Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Resource Study

407-413 Auburn Avenue, 1914-1922. Ebenezer Baptist Church is a two-story, rectangular, brick, Gothic Revival church with a gable roof and two large towers flanking the main elevation. The lower level, which contains the meeting hall, is covered with gray stucco and scored to resemble stone. Two-story buttresses divide the side elevations into nine bays containing stained-glass lancet windows. Brick beltcourses, panels, corbels, and window hoods ornament the front and side elevations. The auditorium is an open, rectangular space, with the pulpit and choir elevated on a platform and a balcony across the rear of the sanctuary. The education building was constructed in 1956; in 1971, a new front was placed on it.

449 Auburn Avenue, 1976. The Martin Luther King, Jr., grave site consists of a large white marble sarcophagus with a stepped base and a projecting cap. The sarcophagus is sited on a circular island in a pool, which is part of a memorial plaza that incorporates cascading pools, a fountain, and the Freedom Walk, a barrel-vaulted arcade. The narrow end of the sarcophagus, which faces Auburn Avenue, carries the inscription, "REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR./1929-1968/Free at Last, Free at Last/Thank God Almighty/I'm Free at Last."

472-474, 476-478, 480-[482]* and 484-[486] Auburn Avenue, 1905. Four identical hip-roofed double shotgun houses with weatherboard siding that have been rehabilitated by the NPS. Each unit of each duplex has a hip-roofed entry porch with turned posts, sawn brackets, and a plain stick balustrade. After rehabilitation, 472-474 and 476-478 remained duplexes, while 480-482 and 484-486 were converted to single- family residences. The rehabilitation connected the decks of the separate front porches on each unit.

488-[490] Auburn Avenue, 1905. Hip-roofed double shotgun house with weatherboard siding. Parallel hip-roofed porches have turned posts, sawn brackets, and a plain stick balustrade. NPS rehabilitation, which will convert structure to a single-family house, was ongoing at time of survey.

492-[494] Auburn Avenue, ca. 1897. Constructed as a duplex, this building has parallel front-facing gable roofs and a gabled-ell addition on the east. A porch with turned posts, sawn brackets, and a stick balustrade extends across the front of the house and the addition. Existing structure is a reconstruction of a severely deteriorated building and is now a single-family residence.

491-[493] Auburn Avenue, 1911. A small, rectangular-plan apartment building with a hip roof and a recessed, two-story, full-facade porch. The building has square porch posts and exposed rafter ends. Asbestos siding now sheaths the building, presumably covering original weatherboards.

493 Auburn Avenue, rear, units 1-6, 1911. Three identical two-room-deep double shotguns are on an alley behind the Birth Block. Each has a hip roof, a combined front porch with turned posts, milled brackets, and a shed roof.

497 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1900. A two-story, single-family house with Queen Anne elements. The house has a hip roof with a front-facing cross gable and an addition at the rear. The one-story full-facade porch has a wide entablature with dentils and a stick balustrade, while the gable end features a sunburst motif, decorative shingles and a double vent. In the back yard is a small frame storage shed, oriented 45 degrees from the lot line, built circa 1933-1935.

501 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1894. This two-story, single-family home, the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., was restored by the NPS. The house incorporates a number of Queen Anne stylistic elements: irregular massing, a side entrance, a hip roof with lower cross gables, decorative shingles in the gable ends, and a wrap-around porch with turned posts, milled brackets, and a plain, openwork balustrade.

503 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1895. A two-story house with Queen Anne elements. The house features a hip roof with a front-facing gable and an addition at the rear. Beneath the shingle-clad gable end is a three-sided cutaway bay with a jigsawn panel at the second story. A one-story porch supported on brick piers and square columns runs across the facade. One pier lacks a post, which may originally have been present. The front yard has five granite steps leading to the house from the sidewalk, built ca. 1895-1915.

506 Auburn Avenue, 1933. A plain, four-unit apartment building that may have been built as a duplex. The building has a hip roof and a recessed, two-story, full-facade porch carried on brick piers and square posts.

