Final preparations are underway to move the historic Selma House

From the West Alabama Newsroom –

The historic Jackson House in Selma is currently in the final stages of preparation for an 800-mile move to the state of Michigan.

In a little less than two months, crews carefully dismantled, packed and secured the historic home to prepare it for the trip to Detroit.

The Jackson House served as the headquarters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – during the Selma Voting Rights Movement of 1965.

Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Jackson – opened their home to their close personal friend – when he was invited to Selma to lead the movement. They have placed great emphasis on preserving the house and its history over the years.

Crews are now separating the house into two sections — each of which will be sealed to make it weatherproof — ready for transport to the Henry Ford in Greenfield Village.

“Five thousand people a day will come through our doors to potentially walk through this space or experience this space. And beyond that, we actually have our digital component that allows us to reach many, many people. You could access and look inside the collections,” said Alec Jerome.

“Actually, we also have a curriculum. This is how we can develop it for school classes. So we really believe we can expand the message and make it a national story about the civil rights movement and the history of the family.”

After separation, each section is lifted and weighed to obtain final approval for relocation.

It should be noted that Henry Ford officials say they will not leave behind – a vacant lot.

“We’re not just going to leave it as an empty site,” Jerome said.

“We really want to recognize the importance of the house, we want to recognize the importance of family and the history that was written in this space. That’s why we’re going to make sure we have a monument sign that reflects all of the history. Hopefully with some nice gardens and plantings around it, lit up, as well as a historical marker.”

The Jackson House is scheduled to be fully packed and transported by the end of the year.