Historical Significance

Several consultants, community keepers of history and urban planners have charted the rich history of the West End neighborhood. This brief historical account, in particular, will highlight previous works from Karl W. Barnes' September 2002 "Your Vision, Your memory, Your challenge: Preservation is Good for Your African American Neighborhood Revitalization" article; the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Regional Commission's West End District Livable Centers Initiative Plan (2001); and the Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Economic Development Center's West End Revitalization Plan (1992).

Established in 1835 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the West End district is one of Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods. (City of Atlanta, 2001, p. 14) Since its inception, a strong cultural history and sense of community pride has embodied a significant element within the development, civic composition and aspirations of the West End community (West End Revitalization Plan, 1992, p. 4) (Barnes, 2002, p. 4). Established in 1835 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the West End district is one of Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods. (City of Atlanta, 2001, p. 14) Since its inception, a strong cultural history and sense of community pride has embodied a significant element within the development, civic composition and aspirations of the West End community (West End Revitalization Plan, 1992, p. 4) (Barnes, 2002, p. 4).

"West End began as a traveler's rest stop at Charner Humphrie's Whitehall Tavern on the east side of what is now Lee Street between Gordon Street and Park Street." (CAU, 1992, p. 4) The 1835 small village predated the settlement of Atlanta by two years and was named after the two-story tavern painted white when most buildings of the period were unpainted. (Barnes, 2002, p. 4) (CAU, 1992, p. 4) "White Hall was the stagecoach stop, tavern, post office, home of the 530th Militia District, and election precinct." (Barnes, 2002, p. 4). Between 1835 and 1868, the railroad and West End's location helped the area become one of the fast growing suburbs in Atlanta. (Barnes, 2002, p. 4)( CAU, 1992, p. 4) White Hall served as a crossroads, with both the Western and Atlanta Railroad and the Macon and Western Railroad coming through the area during this period. (City of Atlanta, 2001, p.14) This period also saw the ascending neighborhood change its name to West End. (CAU, 1992, p. 4)

In 1871, the West End was served by Atlanta's first municipal street car line. (CAU, 1992, p. 4) The street car line originally followed along Lee and Gordon Street (now Ralph David Abernathy) and extended for four blocks along Green Ferry (now Westview), Park and Oak Streets from Lee, and along Ashby, Peeples, Lawton and Holderness Streets from Gordon. (CAU, 1992, p. 4) In 1886, a portion of the old McPherson Barracks (which was located on the north end of the West End and housed federal troops during Reconstruction) became the home of the Spelman Seminary for Colored Females (now Spelman College). (Barnes, 2002, p. 4) "The streetcar developers excluded the north end (of West End) from the new residential village of the West End, and West End Avenue, a 56 ft. wide street, was the racial dividing line." (Barnes, 2002, p. 4)

In January 1894, the West End was annexed to the City of Atlanta and the neighborhood became the city's Seventh Ward. (West End) (City of Atlanta, 2001, p.14) In 1907, historic Fire Station #7 on West Whitehall Street was built to fulfil a promise to deliver fire protection and complete the annexation plan. (CAU, 1992, p. 4)

During the fifty year economic cycle from 1930 to 1980, the West End, like other "close in" commercial and residential neighborhoods across Atlanta, underwent several states of transition. (CAU, 1992, p. 4) "(T)he neighborhood experienced significant decline in the 1930's due to the economic depression followed by World War II. Many homes were subdivided into boarding rooms and duplexes, while many of the district's larger homes; Victorian mansions were abandoned for the smaller bungalows of Morningside and other Atlanta neighborhoods. By the middle of the 1940's development again accelerated and commercial areas were refined along Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. In the 1950's financial investments in the area came to an end due both to impending suburbanization and the mass migration of West Enders into the suburbs," a dynamic that occurred in many Intown neighborhoods throughout Atlanta and the Southeast." (See City of Atlanta, 2001, p.14)

"The mid 1960's saw the beginnings of integration, which would lead to eventual re-segregation of the neighborhoods. A recipient of federal Urban Renewal grant monies, West End was once again transformed in the late 1960's. Interstate 20 was constructed north of RDA Boulevard and significantly separated the northern portion of West End (including the historically Black Atlanta University campus and predominantly African-American residential area), from the south communities which would become West End and Adair Park." (City of Atlanta, 2001, p.14) "Urban Renewal Programs, managed by the Atlanta Housing Authority, displaced many residents to build public housing, the Mall at West End and ancillary access ways to I-20. These activities left many portions of the West End's land surface scarred and vacant. Moreover, unchecked development of public housing without concern for a long range community plan created a demographic imbalance in the community which was compounded by suburban flight of the ablest residents and the invasion of residents and businesses that had no knowledge of or linkage to the history and tradition of the community." (CAU, 1992, p. 4) The result was a long-term trend of economic deterioration and residential flight, with a total population decline of 56% between 1940 -1980. (City of Atlanta, 2001, p.14)

"With its contextual face drastically changed, the West End changed and the community entered in the 80's as a deteriorating neighborhood far removed from its turn of the century splendor. Awareness of this condition gave rise to efforts aimed at revitalizing the community." (CAU, 1992, p. 4). In 1989, WEND (West End Neighborhood Development), the West End's new homeowner's association, with assistance from the Atlanta Preservation Center, the Georgia Trust, and the Historic Preservation Division, helped formulate a plan and process to get the Atlanta City Council (via the Atlanta Urban Design Commission (AUDC)) to designate the West End as a historic district. (Barnes, 2002, p. 5) By 1999, the historic West End district was placed on both the Georgia and National Register. (Barnes, 2002, p. 5)) "Local AUDC designation provided land use, zoning and architectural guidelines. Through these local, state, and national designations, the West End Historic District was preserved." (Barnes, 2002, p. 6)