Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthplace
Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in Atlanta in 1929 in the Sweet Auburn community, the thriving African-American hub of Atlanta. He grew up in a multi-generational family at 501 Auburn Avenue. During his twelve years here, young Martin was nurtured by his family, church, and neighborhood.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Atlanta - the Upper Auburn Avenue area. Originally called Wheat Street in honor of one of Atlanta's pre-Civil War merchants. The name was changed in 1893 to the more stylish Auburn Avenue. As early as the 1880's Auburn Avenue became the center of Atlanta's black business and professional community. The interrelationship of residential, commercial, and religious architecture together with the strong black cultural history is representative of the life and work of Dr. King to the extent that the area was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and a unit of the National Park Service in 1980. Ebenezer Baptist Church is the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was the location of many Civil Rights meetings. The church was founded in 1886 by Rev. John Parker who was pastor until his death in 1894.
Opened in 1937 as The Top Hat. The club was purchased in 1949 and renamed The Royal Peacock. Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, B.B. King, Etta James, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, The Supremes, Ike and Tina Turner and many others performed here. The Peacock now features reggae and hip-hop performers.
Historically significant as the former home of Joel Chandler Harris, author of the "Uncle Remus" tales. He lived here from 1881 until his death in 1908. Architecturally, an interesting Queen Anne residence.
This is the fourth capitol building owned by the State and has been in continuous use since its completion in 1889. Located atop a hill near downtown Atlanta, it previously contained the Atlanta City Hall and Fulton County Courthouse as well as one of the first city parks in Atlanta. The Capitol is a monumental classical dome and columned structure with a convincing atmosphere of architectural purity and design integrity. Several interior renovations have caused the loss of historic fabric, most notably the State Library, but overall the original design has not been altered. The exterior has been well-maintained and the building's monumentality was enhanced in 1959 when Georgia gold leaf was applied to the surface of the dome and lantern, adding a flourish to the somber, Neo-Classical-Renaissance Revival building. Today the grounds are filled with statuary and other memorials, as well as extensive landscape plantings. Still used as a state house, the Georgia State Capitol continues to be the prime architectural symbol of the state, representing over 100 years of colorful history. It has been a popular attraction for generations of Georgians and their visitors.