Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Company Plant
Also known as: Baptist Student Center,Georgia State University
Why it's listed
This small, two-story Victorian commercial building stands at Edgewood Avenue and Courtland Street in Atlanta, across from Hurt Park. Built around 1892 by an unknown proprietor, it combined shops on the ground floor with living quarters above, an arrangement the nomination calls unique in Atlanta. Its facades blend Italian Renaissance arcades and arches with heavier Romanesque motifs, a Dutch stepped gable and a shingled corner turret. Its larger importance lies in commerce. In April 1900 Joseph B. Whitehead opened the Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Company here, the second Coca-Cola bottling plant in the country and the first in Georgia. The operation was outgrown within a year, and Whitehead and his partner began selling franchises to other bottlers, first locally and then nationally. That franchise system spread bottled Coca-Cola widely. Later alterations removed balconies, a chimney and original doors, and the exterior was painted yellow. It later served as a student center.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally unusual in Atlanta as a High Victorian business building combining shops and residence. Its greater importance is commercial: it housed the Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the second Coca-Cola bottling plant in the United States and the first in Georgia, where the franchise bottling concept was developed and expanded.
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 77000428, listed July 20, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 125 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | July 20, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000428 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1892 |
| Architectural style | High Victorian, mixing Italian Renaissance and Romanesque-inspired elements with a Dutch stepped gable |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated May 4, 1983 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as the Baptist Student Center of Georgia State University at the time of nomination; the ground floor was remodeled and is in good condition, and the unaltered upstairs plan is in fair condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.20464, -84.36925 (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 77000428.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5284825
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.