This mystery photo might be a house along a street about anywhere in the country. Pinpoint this house and tell us its history. Send your thoughts to ebrack2@gmail.com.
What we thought would be an easy mystery turned out to be recognized by five readers. Fran Worrell of Lawrenceville wrote: “This is a tough one, but I think it’s the entrance to the visitor center at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in downtown Atlanta.
“The Martin Luther King National Historical Park was originally established by the U.S. Congress in 1980 to protect the places where MLK, Jr. was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried and to educate future generations about the life experiences and significance of one of the most influential men of the 20th century. The park consists of around 39 acres, 14 of which are federally owned. In addition, the park manages 38 historic structures, most of which were built between 1890 and 1910. The park hosts approximately 700,000 to more than 1 million visitors annual who want to learn more about MLK Jr. The site is open year-round, and no entrance fee or pass is required.”
Then Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas added, “Today’s mystery photo is of the main entrance, shown from the side, of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Visitor Center, located at 450 Auburn Ave in Atlanta. The historic park consists of several buildings surrounding MLK Jr.’s (1929–1968) boyhood home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where both Dr. MLK Jr. and his father, MLK Sr. (1899–1984), were pastors.
“After his death, his wife of 15 years, Coretta Scott King (1927–2006), began working to preserve his legacy. Her first major achievement toward that goal was the establishment of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (more commonly known as the King Center), near his birth home on Auburn Avenue. It was established just months after Dr. King’s assassination and was first opened to the public in 1970. Throughout the 1970s, she continually pushed for federal recognition and preservation of the surrounding neighborhood, leading Congress in 1980 to designate the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and establish one of the most significant landmarks in the United States honoring the life and legacy of the civil rights leader.”
The photo came from George Graf of Palmyra, Va, when he visited in the Atlanta area several years ago. Regulars recognizing the photo were Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; and Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill.
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
