Atlanta - City

George “Ed” Merritt’s life encapsulates a journey from the racial violence of early 20th century Georgia to becoming a local civil rights champion in Buford. Born in 1913, after his family fled racial terror in Forsyth County, Merritt served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later became a community leader. His political career peaked when he was elected to the Buford School Board in 1973, reflecting the broader struggle for civil rights in Georgia. Merritt’s legacy, highlighted by his advocacy for voting and education, endures in Buford, where a street now bears his name.

In 1962, a plane crash at Orly Field in Paris claimed the lives of more than 100 Atlantans, leaving a deep scar on the city’s cultural fabric. Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., personally affected and burdened with responsibility, navigated the aftermath, ensuring the respectful return of the deceased. The tragedy unified Atlanta, inspiring donations for a memorial arts center, despite the irreplaceable loss and enduring grief experienced by the community and the victims’ families.

Street names offer insights into a city’s history and its evolving perceptions of past figures. In Atlanta, Lindbergh Drive is named after Charles Lindbergh, an American aviation pioneer who was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic. Lindbergh’s achievements made him an international hero, but his later controversial affiliations and remarks led to significant public criticism. Many places that bore his name in the U.S. have since been renamed due to changing public sentiments.

Atlanta History Center Archives have been awarded a $137,554 Archival Projects Grant from NHPRC to rehouse, arrange, and create publicly accessible finding aids for archival collections that document populations and land use in and around Atlanta. The collections are, the Atlanta Department of City Planning, Atlanta Urban Design Commission, and Atlanta Real Estate Board appraisals. These collections are important to understanding the impacts of segregation and redlining on Black Atlantans especially, and will fill several gaps in historic property research.

The Atlanta Prison Farm operated from the mid-1920s-mid-1990s. Today, a portion of the site is under construction for a new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, while another portion of the site, which contains the remains of some Prison Farm buildings, resides on what the City of Atlanta is proposing as parkland. Atlanta History Center prepared this report to assist the Visioning, Memorializing, and Repurposing the former Atlanta Prison Farm Site subcommittee of the South River Forest and Public Safety Training Center Community Task Force.

Learn about the house architect Philip Shutze, interior decorator Ruby Ross Wood, the Inman family who owned the home, and the staff who worked in the house including Lizzie McDuffie

Not sure where to start with your research of a specific historic space? Our extensive collection of archives, photographs, maps, and documents provide valuable information about historic houses and neighborhood

Through its collections, the Atlanta History Center documents historical events that have shaped the Atlanta region.

Christine King Farris, the eldest sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., not only played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement, but she also had an enduring commitment to education and preserving her brother’s principles of nonviolent social change.

Explore the history of Bagley Park, and its beloved mayor, William Bagley, through the personal collection of his granddaughter, Elon Butts Osby.

Atlanta History Center is proud to present a new exhibition on the life and work of one of America’s most influential interior designers. From her early days as a journalist to opening her own firm, Ruby Ross Wood’s work was always characterized by eclectic combinations of furniture, bold color choices, and impeccable taste.

Morris Brown College, founded in 1881, has faced adversity throughout its history. Despite this, it has thrived and produced notable alumni in various fields. In 2002, the college lost its accreditation and faced bankruptcy, but after almost two decades of operating as an unaccredited institution, it regained its accreditation. Today, the college continues to persevere, with its doors open and its dream alive.

The 37th Annual Swan House Ball brings together some of Atlanta’s most outstanding business, social, and community leaders for a night of fun, fashion, fellowship, and philanthropy at Atlanta History Center. Over the years, the ball has included a revolutionary roster of women, both past and present. From philanthropists and CEOs to first ladies and founders, Atlanta’s history is incomplete without honoring some of the defining women who have elevated the city.