Throughout the era of segregation, this building served a dual purpose as well as a theater, the four story structure was the office of many African American professionals of the city including doctors, pharmacists, jewelers, dentists and barbers. Over the years the theater has hosted some of the most influential musicians&nbsp;such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. Morton Theater was later sold in 1973 only for the Morton Theatre Corporation buy the building in 1980. The theater was restored between 1987 and 1993 when it reopened thanks to donations and the support of taxpayers. Many of the leading modern bands and entertainers have performed at the theater, which now serves a diverse community but&nbsp;continues to remain a thriving center of Athens' Black business district.&nbsp;

The Morton Theatre opened in 1910 and was restored thanks to a taxpayer-approved bond initiative that was approved in 1987.

For more information about Black history in Athens, please consider this book by Michael L Thurmond.

Website

More Info

Michael L Thurmond., A story untold: Black men and women in Athens history

Book

Virtual tour and historic and modern photos of the restored theater

Video

Morton Theatre in the New Georgia Encyclopedia

One of the first and possibly the oldest surviving African American-operated theater in the United States, Morton Theater opened in 1910. The theater is named after Monroe Bowers "Pink" Morton, a wealthy African American who contributed greatly to the community of Athens. For many decades, the Morton building was the anchor of the Black entertainment district in Athens--a district that was known as the "Hot Corner" among its patrons and its critics within the Black community of Athens. Mr. Morton owned thirty other buildings and this theater was the largest of all of them. 

Morton Theater 

Director

This short walk starts at the statue of Athena and includes a dozen landmarks and historic buildings in the downtown area before concluding at the arch that serves as the symbolic gateway between the town of Athens and the University of Georgia. The walking tour was made possible by faculty and students in the Department of History at the University of Georgia.

The nine-foot-tall Statue of Athena stands
outside the entrance to Classic Center on N Thomas St. in Athens. In 1993, the Project Athena organization&nbsp;formed to commemorate the upcoming 1996 summer Olympics&nbsp;(for which Athens and the University of Georgia hosted events for soccer, volleyball, and rhythmic gymnastics)1 through public art. Sculptor and curator for Brenau University's art galleries Jean Westmacott received the commission in 1994.2 Westmacott’s plaster cast of Athena went on display at Lyndon House in Athens
in January 1995,3 where the cast remained until the unveiling of the finished
Athena Statue on May 3rd, 1996, two months before the start of the
Olympic Games.4 Project Athena was a privately funded effort, relying on
donations of any amount from the citizens and students of Athens5 to design,
sculpt, and erect the $105,000 statue.6

The Athena Statue was carved from white marble in
Carrera, Italy,7&nbsp;and designed to mimic the classical style often associated with
ancient Greek sculpture. Westmacott modeled Athena after Lara Magzan; Magzan
was Westmacott’s student assistant in Brenau's galleries and is from the Balkans region across the Adriatic Sea from Greece.8&nbsp;At her left side Athena holds a shield decorated with a circular
pattern of olive leaves, and over her right shoulder she
holds a cloak. Westmacott drew inspiration from an ancient Athenian tradition:
“There were two statues of Athena in the Parthenon [in Athens, Greece]. The
smaller statue was the focus of a procession that occurred every four years,
and part of the event was to bring a new ‘peplos’ or cloak to Athena.”9 Therefore, the cloak that was once representative of a gift to
Athena now&nbsp;represents the Athena Statue itself, which is a
gift to the city of Athens (Georgia) from its citizens. The circle of olive
leaves on Athena’s shield “can be interpreted as the Olympic laurel wreath.”10

Athena rests on a pedestal of topaz blue
granite.11 Picture 2 shows that on the surface of the pedestal facing Thomas Street is an oath and its&nbsp;explanation. ” On a lower level of the base is etched “Athena.” On the south face
of the pedestal are inscribed the words “Arts” and “Athletics;” on the eastern
side facing the Classic Center are “Industry,” “Commerce,” and “Agriculture;”
and on the north side are “Wisdom” and “Learning.” 