510 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1890. A two-story house with a hip roof, a front-facing gable over a cutaway bay, and a single-story, full-facade porch. Surviving Queen Anne features include turned porch posts and sawn brackets, a diamond-shaped window next to the main entrance, and decorative shingles in the gable end. Alterations include asphalt siding over weatherboards, an exterior stair to the second floor on the west, boarded up windows, and probable removal of brackets over the cutaway bay. In the back yard is an eighteen-inch-high, thirty-foot-long rubble stone wall running parallel to back lot line, built ca. 1895-1945

514 Auburn Avenue, 1893. A two-story house with Queen Anne elements, possibly converted from a single-family to a duplex at an early point in its history. Rehabilitated by the NPS, the house retains decorative trusswork and a circular vent in the gable end and has two additions at the rear. Two-story, full-facade porch with fluted posts. Along the east property line is brick and stone wall with a partial stucco finish, built ca. 1895-1945. The wall ranges from two to four feet in height.

515 Auburn Avenue, 1909. A vernacular gabled-ell house, with several additions, that was converted from a single-family residence to a duplex. The roof is complex with two hipped portions and a front-facing gable. The wraparound porch displays Tuscan columns.

518 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1893. A two-story house with Queen Anne elements. Two front-facing gables project from the hip roof. The western gabled projection is probably an addition, and a three-sided cutaway bay is beneath the eastern gable end. Both gable ends have decorative shingles, horseshoe-shaped vents, and pent eaves. One-story, full-facade porch has fluted square posts and deep entablature. Leading to the porch is a three- to four-foot-wide concrete front walk with a rolled curb and V shaped gutter, built ca. 1895-1915.

521 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1886. One-and-one-half-story Georgian cottage with Italianate details, including a molded cornice with brackets and hooded doors and windows. House has three-sided bay windows on the east and west and a decked pyramidal roof with six dormers, two of which appear to be later additions. House has been subdivided; original Sheathing now obscured by asphalt shingles and asbestos tile; porch details have been removed. The porch is reached by a four-foot-wide concrete front walk, scored in a diamond pattern, built ca. 1890-1915.

521 - 1/2 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1920. Plain, rectangular store building with front-facing gable roof and pent canopy over entrance. Original weatherboards are now obscured by asphalt roll and asbestos siding.

522 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1894. A two-story frame house with Queen Anne elements. House has a hip roof with a front-facing cross gable over a Cutaway bay with a jigsawn second-story panel. Decorative shingles and horseshoe-shaped vent appear in the gable end. Porch has turned posts, sawn brackets, an openwork frieze, and a stick balustrade. Former home of Antoine Graves, a prominent black real estate broker. Rehabilitated by the NPS and now used as a visitors' center. East of the house is a six-and-one-half-foot stone and brick retaining wall, built ca. 1895-1920.

526 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1895. Two-story frame house with Queen Anne elements, similar in configuration to 522 Auburn. Porch differs in having square posts and a deep entablature. Decorative shingles, a circular vent, and a pent eave are present in the gable end. Now used by the NPS for administrative offices.

530 Auburn, ca. 1895. Two-story frame house with hip roof, front-facing projecting gable, and rear additions. Similar to other Queen Anne houses on Auburn, but most details are removed or obscured by asphalt siding. Porch supports are cast-iron replacements. Diamond-shaped vent in gable end and circular window flanking entrance remain. Enclosing the front yard is a three-foot-high cast iron fence with arched tops and a star motif, built ca. 1895-1915. West of the house along the property line with 526 Auburn is a brick and stone wall approximately three feet high, built ca. 1895-1915.

535 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1895. Two-story frame house with Queen Anne elements. House has a rear addition, a hip roof with front-facing gable over a cutaway bay, and one-story full-facade porch with brackets, stick frieze, and a balustrade with missing sections. Asbestos shingles cover weatherboards. House is severely deteriorated with boarded-up windows and some uncovered openings and broken windows. Former home of Charles L. Harper, first black high school principal in Atlanta.

540 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1890. One-story, Vernacular T-plan frame house with complex roof configuration, rear addition, and front-facing cross gable. Front porch has chamfered posts and sawn brackets and trim. Rehabilitated in the early 1980s.

546 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1900. This vernacular gable-front-and-wing house with millwork decoration retains its early additions at the rear. The house has weatherboard siding and a porch with chamfered posts and sawn brackets and trim. Rehabilitated in the early 1980s.

