Whitehall Street Retail Historic District, Commercial historic district in downtown Atlanta, United States.
Whitehall Street Retail Historic District is a commercial area in downtown Atlanta containing buildings from multiple periods of architectural history. The neighborhood spans several blocks around Peachtree Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, showcasing structures with varied storefronts and facades from the 1800s and early 1900s.
This area developed as a commercial center in the 1840s when railroad tracks reached Atlanta, triggering rapid growth and construction. The original street grid from 1846 was expanded with Broad Street in 1865 to handle the increasing business activity.
During the 1960s, this area became a gathering place where Black students staged sit-ins at lunch counters and storefronts to protest segregation. Their courageous actions made it a pivotal location in the fight for equal rights and shaped how the city confronted discrimination.
The district is easy to walk through thanks to its wide streets and clear building layout that makes navigation straightforward. You can explore on foot at a leisurely pace while taking in the varied storefronts and architectural details of the buildings.
The clock outside Rich's department store served as a central meeting point for Atlanta residents throughout the twentieth century. Many people used this spot to meet before shopping or gathering with friends.
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