When the Athena Statue was announced in 1994, response from
the community was mixed. Some opposed the construction of a statue of a pagan goddess.12&nbsp;Others hoped that such a crowd-funded project would serve to unite the community
through public art,13 and still others held no opinion of the statue or didn’t know
much about the project.14 Despite some past opposition, since its unveiling, the Athena
statue has become a symbol for Athens-Clarke County. In August 2016, the Athens-Clarke
County police officers began wearing badges depicting City Hall flanked on either
side by Athena.15 On January 21st, 2017, the Athena Statue became the rallying
point for Athens’s Women’s March, which attracted hundreds of protesters.16

Designed by artist Jean Westmacott, the Athena Statue stands outside the entrance to the Classic Center and commemorates the 1996 Olympic Games. Athena is carved from Italian marble; over one shoulder she holds a cloak and on her other side rests a shield detailed with a circular pattern of olive leaves. The statue rests on a pedestal of topaz blue granite and inscribed with an ancient Athenian oath. Today, the Athena Statue is an important symbol of the community.

The Athena Statue

The creation of the Double-Barreled Cannon has its roots in Athens during the middle of the Civil War. It is a curious cannon that was borne out of the minds of the men left behind during the conflict.
	During the Civil War, many communities across the nation, north and south, were concerned about raids on their towns from enemy forces. Athens was especially worried given its proximity to nearby cities and strategic military points. As a response to that fear, a group called the “Mitchell Thunderbolts” was formed with men who were exempt from serving in the Confederacy and had remained in Athens. Within their ranks was a man named John Gilleland who came up with the idea for the cannon. Gilleland apparently held many occupations from mechanic to amateur actor, and once he had the plans for the cannon finalized, he quickly had it cast at the Athens Foundry. Once the cannon was created, the Mitchell Thunderbolts took it out to field a few miles outside of town to test it.&nbsp;
	The Double-Barreled Cannon’s basic principle is that two cannonballs are attached by a fifty foot chain within the barrels. Once deployed, the tethered cannons would catapult together, taking out the enemy in double time. However, in order for the conceit to work properly, the cannons have to be released at exactly the same time, a feat that could never be achieved in 1863. The Thunderbolts’ test was a complete failure and the cannon was retired immediately. In subsequent years it was declared lost, only to be recovered by the end of the nineteenth century when it was found in a junk shop in Atlanta. The details are murky, but the cannon is accounted for in Athens in 1891, but disappears until 1898 when the city buys it back from the junk shop. Once the City of Athens acquired the cannon, it was placed on the lawn of City Hall.&nbsp;
	The cannon was brought out on special occasions, such as elections or holidays throughout the years. A report from the student run newspaper at the University of Georgia, The Red and Black, in 1936 recounts the story of the last time the Double-Barreled Cannon was ever fired: the cannon had been moved to the middle of the street, when one night a citizen filled it with gunpowder and set it off through the downtown area. This resulted in a significant amount of damage to multiple properties downtown. The city moved the cannon to its currently location, staked it into the ground, and filled the barrels so it could never be fired again.&nbsp;
	The Double-Barreled Cannon has remained at this site ever since as a local curiosity. Perhaps the best summary comes from a writer at the beginning of the twentieth century, stating that “in a time of peace [the gun] has acquired a reputation that it failed to make for itself in a time of war”.&nbsp;

Built in 1863, the Double-Barreled Cannon is the only one of its kind in Georgia, and the country. It was designed to be a game changing weapon during the Civil War. Unfortunately, the cannon never worked properly and the double-barreled cannon was retired before it ever saw battle. It has resided in Athens for well over a century. 