550 Auburn Avenue, ca. 1890. A two-Story, U-plan frame residence with a hip roof and two front-facing gables on either side of a two-story porch. The shingled gable ends are bordered by pent eaves. The house was converted to apartments, and the western portion of the house is apparently an addition. Two-story porch at rear. Rehabilitated in the early 1980s.

29 Boulevard, 1912. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a three-story, stone and brick building with a hip roof. It is a plain building with most of the exterior ornamentation associated with the two- and three-part jalousie windows, which replaced the original windows at an unknown date. The church was originally housed in the first floor with the classrooms and auditorium above.

37-39 Boulevard, 1894. Fire Station Number Six is a two-Story, brick Romanesque Revival style building with a shed roof and decorative parapet. A single arched engine bay is flanked by pedestrian entrances, windows and an asymmetrically-placed tower with date panel. Bands of windows, arched on the Boulevard facade, are found at the second level. Elaborate brickwork includes corbels, door and window surrounds, a diaper-patterned frieze, and a machicolated cornice.

53-55 Boulevard, ca. 1905. Hip-roofed double shotgun house with weatherboard siding. Parallel hip-roofed entry porches have turned posts, sawn brackets, and a plain stick balustrade.

130 Boulevard, 1920-1923. A two-story, brick industrial building with a shed roof, decorative brick parapet, and brick pilasters. The one-story, two-bay addition to the north matches in both style and building materials.

442 Cain Street, 1929. A one-story, trapezoid-shaped, brick service station with a shed roof, stepped parapet, and skylight. Facade features a single service bay with double, cross-braced doors and a three-bay office.

420 Edgewood Avenue, 1912. A two-story, three-bay, rectangular-shaped commercial building with shed roof and stepped parapet. It is constructed of brick with side and rear segmental arched windows. Decorative elements include corbeled brickwork and a stamped-metal cornice.

421-429 Edgewood Avenue, 1946. A large, one-story commercial building constructed of masonry block and faced with beige brick. It contains four storefronts and has a shed roof and parapet. Decorative brickwork includes headers and stretchers lining display windows and brick panels above each store. Elements of the facade have been altered and the easternmost store is a later addition.

438-442 Edgewood Avenue, 1939. A brick garage with a hemispherical roof and stepped parapet. The three-part facade maintains its original fenestration and the pump island and shelter remain at the front of the lot. A one-story masonry addition of 1946-1953 adjoins the east side of the garage.

439-441 Edgewood Avenue, 1920. A two-story, brick, parallelogram-shaped commercial building with a shed roof and parapet. This duplex contains two storefronts with display windows and recessed entrances. Decorative elements include brick panels, a corbeled cornice and stone corner blocks.

443-445 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A one-story, brick, parallelogram-shaped commercial building with a shed roof and parapet. This duplex contains two wood and-glass storefronts surmounted by molded, panelled and bracketed cornice. Altered in 1961 and rehabilitated by the NPS in 1984.

444-446 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A two-story, brick commercial building with evidence of a shed roof. This duplex contains two wood-and-glass storefronts with segmental-arched double windows and corbeled cornice above. Only the exterior walls remain. Altered 1911-1922 and in 1961.

447 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A two-story, beige brick, parallelogram-shaped commercial building with a shed roof and parapet. Wood-and-glass storefront is surmounted by two triple windows at the second level and an elaborate brick entablature.

451 Edgewood Avenue, 1915. A one-story, beige brick, parallelogram-shaped building with a shed roof. The symmetrical wood-and-glass storefront is sheltered by a bracketed pent roof.

458 Edgewood Avenue, 1946. A small, one-story, concrete-block Art Moderne commercial building with a shed roof. Commercial buildings with Art Moderne features are rare in the Atlanta area. This building features rounded brick corners, glass block, pigmented glass, oculi, and aluminum coping. A small, shed-roofed addition has been added to the rear of the building.

462 Edgewood Avenue, 1927. A one-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and large plate-glass windows. Building to the south has been removed exposing the load-bearing brick wall and the interior is contiguous with 464-468 Edgewood Avenue. Substantially altered 1946-1952, leaving almost no traces of original storefront.

464-468 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A large, two-story, brick commercial block with a shed roof and corbeled parapet. Fenestration is irregular with many windows and doors bricked in. Alterations of ca. 1930 and ca. 1955 have left little of the early twentieth century storefronts.

