactors there
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  who reenact these characters and these events?
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  We do.
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  We call them costumed historical interpreters.
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  We have Martha Washington, John and Abigail Adams,
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  Patrick Henry, Phyllis Wheatley,
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  any number of important patriots of the past.
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  And these people take their jobs very seriously.
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  They are constantly researching the patriot
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  that they are portraying,
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  making sure they get every detail right.
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  All the costumes that they wear are created.
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  Here on campus, we have a very talented staff
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  of seamstresses.
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  I think they make everything but the hats and the shoes.
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  Our grounds and facilities department
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  keeps the campus spotless,
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  and makes sure that those buildings that you are in
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  feel like you're back in 1776.
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  Have you run across any historical stories
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  that surprised you, that you learned?
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  Oh my gosh, innumerable.
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  I love to see the little light bulb moments
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  when students come on campus and they can connect
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  something that they've learned in school
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  with an event that the interpreter is performing.
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  You know, I've never heard the story of Phyllis Wheatley,
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  an African girl brought over from Senegal
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  when she was six or seven years old.
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  She was sold into slavery,
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  and she became the first published African American poet.
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  It's an incredible story.
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  She lived down the street
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  from where the Boston Massacre took place,
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  and the first man to give his life for liberty
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  did not even have it for himself.
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  We learn about Chief Massasoit,
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  who exchanged gifts with the pilgrims
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  and helped them learn how to survive
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  when they arrived from Europe.
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  Just all these amazing, amazing stories come to life.
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  Does your website have a preview
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  of what's available at American Village?
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  Absolutely.
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  The American Village website is americanvillage.org.
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  We also have the America 250 Alabama website.
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  That's americatwofiftyal.org.
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  And the big celebration coming up July 3rd and 4th.
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  You can find out everything about the festival
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  at sweethome250.com.
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  And where else would you celebrate the birth of our nation
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  than a place like American Village
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  that teaches it every single day?
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  So what's happening around July 4th, the big birthday?
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  Yes, it is.
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  And this is the big celebration
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  we've been working on for three years.
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  It's called Sweet Home 250,
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  where freedom feels like home.
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  It's a down-home celebration.
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  We're welcoming 18 Alabama musicians.
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  We have Taylor Hicks, the Blind Boys of Alabama,
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  Miles Morgan, Chuck Lavelle, Rick Carter,
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  and a number of other very well-known musical artists.
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  We have Alabama authors.
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  We've invited state attractions.
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  We have America's Kitchen with celebrity Alabama chefs.
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  We have eating contests.
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  How many Priester's Pecan Pies can you eat in five minutes?
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  How about Kineka Dogs or Blue Bill Ice Cream?
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  It's going to be so much fun to watch those contestants.
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  But it also involves what American Village does best,
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  and that is our historical interpretation
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  of the founding events of our country.
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  Can you give us directions?
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  We're very easy to find off of I-65 at exit 234,
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  and just follow the signs.
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  Melanie, I have so enjoyed our visit today,
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  and I'm looking forward to more throughout the year
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  here at Troy Public Radio,
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  as we tell your listeners more
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  about American Village in Motto Vallo.
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  I'm looking forward to that as well.
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  After July 4th, the celebration doesn't end.
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  Our summer season continues
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  through the first Saturday in August.
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  We have our new school programs
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  that will start in September,
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  and many, many more things coming up in the fall.
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  Thank you for your visit today.
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  Thank you.
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  That was Melanie Poole,
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  communications officer at American Village in Motto Vallo.
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  More information about the upcoming celebrations
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  can be found at the website, americanvillage.org.
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  Thanks for joining us today for In Focus,
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  which is a podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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  I'm Carolyn Hutcheson,
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  and this is listener-supported Troy Public Radio.