Herndon Home

Infobox_nrhp | name =Herndon Home
nrhp_type = nhl


caption =
location= 587 University Place, NW, Atlanta, Georgia
lat_degrees = 33
lat_minutes = 45
lat_seconds = 29
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 84
long_minutes = 24
long_seconds = 25
long_direction = W
locmapin = Georgia
area =
built =1910
architect= Adrienne McNeil Herndon
architecture= Classical Revival
designated= February 16, 2000cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-1367681433&ResourceType=Building
title=Herndon Home |accessdate=2008-04-24|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = February 16, 2000cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = Private
refnum=00000261

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.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/00000261.pdf National Historic Landmark Nomination: Herndon Home] |32 KB|date=November, 1999 |author=Frank J. J. Miele, John Sprinkle, and Patti Henry |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/00000261.pdf "Accompanying 6 photos, of Herndon and family and of exterior and interior of mansion, from c.1910, c. 1915, 1998"] |32 KB] It had previously been declared a "landmark building exterior" by the city of Atlanta in 1989. [ [http://www.atlantaga.gov/government/urbandesign_herndonhomes.aspx Herndon Home, at City of Atlanta] ]

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.cite web|url=http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/04/20/herndon_0421.html
title=Landmark a victim of tornado |author=Jim Auchmutey |date=2008-04-21| accessdate=2008-04-24|work= |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

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 (try Atlanta Life Insurance Company Building) and the Rucker Building are the other two.(NRHP p.25.)

References

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm NPS page]
* [http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/georgia/atlanta/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654606149 "NYT"/Frommer's]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/atlanta/ Atlanta, Georgia, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]