The 16th Street Baptist Church was established in 1873 as the first African American church in Birmingham, Alabama and is internationally known for its history, architecture, and role in the Civil Rights Movement. As the site of a racially motivated bombing that resulted in the loss of life of four young girls, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is an icon of the Civil Rights movement. The church is recognized internationally for its Civil Rights role and was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage (1976); added to the National Register of Historic Places (1980); designated a National Historic Landmark (2006), designated an Alabama Attraction of the Year (2012); received a Significant Building Award from the Alabama Architectural Foundation (2012); and received Save America’s Treasures Funding (2006); a site of the Civil Rights Trail and a part of the National Park Service Birmingham National Civil Rights Monument. The church attracts national and international visitors and serves as the preferred site for local and national political events and for educational and civic forums.