Atlanta Spring and Bed Company-Block Candy Company
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 at 512 Means Street in Atlanta, this four-story industrial building was constructed for furniture manufacturer William R. Ware. It combines heavy timber post-and-beam framing with load-bearing masonry walls, granite on the first floor and brick above. Segmentally arched windows, a brick belt course, a brick elevator tower and original fire doors remain. The Atlanta Spring Bed Company occupied it from 1900 to 1909, and the Block Candy Company, founded in 1866 by Frank E. Block, used it from 1928 to 1936. A textile salvage firm later occupied it from 1944 to 1985. It is valued as a surviving example of utilitarian factory design that has become rare in Atlanta, and for its link to early twentieth-century industry. It once belonged to a complex that included the neighboring buggy company and furniture company buildings. After a certified rehabilitation, it now serves as office space.
Significance in brief: It is a good example of the utilitarian industrial design used for large manufacturing buildings at the turn of the century, a type that has become increasingly rare in Atlanta. It also represents early 1900s industrial activity, housing the Atlanta Spring Bed Company and later the Block Candy Company, one of two surviving resources tied to Atlanta's first confectionery manufacturer.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000910, listed July 28, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 512 Means St., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | July 28, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000910 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1936 |
| Architectural style | OTHER: utilitarian industrial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recently rehabilitated through a certified rehabilitation and now used as office space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.77248, -84.40511 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000910.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134346068
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.