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Donovan Reynolds

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20 May, 22 tweets, 15 min read

History of Underground Atlanta
(a thread)

As we know, Atlanta is a transient city. Many of us that call this city home, aren’t from here.

And personally, I love history.

So going back and exploring the landmarks of our city is interesting to me....and if it’s interesting to you, enjoy this thread...

So 50 years after the colonization of GA, the state legislature began to think about western expansion.

In 1837 they voted to build the “Western & Atlantic Railroad” to open trade w/ the Midwest.

Marthasville (aka Terminus & later Atlanta) was the last stop on the rail line.

By 1839, homes & stores were built there & the settlement grew.

Between 1845 & 1854, rail lines arrived from 4 directions & the rapidly growing town quickly became the hub for the entire Southern US, transporting goods & enslaved people throughout the area.

After the Civil War & Sherman’s March to the sea, Atlanta had to piece its road & rail network back together, which it did, but very haphazardly.

The city grew exponentially after the war due to it still being a rail hub & a place of opportunity for its newly freed population.

The buildings that make Underground were built during Reconstruction b/w 1866 & 1871.

In 1869, the Georgia Freight Depot was completed to replace the 1 destroyed by Sherman's troops in 1864. The depot, which is at the entrance of Underground, is the oldest building in downtown.

[SIDENOTE] The Freight Depot is now an event space, hosting everything from wedding receptions to Travis Scott Super Bowl parties.

By the 1910s, what we know now as “The Gulch”, was plagued by traffic issues from trains, horses, buggies, pedestrians & cars.

(The same way it is now after any Hawks, Falcons or United game!)

The traffic got so bad, the city began building bridges & viaducts over the railways.

[SIDENOTE] This is mainly why we have those weird areas in our city that are built above ground level. They were built over top of railroads.

Places like...

Atlantic Station
Mercedes Benz Stadium
State Farm Arena
Parts of Midtown

In the 1920s, an architect convinced the city to switch the iron bridges w/ a system of concrete ones over all streets in the area.

In 1928 a viaduct was completed, raising St level of Pryor, Central, Wall, & Alabama St by 1 & a half stories, completely covering a 5 block area.

The businesses that had been located at the original street level moved up to what was now the second floor & the new street level.

Some of the old storefronts below were boarded or bricked up and became basement storage, while others became speakeasies during Prohibition. 🤫🍻

Once Prohibition ended, the underground bars were no longer needed.

So for the next 40 years, as Atlanta continued to grow at street level, the 12-acre underground area was completely abandoned and forgotten.

In the 1960’s, the area was rediscovered while doing some construction work.

Like a time capsule, the brickwork, granite archways, wooden posts and gas street lamps were intact and in perfect condition.

Even street trash like gum wrappers & cigarette butts sat undisturbed.

In 1967, 2 GA Tech grads began to plan private development to restore & reopen “the city beneath the city”.

Construction began in Nov of 1968 & finished April of 1969 to much fanfare.

Popular spots included Dante’s, Muhlenbrink’s Saloon, Scarlet O’hara, Pumphouse etc

Rivaling Bourbon St, in 1972, its best year, 3.5 million people visited Underground, which reported $17M in sales.

But as alcohol laws laxxed, the party moved to Buckhead & crime picked up downtown.

MARTA expansion also tore out about 1/3 of Underground & most of its parking.

So Underground was abandoned again by 1980. Many of the areas were occupied by the homeless & some were damaged by arson.

The district was reincarnated as what we know now in 1989, led by Mayor Andrew Young. The returns were promising but some critics felt it had lost its charm.

In 1990, the World of Coke museum opened nearby, which brought a steady stream of tourist to Underground.

But in April 30th 1992, after the Rodney King trial verdict, the area was severely damaged by protesters.

Although the area saw significant attendance during the 1996 Olympics, Underground & the Five Points station were evacuated following the bombing when an abandoned bag was found.

Underground ended the year $6.5 million in the red.

In 2004, in an effort to keep Underground from closing again the city allowed bars to stay open & serve drinks until 4:00AM & patrons were also permitted to take their open alcoholic drinks from bar to bar.

Underground still had issues drawing tourists and locals alike.

Since 2014, there have been plans to redevelop again.

Work has recently progressed under new local owner, Shaneel Lalani.

Some shops are open. There’s a 21 vendor “boutique food hall” coming, reopening of the Masquerade, as well as an LGBT+ friendly showbar & restaurant.

Do you think this next phase for Underground Atlanta will pan out?

Thanks for joining me for another #ThreadThursday

If you enjoyed this thread, give me a follow so you don’t miss out on the next one!

What should we talk about next week in Metro Atlanta history??