467 Edgewood Avenue, 1911. A two-Story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and plain stone cornice. Main facade features a symmetrical, wood-and-glass storefront with a recessed entrance and a triple window at the second level. Fenestration on the east facade is irregular with a series of double windows at the second level. Several painted wall signs are present on the two Street facades.

476-480 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A large, two-story, brick commercial block with a shed roof and stepped parapet. Three wood-and-glass storefronts face Edgewood and are capped with a stamped-metal cornice. Second floor includes arched windows paired within a large brick arch. Elaborate brickwork is found throughout.

479 Edgewood Avenue, 1932. A small, three-bay, concrete-block filling station situated at the rear of the lot. It has a shed roof with broad, overhanging eaves and a symmetrical facade. Substantial alterations in 1935 and 1950 removed the pumps and awning and added a small ell and a two-bay, concrete-block garage to the site.

482 Edgewood Avenue, 1908. A one-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and parapet. Symmetrical wood-and-glass storefront is surmounted by a stamped metal cornice and decorative brick entablature.

483 Edgewood Avenue, 1908. A two-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and corbeled brick cornice. Wood-and-glass storefront and tiled, recessed entrance is flanked by entrance to second floor. Three double windows at the second level feature stone sills and lintels above. The building has been rehabilitated.

484 Edgewood Avenue, 1908. A one-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and parapet. Virtually the entire facade has been replaced with a metal-and-glass storefront. Only the outer piers and corbeled cornice remain.

485 Edgewood Avenue, 1908. A two-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and corbeled brick cornice. Wood-and-glass storefront with recessed entrance is flanked by entrance to second floor. Three double windows at the second level feature stone sills and brick lintels.

487 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A two-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof. Wood-and-glass storefront with recessed entrance is flanked by entrance to second floor and framed by stamped-metal piers and cornice. Second level contains two triple windows. Entablature is covered with sheet metal and two rear windows have been bricked-in.

488 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A two-Story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and corbeled brick cornice. Wood-and-glass storefront with recessed entrance is flanked by entrance to second floor. Symmetrical wood-and-glass storefront is capped by a stamped-metal cornice. Two double windows at second level contain segmental brick arches and stone sills. Evidence of painted wall sign on east elevation. Rehabilitated ca. 1986.

489 Edgewood Avenue, 1909. A two-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and corbeled brick cornice. Wood-and-glass storefront with recessed entrance is flanked by entrance to second floor and framed by stamped-metal piers and cornice. Second level contains two triple windows with stone sills and lintels. Entablature features corbeled and panelled brick elements.

510 Edgewood Avenue, 1947. A two-story, flat-roofed, brick-and-concrete-block International style building with a gable-roofed, concrete-block structure at rear. A central tower is flanked by two wings, containing multiple roof levels, ribbon windows, boxed overhangs, white-stuccoed wall surfaces, and a recessed main entrance. The base of the building and elements of the tower are constructed of red brick with flush vertical joints and bands of darker brick. International style buildings are rare in Atlanta.

513 Edgewood Avenue, 1920. A two-story, brick commercial building. The facade was completely remodeled in the 1 970s with plate glass windows and large panels that obscure most of the facade. Brick surfaces have been stuccoed and painted.

525 Edgewood Avenue, 1948. A one-story, three-bay, stuccoed, terra-cotta-tile garage with a flat roof and stepped parapet. One-story, brick structures have been added to the east and west sides. Significant alterations ca. 1986.

536 Edgewood Avenue, 1951. A large, one-story, rectangular-shaped, concrete-block building with a flat roof. The three-part facade features six automobile service bays with a three-bay office in the center.

541 Edgewood Avenue, 1906. A two-story, brick commercial building with a shed roof and stamped-metal cornice. Storefront is obscured by metal security grate. Second floor contains a three-part, basket-arched window flanked by narrow, sash windows. Elaborate ornamentation includes a machicolated brick cornice and terra-cotta rondels, finials, and egg-and-dart motifs.

53 Hogue Street, 1940. A one-story frame duplex with a recessed porch and a roof that is hipped at the rear and a clipped gable at the front. Porch is supported on square posts and has a plain stick balustrade.

