Atlanta, GA

Atlanta on When It Was is 37 addresses and the 57 businesses that have occupied them, the oldest from 1850. 15 are still open today; 42 are gone, and 16 of the buildings themselves have been demolished. Every entry below opens a page with the full history of that address, and the map lets you slide the year and watch the city change.

Start here

Fox Theatre

659 Peachtree Street NE · 1929–present · 4 businesses here

The Fox was designed as a Shriners' temple. When the $2.75 million project ran over budget, the Shriners leased the auditorium to movie mogu…

Manuel's Tavern

602 North Highland Avenue NE · 1956–present

Jimmy Carter announced his 1970 run for governor in this bar, and in 2015 Barack Obama stopped in for a game of darts.

Davison's Department Store

176 Peachtree Street NW · 1927–2003 · 4 businesses here

Equitable Building (1892)

30 Edgewood Avenue SE · 1892–1971 · 2 businesses here

Royal Peacock Club

407 Auburn Avenue NE · 1949–present · 6 businesses here

Oakland Cemetery

248 Oakland Avenue SE · 1850–present

Atlanta started burying its dead on six acres southeast of town in 1850. The cemetery now covers 48 acres and holds about 6,900 Confederate …

The Varsity

61 North Avenue NW · 1928–present

Frank Gordy opened it in 1928 as "The Yellow Jacket," and the North Avenue location grew into the largest drive-in fast-food restaurant in t…

Atlanta Terminal Station

Spring Street at Mitchell Street SW, Atlanta, GA (now the Richard B. Russell Federal Building) · 1905–1972

Atlanta, decade by decade

• 1850s
  1 opened — Oakland CemeterySee the map in 1855 →
• 1860s
  1 opened — Rich's Department StoreSee the map in 1865 →
• 1880s
  1 opened — Ebenezer Baptist Church (Historic Sanctuary)See the map in 1885 →
• 1890s
  4 opened — Equitable Building (1892), Equitable Building, Loew's Grand Theatre, Loew's Grand Theatre (originally DeGive's Grand Opera House)See the map in 1895 →
• 1900s
  9 opened — Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home, Piedmont Hotel, Ponce de Leon Ballpark, Atlanta Carnegie Library, and 5 moreSee the map in 1905 →
• 1910s
  3 opened — Ebenezer Baptist Church, Winecoff Hotel, Georgian Terrace HotelSee the map in 1915 →
• 1920s
  13 opened — Ebenezer Baptist Church (Historic), Auburn Avenue Carnegie Library, Davison's Department Store, Henry Grady Hotel, and 9 moreSee the map in 1925 →
• 1930s
  2 opened — Plaza Theatre, Royal Peacock Club (originally the Top Hat Club)See the map in 1935 →
• 1940s
  7 opened — Royal Peacock Club, The Busy Bee Cafe, Paschal's Restaurant, The Pickrick Restaurant, and 3 moreSee the map in 1945 →
• 1950s
  2 opened — Manuel's Tavern, Heart of Atlanta MotelSee the map in 1955 →
• 1960s
  6 opened — South Bend Pool (Hawkins Community Pool), Georgia Mental Health Institute (Hawkins National Laboratory), Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Clermont Lounge, and 2 moreSee the map in 1965 →
• 1970s
  3 opened — Omni Coliseum, Dante's Down the Hatch, Ann's Snack BarSee the map in 1975 →
• 1980s
  3 opened — Limelight Atlanta, Buckhead Diner, The Gold ClubSee the map in 1985 →

Still here, and gone

By kind of place

Restaurant (12)

The Busy Bee Cafe · Paschal's Restaurant · Dante's Down the Hatch · Majestic Diner · Buckhead Diner · The Varsity · Ann's Snack Bar · The Pickrick Restaurant · and 4 more

Hotel (5)

Henry Grady Hotel · Piedmont Hotel · Winecoff Hotel · Georgian Terrace Hotel · Heart of Atlanta Motel

Office Building (5)

Equitable Building (1892) · Equitable Building · Atlanta Life Insurance Company Building · Rucker Building · Atlanta Daily World Building

