List of former Atlanta street names
Encyclopedia
Atlanta
has a penchant for frequent street renamings, even in the central business district
, usually to honor the recently deceased.
Many recent Atlanta street renamings commemorate prominent African Americans in Atlanta's history. These renamings can be identified by the use of the person's full name (e.g., Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard) rather than the more traditional last name only (e.g., Cain Street).
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...
has a penchant for frequent street renamings, even in the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, usually to honor the recently deceased.
Many recent Atlanta street renamings commemorate prominent African Americans in Atlanta's history. These renamings can be identified by the use of the person's full name (e.g., Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard) rather than the more traditional last name only (e.g., Cain Street).
- Current name
- Former name(s)
- 10th St.
- Bleckley Ave. (alternative name, 1890s, Piedmont to Peachtree); Madison (between Cresent and West Peachtree)
- 11th St.
- Harrison Ave. (alternative name, 1890s, Piedmont to Peachtree); Davis (between Cresent and West Peachtree)
- 12th St.
- Downe St. (alternative name, 1890s, Piedmont to Peachtree); Stewart (between Cresent and West Peachtree)
- 13th St.
- Center St. (alternative name, 1890s, Piedmont to Peachtree); Cleveland Street (between Cresent and West Peachtree)
- 14th St.
- Wilson Ave. (alternative name, 1890s)
- Andrew YoungAndrew YoungAndrew Jackson Young is an American politician, diplomat, activist and pastor from Georgia. He has served as Mayor of Atlanta, a Congressman from the 5th district, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations...
International Boulevard- International Boulevard
- Cain Street (for pioneer John J. Cain)
- Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard
- Fair Street (Pertains to the 14 blocks of Fair Street between Northside Drive and James P. Brawley Drive (formerly Chestnut Street).
- Auburn AvenueSweet AuburnThe Sweet Auburn Historic District is a historic African-American neighborhood along Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. The name Sweet Auburn was coined by John Wesley Dobbs, referring to the "richest Negro street in the world". The Sweet Auburn district includes:*the Martin Luther King, Jr...
(as of April 17, 1893)- Wheat Street (for Augustus W. Wheat)
- Barnett Avenue (Virginia Highland/Poncey-HighlandPoncey-HighlandPoncey-Highland is a neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, located south of Virginia-Highland. It so named because it is near the intersection of east/west Ponce de Leon Avenue and north/southwest North Highland Avenue. This Atlanta neighborhood was established between 1905 and 1930,...
)- Kearsarge Avenue
- Benjamin E. Mays Drive
- Sewell Road
- Briarcliff Road (Atkins ParkAtkins ParkAtkins Park is an intown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, nestled in the southeast corner of Virginia Highland neighborhood west of Briarcliff Avenue and north of Ponce de Leon Avenue . It consists of just three streets:* St. Louis Place...
/Virginia Highland)- Williams MillHistoric mills of the Atlanta areaThere were several historic mills around the metro Atlanta area, for which many of its current-day roads are still named. Most of the mills date back to the 1820s and 1830s, and were built along the area's many streams.-Autrey Mill:...
Road (for Frederick A. Williams) - Stillwood Avenue
- Williams Mill
- Bolton Road
- River Road
- Cameron M. Alexander Blvd. (English Avenue neighborhood)
- Kennedy Street (until 2010)
- Capitol Avenue (as of 1885)
- McDonoughMcDonough, GeorgiaMcDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. The population was 22084 at the 2010 census. Inclusion of the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding McDonough, which are not part of a town/city, raises the population to approximately 30,000 from an estimate in 2008. The city is the...
Boulevard (for the town it eventually reaches)
- McDonough
- Centennial Olympic ParkCentennial Olympic ParkCentennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The park was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the Centennial...
Drive (from North AvenueNorth Avenue (Atlanta)North Avenue in Atlanta is a major avenue in Atlanta that divides Downtown Atlanta from Midtown Atlanta. North Avenue stretches continuously in Atlanta from Candler Park in the east, across Interstate 75 & Interstate 85, along the southern boundary of the Georgia Institute of Technology, to Joseph E...
south to around Mitchell Street)- Techwood Drive (from North Avenue into Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
campus) - Orme Street (from around North Avenue south to Cain St. (now Andrew Young Intl. Blvd.)
- Walker Street (from around Mitchell Street south to Peters Street)
- Techwood Drive (from North Avenue into Georgia Tech
- Central Park Place
- Bedford Place
- Charles Allen Drive
- N. Jackson Street
- Courtland Street (as of September 20, 1886)
- North Collins Street (for pioneer James Collins — renamed because of South Collins Street's reputation as a red light district)
- Crescent Avenue
- Macon St., Old Peachtree Rd.
- Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway
- Bankhead HighwayBankhead HighwayThe Bankhead Highway was a United States cross-country automobile highway connecting Washington, D.C. and San Diego. It was part of the National Auto Trail system. The road was named for Alabama politician John Hollis Bankhead, a leader in the early national road building movement. In later years,...
(renamed when a dance called the "Bankhead BounceBankhead BounceThe Bankhead Bounce is a dance that originated in a neighborhood on the west side of Atlanta known as Bankhead. The dance was popularized by a song of the same name, released in 1995 by rapper L. Atkins, featuring D-Roc and by the video for the song, "Benz or Beamer" by Outkast from the New Jersey...
" kept people from taking the street seriously) - Bankhead Avenue (Changed to honor Governor Bankhead of Alabama)
- Bellwood Avenue
- Bankhead Highway
- Felton Drive (for Rebecca Felton)
- Summit Avenue
- Hamilton E. HolmesHamilton E. HolmesHamilton E. Holmes was an American orthopedic physician. He and Charlayne Hunter-Gault were the first two African-American students admitted to the University of Georgia. Additionally, Holmes was the first African-American student to attend the Emory University School of Medicine, where he...
Drive- Hightower Road
- Hank Aaron Drive (from Fulton Street south to McDonoughMcDonough, GeorgiaMcDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. The population was 22084 at the 2010 census. Inclusion of the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding McDonough, which are not part of a town/city, raises the population to approximately 30,000 from an estimate in 2008. The city is the...
Boulevard/University Avenue)- Capitol Avenue
- Hosea L. WilliamsHosea WilliamsHosea Lorenzo Williams was a United States civil rights leader, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist and politician...
Drive- Boulevard Drive
- Ivan Allen Jr.Ivan Allen Jr.Ivan Allen, Jr., was a U.S. businessman and Democratic political figure most notable for serving two terms as the 52nd Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia during the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s.-Biography:...
Boulevard (from West Peachtree Street west to Marietta Street)- Simpson Street (for Leonard C. Simpson, Atlanta's first lawyer), Jones Avenue and Alexander Street (for Dr. James F. Alexander)
- James P. Brawley Drive
- Chestnut Street
- Jesse Hill Jr.Jesse Hill Jr.Jesse Hill, Jr. is a civil rights leader, business executive, and actuary.Hill was the CEO of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. He was also confidant of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is a black pioneer/activist that pushed several civil rights initiatives.Jesse Hill, Jr...
Drive- Butler Street
- John Portman Boulevard At Historic Harris Street (as per Atlanta City CouncilAtlanta City CouncilAtlanta City Council is the main municipal legislative body for the city of Atlanta, Georgia. It consists of 15 members elected from districts within the city. The Atlanta City Government is divided into three bodies: the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The Atlanta City Council serves...
vote May 16, 2011)- Harris Street - (for Fulton County's first elected legislator)
- John Wesley DobbsJohn Wesley DobbsJohn Wesley Dobbs , an African American civic and political leader, was often referred to as unofficial 'mayor' of Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia....
Avenue (for John Wesley Dobbs, African American civic and political leader, "mayor of Auburn Ave."- Houston Street (for pioneer Oswald HoustonOswald HoustonOswald Houston was a merchant as well as the first treasurer of the city of Oswald Houston was a merchant as well as the first treasurer of the city of...
)
- Houston Street (for pioneer Oswald Houston
- Joseph E. BooneJoseph E. BooneRev. Joseph Everhart Boone was a civil rights activist and organizer who marched together with Martin Luther King Jr....
Boulevard (as of March 24, 2008", for the civil rights activist)- Simpson Street/Road (for Leonard C. Simpson)
- Rev. Dr. Joseph E. LoweryJoseph LoweryJoseph Echols Lowery is a minister in the United Methodist Church and leader in the American civil rights movement. He later became the third president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, after Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and his immediate successor, Rev. Dr...
Boulevard- Ashby Street (for Civil War General Turner AshbyTurner AshbyTurner Ashby, Jr. was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. He had achieved prominence as Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's cavalry commander, in the grade of colonel, in the Shenandoah Valley before he was killed in battle in 1862...
