Sweet Auburn
Encyclopedia
The Sweet Auburn Historic District is a historic African-American neighborhood along Auburn Avenue (originally named Wheat Street) in Atlanta, Georgia
. The name Sweet Auburn was coined by John Wesley Dobbs
, referring to the "richest Negro street in the world". The Sweet Auburn district includes:
Sweet Auburn used to be two separate neighborhoods: Grady/Antoine Graves (the Grady Homes housing project) and Butler Street.
for many years. It developed quickly being near the Georgia Railroad and in 1879 was at the endpoint of a newly graded road called simply Boulevard
, which led from the railroad to North Avenue
near Ponce de Leon Avenue and Angier Springs.
Like other black communities throughout the country, Sweet Auburn's success was intricately tied to the residential patterns forced on African Americans during the early 20th century. It was here that many African Americans established businesses, congregations, and social organizations.
and Atlanta's own Gladys Knight
. One of the many significant commercial buildings within the district is the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. The second-largest black insurance company in the United States, Atlanta Life Insurance was founded in 1905 by Alonzo Herndon
, a former slave from Walton County, Georgia
. The central building of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company complex is a Beaux Arts building facing Auburn Avenue. The district also includes the Rucker Building, Atlanta's first black-owned office building, constructed in 1904 by businessman and politician Henry A. Rucker. The Atlanta Daily World, the first black-owned daily newspaper
, was founded here in 1928. In 1948, the Atlanta Police Department
was integrated, hiring eight black police officer
s, all of whom were assigned to Auburn Avenue.
in 1976. However, like so many other inner-city
neighborhoods, Sweet Auburn fell victim to lack of investment
, heavy, widespread crime
, homelessness
, and abandonment, compounded by construction of the Downtown Connector
freeway that split it in two. In 1992 the National Trust for Historic Preservation
recognized that it was one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and, in 2005, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
included the area in its 2006 list of Places in Peril. The Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) was formed to turn the trend around, starting with houses surrounding the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
, and working outward.
The Peachtree Corridor Partnership has proposed to put a streetcar line that would extend east of the main Peachtree Street
line down Auburn Avenue, and west as a circulator around downtown Atlanta
, where Auburn Avenue continues as Luckie Street.
This article incorporates text from the National Park Service
website, a work of the U.S. government, and therefore in the public domain
.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. The name Sweet Auburn was coined by John Wesley Dobbs
John Wesley Dobbs
John Wesley Dobbs , an African American civic and political leader, was often referred to as unofficial 'mayor' of Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia....
, referring to the "richest Negro street in the world". The Sweet Auburn district includes:
- the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic SiteMartin Luther King, Jr. National Historic SiteMartin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site established on October 10, 1980, consists of several buildings surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn historic district of Atlanta, Georgia. The original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King...
- Odd Fellows Building and AuditoriumOdd Fellows Building and AuditoriumThe Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, located at 228—250 Auburn Avenue, N.E. in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, Georgia, are historic buildings built in 1912 and 1913, respectively, as the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge No. 18, Jurisdiction of Georgia, of the Grand...
- Herndon BuildingHerndon BuildingThe Herndon Building was a contributing property in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, Georgia, located across Auburn Avenue from the Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium....
(demolished following tornado damage, 2008)
Neighborhood of Atlanta
Sweet Auburn is also one of 242 officially recognized neighborhoods of Atlanta. It is bounded by:- Freedom Parkway and the Old Fourth WardOld Fourth WardThe Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
(formerly the separate Bedford Pine neighborhood) on the north - BoulevardBoulevard (Atlanta)Boulevard is a street in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The street runs east of, and parallel to, Atlanta's Downtown Connector. It is bordered by Ponce de Leon Avenue to the north , and McDonough Boulevard to the south...
and the Old Fourth WardOld Fourth WardThe Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
on the east - the MARTAMartaMarta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development...