Theater (4)

Plaza Theatre · Fox Theatre · Loew's Grand Theatre · Loew's Grand Theatre (originally DeGive's Grand Opera House)

Department Store (3)

Rich's Department Store · Davison's Department Store · Ponce City Market (Sears Building)

Nightclub (3)

Royal Peacock Club · Limelight Atlanta · The Gold Club

Church (3)

Ebenezer Baptist Church (Historic) · Ebenezer Baptist Church · Ebenezer Baptist Church (Historic Sanctuary)

Library (3)

Auburn Avenue Carnegie Library · Atlanta Carnegie Library · Carnegie Library of Atlanta

Every place in Atlanta (37)

• 152 Nassau Street 152 Nassau Street NW · 1923–1930 · 2 businesses
• Aleck's Barbecue Heaven Corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Northside Drive area, Atlanta, GA (exact lot now occupied by a Walmart) · 1942–present
• Ann's Snack Bar 1615 Memorial Drive SE · 1971–2022
• Atlanta Carnegie Library 126 Carnegie Way NW · 1902–1977
• Atlanta Daily World Building 145 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA
• Atlanta Life Insurance Company Building 148 Auburn Avenue · 1920–1980
• Atlanta Terminal Station Spring Street at Mitchell Street SW, Atlanta, GA (now the Richard B. Russell Federal Building) · 1905–1972
• Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium 521 Capitol Avenue SE · 1966–1996
• Buckhead Diner 3073 Piedmont Road NE · 1987–2021 · 2 businesses
• Carnegie Library of Atlanta Forsyth Street at Carnegie Way NW, Atlanta, GA · 1902–1977
• Chick-fil-A (First Restaurant) 2841 Greenbriar Parkway SW · 1967–2023
• Clermont Lounge 650 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE · 1965–present · 5 businesses
• Dante's Down the Hatch 2293 Peachtree Road NE · 1970–2013 · 2 businesses
• Davison's Department Store 176 Peachtree Street NW · 1927–2003 · 4 businesses
• Equitable Building (1892) 30 Edgewood Avenue SE · 1892–1971 · 2 businesses
• Fox Theatre 659 Peachtree Street NE · 1929–present · 4 businesses
• Georgia Mental Health Institute (Hawkins National Laboratory) 1256 Briarcliff Road NE · 1965–1997
• Heart of Atlanta Motel 255 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta, GA · 1956–1976
• Loew's Grand Theatre (originally DeGive's Grand Opera House) 157 Peachtree Street NE (at Forsyth Street), Atlanta, GA · 1893–1978
• Manuel's Tavern 602 North Highland Avenue NE · 1956–present
• Oakland Cemetery 248 Oakland Avenue SE · 1850–present
• Omni Coliseum 100 Techwood Drive NW · 1972–1997
• Paschal's La Carrousel Lounge 830 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW (formerly West Hunter Street), Atlanta, GA · 1960–1996
• Paschal's Restaurant & Motor Hotel (original Hunter Street location) 830 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW (formerly West Hunter Street), Atlanta, GA · 1947–1996
• Pickrick Restaurant 891 Hemphill Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA · 1947–1965
• Ponce de Leon Ballpark (Spiller Field) 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA · 1907–1965
• Rich's Department Store 45 Broad Street · 1867–1991
• Rich's Downtown Department Store 45 Broad Street SW, Atlanta, GA · 1924–1991
• Royal Peacock Club 407 Auburn Avenue NE · 1949–present · 6 businesses
• Royal Peacock Club (originally the Top Hat Club) 186 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 · 1937–present
• Rucker Building Auburn Avenue at Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta, GA · 1904–2001
• South Bend Pool (Hawkins Community Pool) 2000 Lakewood Avenue SE · 1960–present
• Terminal Station 100 Spring Street SW · 1905–1970
• The Busy Bee Cafe 810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW · 1947–present · 2 businesses
• The Pickrick Restaurant 891 Hemphill Avenue NW · 1947–1965
• The Varsity 61 North Avenue NW · 1928–present
• Yates & Milton Drug Store 230 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA · until 1972