)
- Ashby Street (for Civil War General Turner Ashby
- Maiden Lane (Virginia Highland)
- Grove Street
- Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
Drive- Hunter Street, Gordon Road
- Memorial DriveMemorial Drive (Atlanta)Memorial Drive is a long road that runs from Stone Mountain to downtown Atlanta, Georgia. In 2000, a part of Memorial Drive was named "Cynthia McKinney Parkway," but the naming has come under scrutiny since her primary defeat in 2006....
- Fair Street (for the South Central Agricultural Society fair, which moved to facilities on Fair St. in 1850)
- Metropolitan Parkway
- Stewart Avenue (renamed because of redlight district reputation)
- Monroe Drive
- N. Boulevard
- Park Avenue West (as of April 20, 2001)
- Foundry Street and Luckie Street (south of Baker Street - formerly Thurmond Street)
- Peachtree CenterPeachtree CenterPeachtree Center is a multi-block neighborhood located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings that make up the district were designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman, Jr.. Many of the buildings are connected by a network of enclosed pedestrian sky bridges...
Avenue- Ivy Street (for pioneer Hardy IvyHardy IvyHardy Ivy is said to be the first person of European descent to permanently settle in what is now the city of Atlanta, GA.By 1821 the last of the Native Americans who held claim to the land east of the Chattahoochee River ceded their land to the state of Georgia in the "Creek Indian Cession of...
)
- Ivy Street (for pioneer Hardy Ivy
- Peachtree StreetPeachtree StreetPeachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
(south of railroad gulch)- Whitehall Street (for the Whitehall Tavern, a tavern/inn established in the 1830s)
- Peachtree Walk
- Centre Street (from 1895 map)
- Piedmont Road
- (Lindbergh/Buckhead area): Plaster's Bridge Road (or Plaster Bridge Road) for Benjamin Plaster who owned land between Piedmont and Peachtree around Lindbergh. Renamed Piedmont around 1915-1920.
- (Midtown area): For the 1895 Cotton States Expo, Plaster's Bridge Road south of 10th street was rerouted to connect to an extension of Calhoun Street from downtown, all of which was renamed Piedmont Road.
- Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard
- Gordon Street (for Civil War general John Brown GordonJohn Brown GordonJohn Brown Gordon was one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted Confederate generals during the American Civil War. After the war, he was a strong opponent of Reconstruction and is thought by some to have been the titular leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia during the late 1860s. A member of the...
)
- Gordon Street (for Civil War general John Brown Gordon
- Ralph McGillRalph McGillRalph Emerson McGill , American journalist, was best known as the anti-segregationist editor and publisher of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper. He won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 1959....
Boulevard (for the Atlanta Constitution publisher who won the Pulitzer Prize for his anti-segregation editorials in 1969)- Forrest Avenue (for Civil War lieutenant general and first Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan Nathan Bedford ForrestNathan Bedford ForrestNathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
)
- Forrest Avenue (for Civil War lieutenant general and first Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan Nathan Bedford Forrest
- Sidney MarcusSidney MarcusSidney J. Marcus was a Georgia legislator from Atlanta's 26th district, now the 106th district, who served in the Georgia General Assembly from 1968 until his death in 1983. He served on several committees: Health and Ecology, on which he was chairman; Ways and Means; and Rules. For several...
Boulevard- Marian Road
- Spring Street (south of Alabama — for Walton Spring)
- Madison Avenue
- Thompson Street (for Dr. Joseph ThompsonJoseph Thompson (doctor)Dr. Joseph Thompson was an early settler of Atlanta, Georgia, hotelier, and real-estate investor.Born to a Pennsylvania-bred family in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, he practiced medicine as a youth...
)
- Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Way (as of May 10, 2010)
- Raymond Street
- Trinity Avenue
- Peters Street (for Richard PetersRichard Peters (Atlanta)Richard Peters was an American railroad man and a founder of Atlanta.Grandson of Judge Richard Peters, Jr...
)
- Peters Street (for Richard Peters
- Washington Street
- South Collins Street
- West Peachtree Street
- Atwood Street (alternative name on 1895 map)
- William Holmes Borders Drive
- Yonge Street
Other street origins
- Baker Street (for Thomas BakerThomas Baker-Australian people:* Thomas Baker , Australian soldier and aviator of the First World War-British people:*Tom Baker , actor who played Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981...
) - Cone Street (for Reuben ConeReuben ConeJudge Reuben Cone was an important pioneer and landowner in Atlanta, Georgia.He was an early pioneer in DeKalb County, Georgia where he married Lucinda Shumate and served on an education committee in 1823.. He began serving as a justice of the inferior court there in February 1825...
) - Ellis Street (for James M. Ellis)