East-West line and the OaklandOakland (Atlanta)Oakland is an officially recognized neighborhood of Atlanta consisting of only four blocks...
and Grant ParkGrant Park (Atlanta)Grant Park refers to the oldest city park in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, as well as the Victorian neighborhood surrounding it.-Park:Grant Park is the fourth-largest in the city, behind Chastain Park, Freedom Park and Piedmont Park...
neighborhoods on the south, and - the Downtown ConnectorDowntown ConnectorIn Atlanta, Georgia, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, the Downtown Connector runs generally due north, meeting the east-west Interstate 20 in the middle....
and Downtown AtlantaDowntown AtlantaDowntown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
on the west
Sweet Auburn used to be two separate neighborhoods: Grady/Antoine Graves (the Grady Homes housing project) and Butler Street.
History
The first settlement here was on land formerly occupied by Union troops and was called ShermantownShermantown
Shermantown can refer to:* Shermantown , a late 19th-century African-American shantytown east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia* Shermantown, a historically African-American neighborhood of Stone Mountain, Georgia...
for many years. It developed quickly being near the Georgia Railroad and in 1879 was at the endpoint of a newly graded road called simply Boulevard
Boulevard (Atlanta)
Boulevard is a street in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The street runs east of, and parallel to, Atlanta's Downtown Connector. It is bordered by Ponce de Leon Avenue to the north , and McDonough Boulevard to the south...
, which led from the railroad to North Avenue
North Avenue (Atlanta)
North Avenue in Atlanta is a major avenue in Atlanta that divides Downtown Atlanta from Midtown Atlanta. North Avenue stretches continuously in Atlanta from Candler Park in the east, across Interstate 75 & Interstate 85, along the southern boundary of the Georgia Institute of Technology, to Joseph E...
near Ponce de Leon Avenue and Angier Springs.
Like other black communities throughout the country, Sweet Auburn's success was intricately tied to the residential patterns forced on African Americans during the early 20th century. It was here that many African Americans established businesses, congregations, and social organizations.
Historic buildings and businesses
Several churches located along the avenue, such as Big Bethel AME and First Congregational, helped build and maintain the heritage of the street. The Royal Peacock Club provided an elegant setting where many African Americans could perform and bring the changing styles of black popular music to Atlanta. Originally called the Top Hat Club when it opened in 1938, the club hosted local talent and national acts such as B.B. King, the Four Tops, the TamsThe Tams
The Tams, sometimes later billed as 'The Joe Pope Tams' are an American vocal group from Atlanta, Georgia, who enjoyed their greatest chart success in the 1960s, and the 1970s, and most improbably in the 1980s. Two separate versions of the group continue to perform and record. One version features...
and Atlanta's own Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
. One of the many significant commercial buildings within the district is the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. The second-largest black insurance company in the United States, Atlanta Life Insurance was founded in 1905 by Alonzo Herndon
Alonzo Herndon
Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American businessman and the founder and president of the Atlanta Mutual Life Insurance Company. Born into slavery, he became Atlanta's first black millionaire. His home, Herndon Home, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark...
, a former slave from Walton County, Georgia
Walton County, Georgia
Walton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2009, the population was 87,311. The county seat is Monroe.This county is a part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area ....
. The central building of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company complex is a Beaux Arts building facing Auburn Avenue. The district also includes the Rucker Building, Atlanta's first black-owned office building, constructed in 1904 by businessman and politician Henry A. Rucker. The Atlanta Daily World, the first black-owned daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, was founded here in 1928. In 1948, the Atlanta Police Department
Atlanta Police Department
The Atlanta Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, the department was formed with 26 officers...
was integrated, hiring eight black police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s, all of whom were assigned to Auburn Avenue.
Modern era
Sweet Auburn was designated a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1976. However, like so many other inner-city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
neighborhoods, Sweet Auburn fell victim to lack of investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
, heavy, widespread crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, and abandonment, compounded by construction of the Downtown Connector
Downtown Connector
In Atlanta, Georgia, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, the Downtown Connector runs generally due north, meeting the east-west Interstate 20 in the middle....
freeway that split it in two. In 1992 the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
recognized that it was one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and, in 2005, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is the country's largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organization with more than 8,000 members...
included the area in its 2006 list of Places in Peril. The Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) was formed to turn the trend around, starting with houses surrounding the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, and working outward.
The Peachtree Corridor Partnership has proposed to put a streetcar line that would extend east of the main Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
line down Auburn Avenue, and west as a circulator around downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
, where Auburn Avenue continues as Luckie Street.
This article incorporates text from the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
website, a work of the U.S. government, and therefore in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.