The 65th Anniversary of an Atlanta Beginning

Walking in south downtown Atlanta these days is eye-opening. A dead zone for decades, this compact, once-influential area is a hive of activity.

“Jeff, wear this hard hat as we walk through the construction area,” said Jon Birdsong, who leads SoDo Atlanta LLC along with business partner David Cummings.“Before we go inside the M. Rich Building (1907), let's walk around a couple of blocks for a sense of where we are and what it represents.”

We meet on Mitchell Street, near the Friedman Building along Hotel Row, walking north, one block toward the former Rich’s complex located on Broad Street.

Ahead is the famous Crystal Bridge, once site of Rich’s annual Christmas Tree, Pink Pig, and choirs singing songs of the season.

“It’s also one of Atlanta’s symbols of the civil rights movement, the Crystal Bridge of Rich’s,” Mr. Birdsong offered. “Dr. King was arrested for the first time, all in support of student protests at the lunch counters in 1960.”

Sixty-five years ago, Oct. 19, 1960, student leader Lonnie C. King of Morehouse, convinced his friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., another Morehouse man, to join the lunch counter protests. Dr. King agreed to meet on the Crystal Bridge.

According to Historic-Structures.com, “When Dr. King and the students were refused service at the snack bar on the bridge, they moved to the Magnolia Room. There they were arrested under the state anti-trespass law passed in the beginning of the year. In all, 51 demonstrators were arrested, including Dr. King. When he refused bond, Dr. King spent the first night of his life in jail in Atlanta.”

Atlanta Mayor William Hartsfield interceded by requesting the involvement of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy weeks before the election; Dr. King was released.

“The protests would expand. They would grow, impacting the department stores in this area because during the era, all had lunch counters and restaurants,” said Mr. Birdsong, an Atlanta native and University of Georgia alum. “Let’s walk over to our building nearby we are renovating on Peachtree."

As a group, 10 different restaurants were targeted, including the Georgia State Capitol and Atlanta City Hall.

Standing in front of the M. Rich Building, we put our hard hats on.

Across the street from us were the former Kress and McCrory’s department store buildings.

“Their restaurants were all part of the student sit-ins,” added Mr. Birdsong, opening the door of his 118-year-old building once housing Rich’s. “When Mr. Rich built his new Broad Street building in the early 1920s, another retailer took over this space: W.T. Grant.” 

The building has been hollowed out toward its repurposed future. The imprint of the small lunch counter remains.

It’s difficult to explain the ancient M. Rich Building.

Five former structures, four built in the late 1880s, are all tied together through a maze of connecting floors and rooms.

Mr. Birdsong pointed toward the floor displaying many layers, wood, tile, concrete, helping explain Atlanta’s retail past. “Over there was the Rich’s furniture department under the direction of Mr. Haverty (1901), who, of course had his own retail empire.” 

The street out front was Whitehall (becoming Peachtree), famously known for shopping after the Civil War. If you needed something, this was the place to purchase. 

W.T. Grant was in business 50 years, until its 1974 bankruptcy. Then the building was boarded up for years. 

In 1978, the empty building purchased by the late lawyer, 4th District congressman Pat Swindall, who served a jail term for perjury. He was able to gain a national historic designation. 

It’s mind-boggling how much of Atlanta’s past is linked by a few blocks, in a blighted, mostly forgotten area of south downtown. These blocks seemingly disappeared 50 years ago, erased from civic relevance, spiraling into crime and hopelessness, as forgotten as a Packard, Hudson and Studebaker.

But to quote the great Bob Dylan, “the times are a changing.” SoDo Atlanta LLC has a 53-building portfolio, with 11 architects and 6 acres for parking.

Best comeback since 28-3. 

Let’s think of another example.