Double-Barreled Cannon

&nbsp; &nbsp; Originally a trading settlement by the name of Cedar Shoals, and positioned along the Oconee River, Athens was not the bustling urban landscape of contemporary times.It was not until January 25 of 1801 that the University of Georgia, chartered in 1785, obtained land for a school campus courtesy of Abraham Baldwin. It was not until 1806 that other municipal buildings were constructed, and the “town of Athens” became “officially incorporated” as a “form of government.”1 The city continued to grow, especially in the years following the American Civil War, which also provided for more improvements to urban infrastructure.2&nbsp; &nbsp; Construction of City Hall began in 1903 when Captain J.W. Barnett “proposed to build it” with “$50,000 realized from the sale of city hall bonds” which the citizens authorized in a vote.3 In 1904, the city of Athens completed its construction on a new City Hall building which was, and still is, “situated on the highest elevation in Downtown Athens.”4 The new building held rooms for most of the elected public officials for the city of Athens, a council chamber, and public restrooms. Originally, the bell was also linked to the city fire alarm, and the eagle atop the bell tower was intended to be a weather vane. The clock, still functioning today, is now electrified though this was not the case before 1943 when the clock “operated with a counterweight system like an old grandfather type clock.”5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;This structure, though renovated to a modern scale, is is still utilized by the modern Athens-Clarke government, which represents the incorporation “of Athens into Clarke County under one governing authority.”6 After the two seats of government were unified by a new charter “adopted by referendum on August 7, 1990” City Hall has been the seat of government for the entire Athens-Clarke County area.7 This was especially true when Gwen O’Looney chose City Hall,"because people [were] used to seeing [City Hall] as a place to come to for services," as her new seat of government when she became the inaugural new Chief Elected Officer of the newly unified Athens-Clarke County district.8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Since then, City Hall has continued to stand as a political symbol of the unity of Athens and Clarke County, and its central position in downtown Athens allows it to continue to serve as a political rallying point for the community. <div> </div>

Located in downtown Athens, the Athens-Clarke County City Hall building is easily identified by its iconic weather vane and clock tower, both of which underwent heavy renovation in 2006. Outside the building is a statue of the ‘Spirit of Athens’ named “Torchlighter,” who stands as a memento of both UGA’s involvement in the 1996 Olympics and as a representation of the city as a whole. Additionally, a dedication to Spanish-American War veterans lies outside City Hall, in remembrance of the Spanish American war veterans at the nineteenth convention to honor the ‘Camps and Auxiliaries of the Department of Georgia.’  

Athens-Clarke County City Hall

The Costa Ice Cream Building was constructed in the early twentieth century. The factory served to provide businesses with wholesale ice cream products, “carrying a moderate stock of crushed fruit, glasses, spoons, straws, malted milk and cocoa,” according to the 1922 issue of the Ice Cream Trade Journal. Prior to the construction of the Costa Ice Cream Building, the entrepreneurial family, led by Joseph Costa, opened the Costa Cafe, a small restaurant with a soda fountain. The included image depicts the Costa family at the 1908 opening of that restaurant which was located on the ground floor of the Southern Mutual Building, presently the Commerce Building, located at 220 College Avenue. According to the National Register Nomination of 1978 for the Athens Downtown Historic District, the ice cream parlor sold “soda fountain delights, candy, cigarettes, and athletic tickets” in addition to the then newly-patented Eskimo Pies, or ice cream sandwiches, for a mere ten cents. Newspaper advertisements included in the Athens Daily Herald described the soda fountain as “the finest ice cream parlor in the South,” and the parlor’s advertised slogan was “Just a little bit better.”Following the success of the Costa Cafe, the family decided to expand. The yellow brick Costa Ice Cream Building was built to manufacture their ice cream. The facilities were described as “one of the largest and most up-to-date ice cream plants in the entire South” in the October 12, 1922 issue of the Athens Daily Herald. The ice cream was described as “deliciously different,” and the factory was highly regarded by food experts as “a marvel of sanitation and cleanliness.” Dean William Tate recalled, “Costa’s—that was a magic word with us students in the 1920s, and with the Athens people, too.” Joseph Costa was also involved with Budwine, the cherry-flavored soft drink founded in Athens, Georgia, and 3 Centa soft drinks. After the family's restaurant in the Southern Mutual Building closed, two family members opened a small restaurant on Broad Street across from Herty Drive. By 1939, Costa’s Ice Cream Building closed.The Costa Ice Cream Building is now home to the Athens Police Department, one of many organizations that have called the building home over the past century. According to the popular Facebook page “Growing up in Athens GA,” there is recollection of the radio station WTFI of Toccoa Falls Institute broadcasting from the top floor of the Costa Ice Cream Building during the early twentieth century. Presently, the brick building, completed with pilasters and jack arches, houses a branch of the Athens Police Department. Although the signage and awnings have been removed, and the Costa Ice Cream company cars once parked outside have been replaced with police cars, the “magic” Dean William Tate speaks of when referring to the factory and its products lives on in the architectural evidence, photographs, and memories.

