The locally iconic red letters spelling “GIBSON’S BAR-B-Q” across the top of the building are gone.

A back-of-house area where food was prepared for multiple generations of Huntsville residents looks like it was hit with a missile.

Still, a standalone marquee-style sign positioned closer the entrance at 3319 Memorial Pkwy. S.W. remains intact. The familiar stone-wall exterior is still there, too.

Inside the building, the front-of-house area has been gutted, but the large-window views with sunshine coming through and the room’s intact bones make it feel, at least from some angles, like this a new start – and not the end it is.

Demolition on the Gibson’s Bar-B-Q building began on Monday. The restaurant had been closed since an April 7, 2022 fire. The restaurant – known for its breakfast, biscuits, pulled pork and ribs — was originally opened by Velma and Paul Hampton in 1956.

Velma was the daughter of “Big” Bob Gibson, the founder of Decatur’s storied Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, known for originating Alabama-style white barbecue sauce. For the last 20 years or so, Gibson’s was owned by Verna’s granddaughter, Paula Mabry, and her cousin Art Sanford.

But the restaurant has been closed since an April 7, 2022 fire there. Huntsville deputy fire marshal Trent Bennett told AL.com no foul play was suspected in the blaze but described the damage as “pretty significant.”

At the time, co-owner Mabry said, “Right now our plans are to reopen, with the same quality, menu and great service we’ve always had. It might take six months. It might take nine or a year. We don’t know.”

However, Gibson’s, which employed a staff of around 30 and had a 250 guest capacity, has remained closed.

AL.com reached out numerous times to Mabry through Gibson’s Facebook and email to get an update but on the restaurant’s status but never received a response. The business’ phone was no longer in service, either.

Now, the building is being demoed by AEC Site Solutions, a local construction company whose previous notable demolitions include the Regal Hollywood Stadium 18 movie theater and Southern Adventures amusement park.

AEC has also been involved with major construction projects including Madison’s Toyota Field minor league baseball stadium.

The Gibson’s Bar-B-Q property has been rumored to have been purchased by neighboring Grace Luther Church and its pre-k to eighth grade private school.

When a person involved with the demolition was asked if this was true, they responded in the affirmative.

Around 1:30 p.m., AL.com called Grace Lutheran School to confirm the purchase and get more information on the project. We were told Grace Lutheran pastor Russ Gipson was in a meeting and were transferred to his voice mail. As of publishing of this story, Gipson hadn’t returned our call.

Grace Lutheran Church was founded in 1958 and welcomed its first kindergarten school class in 1963, adding grade levels up through sixth from 1964 to 1969. According to the Grace Lutheran website, in 1989 the church purchased an annex from a nearby John Deere tractor business.

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