Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on 15 January 1929 in
his maternal grandparents' large Victorian house on Auburn Avenue
in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the second of three children, and
was first named Michael, after his father. Both changed their
names to Martin when the boy was still young.
Butler St. YMCA (click here)
The Black City Hall of Atlanta
20-24 Butler Street (now Jesse Hill Street)
Sweet Auburn Historic District
Atlanta, Georgia
Founded: 1894 Built: 1920 Architect: Hentz, Reid and Adler Builder: Alexander Hamilton Architectural Style: Although the façade has been slightly altered, the building still retains many elements of the elegant Georgian Revival style.
Original Use: This building became a center of social life on the Avenue by providing recreation and supervised activity space for younger blacks and a meeting place for older blacks. Many of Atlanta's young black men belonged to the Y and used it as a recreation center. Vernon Jordon and Martin Luther King, Jr. are leaders influenced as youths by their membership here.The building contains over 10,000 square feet and houses 48 dormatory rooms, 7 class rooms, a small auditorium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, shower baths, a café and restrooms. It is the only minority YMCA in America that has been allowed to operate independently without being a branch.
Readaptive Use: Continues functioning as a YMCA.
The Black City Hall of Atlanta
20-24 Butler Street (now Jesse Hill Street)
Sweet Auburn Historic District
Atlanta, Georgia
Founded: 1894 Built: 1920 Architect: Hentz, Reid and Adler Builder: Alexander Hamilton Architectural Style: Although the façade has been slightly altered, the building still retains many elements of the elegant Georgian Revival style.
Original Use: This building became a center of social life on the Avenue by providing recreation and supervised activity space for younger blacks and a meeting place for older blacks. Many of Atlanta's young black men belonged to the Y and used it as a recreation center. Vernon Jordon and Martin Luther King, Jr. are leaders influenced as youths by their membership here.The building contains over 10,000 square feet and houses 48 dormatory rooms, 7 class rooms, a small auditorium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, shower baths, a café and restrooms. It is the only minority YMCA in America that has been allowed to operate independently without being a branch.
Readaptive Use: Continues functioning as a YMCA.
