Herndon Home
Encyclopedia
Herndon Home was the Atlanta, Georgia
mansion
home of Alonzo Franklin Herndon, a rags-to-riches hero who was born into slavery
, but went on to become Atlanta's first black millionaire
. He founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company.
Built in 1910 and located at 587 University Place NW in the Vine City neighborhood, it was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 2000. It had previously been declared a "landmark building exterior" by the city of Atlanta in 1989.
The vacant Herndon Building
on Auburn Avenue, where Alonzo built his business, was already in very poor condition and was seriously damaged in the 2008 Atlanta tornado (which also passed very close to the home). It was demolished in late April 2008.
The Herndon Building was one of three contributing properties in the Sweet Auburn Historic District associated with the life of Alonzo Herndon. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company Building and the Rucker Building are the other two.(NRHP p.25.)
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
home of Alonzo Franklin Herndon, a rags-to-riches hero who was born into slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, but went on to become Atlanta's first black millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
. He founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company.
Built in 1910 and located at 587 University Place NW in the Vine City neighborhood, it was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 2000. It had previously been declared a "landmark building exterior" by the city of Atlanta in 1989.
The vacant Herndon Building
Herndon Building
The Herndon Building was a contributing property in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, Georgia, located across Auburn Avenue from the Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium....
on Auburn Avenue, where Alonzo built his business, was already in very poor condition and was seriously damaged in the 2008 Atlanta tornado (which also passed very close to the home). It was demolished in late April 2008.
The Herndon Building was one of three contributing properties in the Sweet Auburn Historic District associated with the life of Alonzo Herndon. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company Building and the Rucker Building are the other two.(NRHP p.25.)
External links
- NPS page
- NYT/Frommer's
- Atlanta, Georgia, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- Merritt, Carole. "African Americans in Atlanta: Adrienne Herndon, an Uncommon Woman." Southern Spaces, March 16, 2004, http://southernspaces.org/2004/african-americans-atlanta-adrienne-herndon-uncommon-woman.