Now home to the Athens Police Department, the Costa Ice Cream Building was constructed in the early twentieth century by Joseph Costa and family. The Costa family constructed this impressive structure as their factory and headquarters after the rise in popularity of the family’s famous Costa ice cream which they began selling in 1908. The factory produced ice cream for nearly two decades and a visit to this or other retail outlets was a fond memory for  Athens residents and students of the University of Georgia long after the factory closed in 1939. The Costa family was highly regarded in Athens and the southeast for their entrepreneurship, and their establishment was credited as “one of the largest and most up-to-date ice cream plants” in the region. By 1939, the Costa Ice Cream Building was closed, but the “magic” Dean William Tate speaks of when referring to the factory and its products lives on in the architectural evidence, photographs, and memories. 

Costa Ice Cream Building (1908-1939) 

Located at 120 East Washington Street, Ben Epps’ shop
lies at the heart of downtown Athens, GA. The now-faded brick façade was built
in 1907, with a wide garage door yawning into the dirt street to facilitate the
loading and unloading of bicycles and eventually even motorized vehicles.1
Ben Epps was born on February 20, 1888 in Oconee County and raised in Athens,
Georgia. He attended Georgia Tech before moving back to Athens. Ben Epps was an
early adopter of many nascent modes of transportation and technology. He
dedicated his time to repairing bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, and
starting an electrical contracting business all under the same roof.2
Ben Epps dropped out of school to eke a living by working on some of the most
advanced technologies of his time, as his true passion was always the pinnacle achievement of modern transportation—flight.

Ben
Epps is pictured in the 1907 photograph in front of his shop with his first
plane. East Washington Street happens to be the very place that Epps attempted
his first and second flights. A January 3, 1910 article from the Atlanta Georgian and News describes the
scene, writing, “…Pedestrians were astonished to see a white-winged, birdlike
craft gliding down Washington St. The machine is the property of Ben Epp[s].”3
A plaque standing in front of his storefront is dedicated to the site where
Epps built his first airplane, describing it as, “a monoplane with an upright
buggy seat, bicycle wheels, and a 35-foot wingspan powered by a fifteen horsepower
French Anzani engine.”4 Epps would go on to complete his first
successful flight in Lynwood Park in Athens, Georgia.5

Across
the street from the location of his garage is a statue of Ben Epps holding a propeller
blade in his hand. At his feet are illustrations and descriptions of various
aircraft he invented and built throughout his lifetime. Epps went on to form
the Rolfe-Epps Flying Service in 1919, offering flights and lessons.6
Epps died in a plane accident in 1937 at the age of 49. He is the namesake for
Epps Bridge Road and the Athens Ben Epps Airport.

From 1907 to his death in 1937, this building housed the garage where Ben Epps designed and built the first aircraft to fly in the state of Georgia. This shop was also used by Epps for his vehicle repair and electrical contracting businesses. The building is now the site of The Woodford, an Athens bar.

Ben Epps' Garage (1907-1937)

Ben Epps is known by many
to be Georgia's first aviator. He is credited with the first known flight to
take place in Georgia. Epps was an Oconee County native where he opened his
first shop to begin experimenting with planes after he dropped out of college.
Although not discussed often, Epps was one of the pioneers of aviation. He
created many different prototypes of planes and constructed these planes
through the failed efforts of his previous attempts. He died in 1937 in a plane
crash but left behind a legacy that shaped modern aviation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To honor this prestigious man, Athens
constructed a statue of Ben Epps dedicated to him and his works. A committee
who feared Ben Epps legacy&nbsp;would get lost raised roughly fifty-thousand dollars for the project, along with the help of donors.This life-sized statue
was built with bronze and was completed in 2011. The design for the
statue came from a picture of Ben Epps standing in front of an early plane in
the 1920s. It was initially thought that a young Ben Epps would be more
interesting for viewers to see but after many sketches, the committee came to
the conclusion that an older Epps featured with flight cap and goggles looked
the best. 



