Gardendale Historical Society President Kermit Dooley addressed the Gardendale Council during the public comments portion of Monday night’s council meeting to ask about murals that were removed from the Gardendale Civic Center.

The murals were created by students at Gardendale School in 1940 and 1941. The murals then hung in the school on Mitchell Hill Road. According to Dooley, they depicted life in the industrial world at that time.

They depict scenes of picking and processing cotton.

Dooley said the historical society paid approximately $10,000 to have them restored and preserved.

“That’s part of the history of this community,” Dooley said. He added that it was a depiction of life at the time and nothing that should be considered offensive.

Dooley said he and the other members of the society did not receive even a phone call prior to the removal and that they considered the city’s actions a “slap in the face.”

“I’m here for some answers,” Dooley said.

Mayor Stan Hogeland apologized for any offense and said he had the utmost respect for Dooley and the other members of the historical society.

Hogeland said he made a “difficult decision” as the mayor to remove the murals after a threat was made in August of last year against the civic center and its employees due to a visitor taking offense at the murals.

Hogeland said a visitor to the civic center said if the murals weren’t removed they would shoot up the civic center next time they were there. Hogeland became aware of the threat several weeks later when an employee came to him.

Hogeland stressed that the murals weren’t removed due to a complaint, but because he wanted to protect the city employees and civic center visitors

Dooley said that the person who issued that threat should have been arrested. Hogeland replied that the incident should have been immediately reported to the police department but wasn’t. He wasn’t sure if a report was filed with the police later or not.

Hogeland met with Dooley Tuesday to begin to determine the next step.

“I am working with Mr. Dooley to find a solution and I am confident we will find an appropriate place for them,” Hogeland said. He added that the Gardendale Historical Society’s museum will likely be the new home for the murals.

Currently, Hogeland said the murals were in storage and extraordinary care was taken to ensure the murals remained unharmed.