Built in 1926 and located on West Madison Street, the Allen Hotel was once Louisville’s largest hotel for Black guests during segregation. Featured in the Negro Motorist Green Book, it offered safe lodging when few places would. Notable figures, such as boxer Joe Louis, stayed in the fifty-room building.
The building is still in use today as part of an apartment complex.
Built in 1904 for Dr. George Frederick Shrady (the former physician for General Ulysses S. Grant) and his wife Hester, this 20-room Italian Renaissance-style cottage was later purchased in 1925 by Walter B. James, the President of the Jekyll Island Club, who named it “Cherokee.” The house is also known as the Shrady-James House. Renovated in 2001, it now serves as a hotel.
Paschal’s Restaurant and Motel in Atlanta, Georgia, is a historic building with deep ties to Atlanta and the Civil Rights Movement. Founded in 1947 by brothers James and Robert Paschal, the restaurant became a hub for a good meal and social change. Originally a small 30-seat luncheonette, it was known for its fried chicken, which was Robert’s secret recipe. Because of its popularity, Paschal’s expanded to include a full-service restaurant and a motel, which is photographed above.
Paschal’s was more than just a place to eat. It was a meeting place for civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maynard Jackson, and John Lewis, who often strategized there. Other famous visitors included Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, and Al Gore.
While the original Paschal’s is no longer open, the restaurant can still be visited at their Castleberry Hill location on Northside Drive.
Thank you for joining me in my travels around the South. It’s been a great year of wandering backroads and a few main ones. If I learned anything, it is that people love abandoned houses, buildings with unexpected histories, and (in)famous graves.
In Telfair County, on the edge of town, is the Hotel Willard. The first time I drove by this building, it was surrounded by trucks, and there was no way to get a good photo. This trip was successful.
Rural Telfair County was hit incredibly hard by Hurricane Helene, so my friends and I weren’t sure what might still be standing or overly damaged. Thankfully, this 1893 hotel is still in good shape and is being restored. I don’t know if it will stay as a hotel or not. It’s worth a stop to see the brickwork and windows.
The Lone Oak Motel is an abandoned motel outside of Toccoa, Georgia. Built in 1941, it seems to have been in use until 2021. Tax records indicate it was sold in 2024, so its future is unknown. It could be restored, demolished, or continue to languish.
When I researched the motel’s history, I found out it was the final home of the singer Delecta “Dee” Clark (1938-1990), who sang the 1961 hit “Raindrops.” The song reached number 2 on the Hot 100 chart. You can hear the song here.
One of the things I love researching is unexpected or hidden stories. When I found the article about Dee’s death, I did some research about him and found that he had an interracial cover in 1961. If any music history people know more about this cover, please share.