The statue, which sits
near the intersection of East Washington Street and North Lumpkin Street, is
easily accessible and can be seen from many different angles. It features Ben
Epps holding a plane propeller in one hand and the blueprints to one of his plane
inventions in the other. At the feet of Ben Epps is information about him and
his life as well as descriptions of every plane that he built. The location of
the statue was planned out accordingly so that it sits right across from the
first shop that Ben Epps opened. There is a crosswalk close for visitors who
would also like to see the shop. A historical marker setup in front of the shop
that talks about his first flight and the plane he used that was built in this
shop.&nbsp;Ben Epps is known by many
to be Georgia's first aviator. He is credited with the first known flight to
take place in Georgia. Epps was an Oconee County native where he opened his
first shop to begin experimenting with planes after he dropped out of college.
Although not discussed often, Epps was one of the pioneers of aviation. He
created many different prototypes of planes and constructed these planes
through the failed efforts of his previous attempts. He died in 1937 of a plane
crash but left behind a legacy that shaped modern aviation.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To honor this prestigious man, Athens
constructed a statue of Ben Epps dedicated to him and his works. A committee
who feared Ben Epps would get lost in history along with the help of donors
raised around fifty-thousand dollars for the project. This life-sized statue
was built with bronze and was completed and setup in 2011. The design for the
statue came from a picture of Ben Epps standing in front of an early plane in
the 1920s. It was initially thought that a young Ben Epps would be more
interesting for viewers to see but after many sketches, the committee came to
the conclusion that an older Epps featured with flight cap and goggles looked
the best.&nbsp;Behind&nbsp;the statue is a smoke tree along with ornamental grasses. The creators of the statue intended this&nbsp;to suggest the clouds that Ben Epps flew through on his many flights.&nbsp;

The statue, which sits
near the intersection of East Washington Street and North Lumpkin Street, is
easily accessible and can be seen from many different angles. It features Ben
Epps holding a plane propeller in one hand and the blueprints to one of his plane
inventions in the other. At the feet of Ben Epps is a plague with information about him and
his life as well as descriptions of every plane that he built. The location of
the statue was planned out accordingly so that it sits right across from the
first shop that Ben Epps opened. There is a crosswalk close by for visitors who
would also like to see the shop. A historical marker setup in front of the shop
that describes his first flight and the plane he used that was built in this
shop.&nbsp;

The Ben Epps statue was erected in 2011 to commemorate and honor the achievements of Georgia's first aviator, Ben Epps. He was born an Oconee County native and opened his first shop in Athens. The statue is life-sized and can be found easily at the intersection of East Washington Street and North Lumpkin Street. It sits right across the street from Ben Epps' first shop, which is no longer operational. 

Ben Epps Statue

“Hot Corner” is a historically Black
business district1 located at the intersection of Washington and Hull Streets
in downtown Athens, Georgia.&nbsp;It originated in the early 20th century
and can be linked to the naissance of the Morton Building in 1909. This large,
four-story, brick and&nbsp;marble-faced building complex was the creation of prominent businessman, politician and&nbsp;former
slave Monroe Bowers “Pink” Morton2. It houses the Morton Theater, originally a vaudeville theater which opened in 1910. It&nbsp;was the first of its kind in the United States to
be built, owned, and managed by an African-American2. The Morton Building is
now listed in the National Register of Historic Places3. Over the span of about
three decades4, the theater saw the likes of renowned African-American performers such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith and Cab Calloway5. This
site established a prominent African-American music and entertainment scene in Downtown
Athens that was otherwise non-existent during the Jim Crow era.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;The Morton
Building also housed multiple businesses, historically owned by
Blacks. Such businesses included drugstores, doctors’ offices, barbershops, and
pool halls6 as well as the dentistry practice of Ida Mae Hiram, the first Black
woman to pass the Georgia dental board exams5 and the office of Dr. Blanche
Thompson, Athens’ first Black surgeon7. Athens’ first drugstore owned and
operated by an African-American, E.D Harris Drug Store, opened here
before relocating to the Samaritan Building1, also on Washington street. In
the 1990s, all businesses besides the restored theater left the Morton Building
as it was converted into a complete performing arts facility4. 

