Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
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Why it's listed
Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic church on Ivy Street in downtown Atlanta, dedicated on May 1, 1898. Architect Walter T. Downing designed it in the Romanesque Revival style, using pressed brick, terra cotta and marble. Two identical towers rise 137 feet on the western facade, topped by octagonal belfries and copper spires. Inside, a nave with side aisles, galleries, ribbed barrel vaulting and an ambulatory follows a thirteen-foot module. Stained glass windows were added in 1902, and the altar and apse paintings date from 1939. The church was built by the Marist Fathers and later passed to the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Around it grew a parish complex that included Atlanta's first Catholic high school, founded in 1902, a parochial school and a rectory. The nomination presents the church as an important Downing work, a distinctive blend of European Romanesque ideas, and a landmark of the city's Catholic community.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is an unusually innovative and synthesized Romanesque Revival design by a notable southern architect, with fine stained glass and wall paintings. It also served for decades as the religious and educational center of Atlanta's Catholic community, anchoring a complex of parish institutions.
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 76000625, listed May 13, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 335 Ivy St., NE, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | May 13, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000625 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | Walter Thomas Downing |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Art, Education, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Archdiocese of Atlanta and listed as occupied and in religious use; the adjacent 1914 rectory is described as vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.76394, -84.38518 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 76000625.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7397104
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.