409 Houston, 1923-1928. A one-story, trapezoid-shaped, brick-and-concrete-block industrial building with a gable roof and two, large saw-tooth skylights. Formerly a laundry, the large open factory retains original features.

412 Houston Street, 1920-1923. A one-story, shed-roofed brick industrial building with a two-story, shed-roofed office tower at the NW corner. Decorative brickwork and awning, milled newel post and wainscoting remain.

423 Houston Street, 1931. A two-story, gable-roofed, brick industrial building with gable-roofed end pavilions featuring terra-cotta door surrounds. One-and-two-story structures have been added on the south and east sides.

450 Houston Street, ca. 1923. A two-story, shed-roofed, trapezoid-shaped, brick commercial building with a three-part facade defined by four brick piers. Brick panels exist above the storefront and below the parapet.

456-460 Houston Street, 1942-1953. A one-story, trapezoid-shaped, concrete-block commercial building with a shed roof and stepped parapet. The facade contains two three-part storefronts.

466 Houston Street, 1938-1946. A one-story, trapezoidal-shaped, brick commercial building with a shed roof which supports three, large billboards. A corner storefront is located on Boulevard with a second on Houston Street.

14 Howell Street, ca. 1927. A one-story frame duplex with a front-facing gable roof and cross gables on each side. The porch across the front is carried on wood posts with molded capitals. Knee braces are present under the projecting eaves of the facade.

18 Howell Street, 1927. Two-story frame dwelling with an unusual decked gable roof, a single-story porch with a front-facing gable roof, and two rear additions. Knee braces appear under the eaves. The house is severely fire damaged and open to the elements.

24 Howell Street, ca. 1895. One-and-one-half story frame house with steeply pitched, front-facing, clipped gable roof, and a three-part window in the gable end. Alterations include two shed-roofed dormers, an enclosed, concrete-replacement porch, a carport added to the north side, and asbestos shingle siding.

28 Howell Street, ca. 1895. One-and-one-half story frame house with steeply pitched front-facing clipped gable roof. Massing is identical to 24 Howell Street, but a rear addition is present and the gable windows have probably been covered. Full-facade porch has square posts with capitals, turned balustrade, and decorative brackets.

54 Howell Street, 1931. Utilitarian two-story frame apartment building with side gable roof and full-facade two-story porch supported by brick posts. Rafter ends and knee braces appear in gable ends. Partially enclosed back porch. Severely fire damaged, with doors and windows boarded up. Rehabilitation was ongoing at time of survey.

454 Irwin Street, 1946. A two-story, rectangular-shaped, concrete-block industrial building with a gable roof and stepped gable ends. A concrete ramp rises to the steel decked second story.

479-481 Old Wheat Street, ca. 1905. Hip-roofed frame double shotgun house, two rooms deep, that has been converted to a single-family house, with one entry blocked up. Concrete porch floor is a replacement, separate porch roofs have been joined, and porch posts and balustrade appear to be replacements.

483-485 Old Wheat Street, ca. 1905. Hip-roofed frame double shotgun house with parallel hip-roofed entry porches. House is vacant and threatened by lack of maintenance, but fabric is present for use in future rehabilitation. Some porch posts are missing and balustrades are replacements.

487-489 Old Wheat Street, ca. 1905. Hip-roofed frame double shotgun house with parallel hip-roofed entry porches. House is vacant and threatened by lack of maintenance, but retains fabric for use in future rehabilitation. Porch roofs and brackets are all that remain of porches. Some weatherboards have fallen off at rear.

Landscape Features

Alley running south from Auburn Avenue between 493 and 497 Auburn, ca. 1911. A sixteen- to twenty-foot-wide alley, currently paved with asphalt, that likely was unpaved through much of its history.

Brick sidewalk, north side of Auburn Avenue east of Howell, ca. 1890-1920. A herringbone brick sidewalk with a granite curb. Sidewalk is approximately 165 feet long and nine feet wide.

Brick sidewalk, west side of Howell Street north of Auburn Avenue, ca. 1895-1922. An approximately 40-foot segment of herringbone brick sidewalk with a granite curb. The pavement is approximately six feet wide.

River-stone sidewalk, north side of Auburn Avenue between Boulevard and Howell Street, ca. 1922-1923. The sidewalk is composed of a brown river-stone aggregate, with a granite curb. The pavement is approximately nine feet wide.