Howell Interlocking Historic District
Also known as: Howell Junction; Howell Yards
Why it's listed
Howell Interlocking Historic District covers a dense rail-side corridor of factories, warehouses and commercial buildings northwest of downtown Atlanta. At its center is Howell Interlocking, a 20-acre triangular junction of four rail lines, once filled with spur tracks and freight cars and overlooked by a tall control tower. Around it stand four large industrial complexes: the E. Van Winkle Gin and Machine Works, begun in 1889; the King Plow Company; the White and Star Provision meat-packing plants; and the Puritan Chemical Company. The Ashby Street Car Barn and smaller commercial and warehouse buildings along Marietta Street, Brady Avenue and Howell Mill Road complete the district. Most buildings are brick, many with heavy timber interiors, and were built to be served by the railroads. The district was listed because it is the largest intact concentration of historic industrial and commercial buildings in this stretch of the Marietta Street corridor. Today many structures hold lofts, offices, studios and restaurants, though some are vacant.
Significance in brief: The district is described as the largest intact concentration of historic industrial and commercial buildings along the Marietta Street rail corridor and among the largest in Atlanta. It includes four large industrial complexes, among them the E. Van Winkle Gin and Machine Works, the King Plow Company and meat-packing plants, plus smaller commercial and warehouse buildings tied to the railroads. The criteria and period of significance are not legible in the excerpt provided.
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 03000676, listed July 25, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly centered on Howell Interlocking at Marietta, W. Marietta Sts., Howell Mill Rd. and Lowery Blvd., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | July 25, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000676 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | No Style; Late Victorian Romanesque; Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival; Commercial Style; International Style; Moderne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Industry, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current uses include residential lofts, businesses, restaurants, art studios, a theater, museum space, warehouses, work in progress and some vacant space. Many buildings are in good to fair condition. |
| Acreage | 85 |
| Coordinates | 33.78476, -84.41453 (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 03000676.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14686665
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.