Atlanta University Center District
Why it's listed
West of downtown Atlanta, this district brings together the campuses of Morris Brown, Clark, Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, the Interdenominational Theological Center and Atlanta University. It also includes E. A. Ware School, Friendship Church, the former West Hunter Street Baptist Church, University Homes and nearby residential streets. The oldest campus, on the elevated Diamond Hill site, began with Gaines (North) Hall, whose cornerstone was laid in 1869. Later buildings range from Victorian brick halls such as Graves Hall (1889) and Spelman's Giles and Packard Halls to Georgian Revival structures of the early 1930s around the Atlanta University quadrangle. Spelman's Sisters Chapel, from 1922, was designed by Atlanta architect Neel Reid. The district was listed because these schools were major institutions of higher learning for Black Americans. They offered educational opportunities and helped shape Atlanta's Black community, and the area also contains notable architecture. The nominated area covers about 200 acres.
Significance in brief: The district is significant as the location of a group of major institutions of higher learning for Afro-Americans that pioneered educational opportunities for blacks. These colleges also helped build a progressive black community in Atlanta with national impact. The area also holds some of Atlanta's most interesting architectural landmarks.
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 76000621, listed July 12, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by transit right-of-way, Northside Dr., Walnut, Fair, Roach, W. End Dr., Euralee and Chestnut Sts., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | July 12, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000621 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1869-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Neel Reid (designer of Spelman's Sisters Chapel and one other Spelman building) |
| Architectural style | Mixed: Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Georgian Revival, Late Victorian, Neo-Classical and modified International Style |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Black, Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good and unaltered, with the original site intact. Several nineteenth-century Spelman buildings are described as renovated and in full use. |
| Acreage | 200 |
| Coordinates | 33.74731, -84.41343 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 76000621.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141759873
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.