-Georgia, Black History, Famous People, National Register of Historic Places, Signs

The Newly Renovated Prince Hall Grand Masonic Lodge in Atlanta, Georgia

Leave a comment

Located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Historic District, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple is a major site within the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and one of the city’s most significant historic buildings. Built in 1937 with a 1941 addition, the Renaissance Revival–style building was funded by John Wesley Dobbs and designed by Charles Hopson and Ross Howard as a meeting place for the Prince Hall Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star.

The windowless office of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1957, the building became the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. following the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Dr. King’s office and the SCLC operated on the first floor, with staff including Ella Baker, Andrew Young, and Dorothy Cotton. After Dr. King’s assassination, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy continued SCLC leadership here. The second floor housed WERD, the nation’s first Black-owned radio station.

Old stickers left in an old office space on the 1st Floor

Fully restored by Lord Aeck Sargent, the building continues to serve the SCLC. It has been renovated into approximately 16,000 square feet of multi-use space, with the National Park Service sharing educational exhibits on the first floor. Local businesses will occupy the upper levels while the Masons will continue to use the space on the 3rd Floor.

Images from the 2nd Floor where WERD broadcast
The Masons meeting room
Lodge meeting schedule found under old paint
Order of the Eastern Star meeting space
-Georgia, Atlanta NPU, Houses, National Register of Historic Places

Walking Atlanta’s Neighborhoods-Whittier Mill Village

Leave a comment

Continuing my plan to walk Atlanta’s neighborhoods, in January, my randomizer chose NPU D, which is in northwest Atlanta near the Chattahoochee River. After doing some scouting along Google Street View, I chose Whittier Mill Village.

Whittier Mill Village was established to house workers of the Whittier Textile Mill. In 1895, Whittier Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts expanded operations to the South. Choosing Atlanta, mill houses were constructed that workers could rent for $1 per week. The village expanded in the 1920s.

Like so much manufacturing in the United States, the mill closed in the 1970s. the area gradually fell into decline. Most of the mill buildings were demolished in 1988 after arson attempts. The remains of the carpenters’ shop and the mill tower still stand, so if you are looking for brick ruins, head here.

This used to be the village store.
-Georgia, Historic Photos, Uncategorized

History of the United Motor Services Building in Atlanta, Georgia

Leave a comment

Many Atlantans know this building as a former homeless shelter that provided housing for men experiencing homelessness. Located at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Pine, this building’s facade is one of my favorites in Atlanta. Providing over 700 beds, it was the largest shelter in the southeast until its closure in 2017.

The building began as the United Motor Services Building. Designed by noted Atlanta architect A. Ten Eyck Brown, The Atlanta Constitution (1920, August 9) states in an Atlanta feature about new buildings that “This is the building every one [sic] has been talking about.”

Emory University purchased the building in 2018. Their plan is to turn the building into housing for hospital staff.

Image is from The Atlanta Constitution.
-Georgia, Atlanta NPU, Houses

Walking Atlanta’s Neighborhoods-Lakewood

Leave a comment
Built in 1935

One of my goals this year is to walk more. I knew walking in my own neighborhood would feel boring, so I decided to make it more interesting by exploring different parts of Atlanta, not just the usual spots like Midtown or Grant Park. My plan was to randomly choose neighborhoods within the city’s Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs).

Built in 1949

In 1974, Mayor Maynard Jackson created NPUs to give Atlantans greater local control, especially those who lived in historically disenfranchised areas. Today, there are 25 NPUs, labeled A through Z (No U).

Built in 1945

For my first walk, the random selection landed on NPU Z, located in Southwest Atlanta. After checking Google Street View, I chose the Lakewood neighborhood, which is the largest in NPU Z.

Browns Mill Urban Food Forest

Lakewood sits south of Lakewood Heights, which is the neighborhood more people know. Some of its streets include McWilliams Rd., Burroughs Ave., Jernigan Dr., Thaxton Dr., and the southern stretch of Browns Mill Rd. The neighborhood was largely developed in the 1950s, though a few homes date back to the late 1800s. Browns Mill Park Baptist Church first appeared in local newspapers in the early 1950s.

Photo by Victoria Lemos – Home is believed to be antebellum with Victorian details added later
Originally known as Browns Mill Baptist Church
Built in 1950
-Georgia, Houses

Carpenter Gothic House in Gibson, Georgia

Leave a comment

Located on Main Street in Gibson, Georgia, this is one of my favorite houses in Glascock County. Brian Brown identified it as the Kelley House.

-Georgia, Black History, Demolished, National Register of Historic Places

The Collapse of the Lone Star Benevolent Society Hall in Waynesboro, Georgia

Leave a comment

I first photographed the Lone Star Benevolent Society Hall in January 2022 with my friend Brian Brown. When I visited Waynesboro last week, I drove by to see how it looked. Much to my dismay, the hall had collapsed. I know Burke County did experience significant damage from Hurricane Helene. I could not find any information about its demise.

It was a contributing property to the Waynesboro Historic District. The image below is from the National Register of Historic Places nomination packet.