Herndon Home facts for kids
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Herndon Home
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 Location in Atlanta
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | 587 University Place, NW, Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Adrienne McNeil Herndon |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000261 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 16, 2000 |
| Designated NHL | February 16, 2000 |
The Herndon Home is a special historic house in Atlanta, Georgia. It's also a historic house museum and a National Historic Landmark. This beautiful mansion was the home of Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927). He had an amazing "rags-to-riches" story. Alonzo was born into slavery. But he grew up to become Atlanta's first black millionaire. He achieved this by starting and leading the Atlanta Life Insurance Company.
His wife, Adrienne, designed the house. What's truly remarkable is that almost all the construction work was done by African-American workers. The house was named a National Historic Landmark in 2000. Before that, in 1989, the city of Atlanta called it a "landmark building exterior."
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A Special Home with a Story
The Herndon Home is in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood. It's right next to the campus of Morris Brown College. The house is a two-story building made of brick. It has a flat roof with a fancy railing around it. There are porches on the sides of the house.
Grand Entrance and Design
The front of the house has a huge, impressive entrance. It's supported by large, paired columns. The main door has wide side windows and a semi-oval window above it. All the windows have cool etched designs. The top of the building has decorative moldings. The flat roof was designed to be an open terrace.
The inside of the house is very detailed. It has original wood, stone, and plaster. The main living rooms even have murals on the walls. These murals show important moments from the Herndon family's history.
Built with Vision
Alonzo and Adrienne Herndon built this house in 1910. Adrienne, who was a drama teacher at Atlanta University, designed much of the building. She planned the rooftop terrace as a place for performances. From the terrace, you could see the university campus. It's important to know that almost all the work on the mansion was done by African-American builders. This included everything except the electrical and plumbing systems.
Alonzo Herndon's Amazing Journey
Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery in 1858. He became free as a child after the American Civil War. Even though he started with almost nothing, Herndon built a successful chain of barbershops in Atlanta.
Founding Atlanta Life
In 1905, Alonzo Herndon started the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. This company grew to be the largest African-American-owned insurance company in the country. It was this success that made him a millionaire. Alonzo's son, Norris, continued to run Atlanta Life after his father. He led the company until his own death in 1955.
The Herndon Foundation
Today, the Herndon Home is owned by a group called the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation. This nonprofit organization has been taking care of the home since 1983. You can visit the home and take tours to learn more about its history. The foundation also helps support new businesses and ideas.
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