&nbsp;

Numerous Black-owned businesses separate
from the Morton Building crowded Hot Corner from the 1950s through the 1970s. Some even considered this district to be the "Mecca" of Northeast Georgia for Black professionals6. Many of these were family businesses. The Manhattan Café, now Manhattan Bar,
was owned and run by the Wade family for decades6. During the early 1960s,
civil rights demonstrators would stop by Hot Corner for free lunch and a safe
place to unwind10. Wilson’s Styling Shop as well as other businesses became gathering
places for the Black community to discuss current events. Politicians and pastors would often stop by to give word about local elections or
other news6. In the late 70s and 80s,&nbsp;many Black-owned businesses at Hot Corner started to move to booming shopping malls outside of downtown6.

&nbsp;

M.C. Wilson and his family made a
particularly lasting impact on Hot Corner. M.C. Wilson, a&nbsp;railroad worker from Madison
County, GA who cut hair as a side job, went into partnership with
Otis Wade in 1963, acquiring the barbershop of Ed Gillum6. This same
building once housed&nbsp;The Athens
Republique5, an independent Black newspaper that was in print from 1919
to 19234. In 1968, Wilson bought the building outright and renamed the
barbershop “Wilson’s Styling Shop,” transforming the establishment into a more
versatile salon for both men and women6. M.C. and his wife Elizabeth opened Wilson’s
Soul Food8, in 1981, purchasing the space adjacent to their hair salon.
The restaurant was open until 2011 and is now the site of The World
Famous12. All the children of M.C. Wilson have been closely involved with
both businesses over the years, including the eldest son Homer Wilson, who
would go on to take over his father’s styling shop in 20089 and to help
found the Hot Corner Association in 20146.

&nbsp;

The Hot Corner Association puts on an
annual festival at the intersection of Washington and Hull streets. Its goal is to celebrate
the contributions of African-American residents to the city of Athens7 and
to promote Black-owned businesses downtown6. This lively event includes gospel and hip-hop music, street vendors, and
soul food11, gathering the community to acknowledge the past and look towards
a future of diversity and entrepreneurship. 

&nbsp;

Located at the intersection of Washington and Hull streets, “Hot Corner” has been an important professional, social, and commercial hub for African-American residents since the mid-20th century. It is centered around the Morton Building, a building complex which houses the prominent Morton Theatre and which has historically housed many Black-owned businesses. Hot Corner has been integral in promoting African-American entrepreneurship in the downtown area. During the 1950s, 60s and 70s especially, Blacks owned or managed the majority of professional practices and family businesses there. Two such establishments, Wilson’s Styling Shop and The Manhattan Cafe, are still in business today. In addition to its economic significance, this district served as a vibrant meeting place for the Black community of Athens and Northeast Georgia for decades.

Hot Corner

The Second Ku Klux Klan came into being on Thanksgiving
night in 1915 in a ceremony atop Stone Mountain in Georgia. Unlike its
post-Civil War cousin, this version of the KKK did not remain confined to the
South, but spread its “Invisible Empire” across the nation and wielded
tremendous political influence. During the 1920s, a third of adult men in
Indiana claimed Klan membership, including large parts of the state’s political
establishment. Rumor had it that President Warren G. Harding held a secret Klan
induction ceremony in the White House. President Woodrow Wilson certainly
screened the pro-Klan “Birth of a Nation” in the White House and heaped praise
on the film. 

During the 1860s and 1870s, the Klan focused its activities
on maintaining African American subjugation in the South in the wake of
abolition. The early twentieth-century reincarnation of the KKK had a broader
approach. In addition to Black Americans, the KKK in the 1910s and 1920s also
targeted Catholics, Jews, trade unionists, political radicals, feminists, and
immigrants. The particular population targeted depended on local demographics.

Like many cities across the United States, a Klan chapter
took root in Athens – Ku Klux Klan Chapter #5. By 1923, the organization
claimed some 300 members in the city. The membership fluctuated between 150 and
300 throughout the 1920s, and their meetings regularly drew attendance of 75-100 people. The Athens
Klan drew its membership largely from the population of white, middle-class men
(women joined the sister organization, the Women of the Ku Klux Klan, which
also had a chapter in Athens). The typical Klansman was middle-aged, married,
and likely a father.&nbsp; The majority of the
Athens Klan supported themselves through clerical work, small businesses, or
skilled trades. 

Churches in Athens were heavily involved in the Klan—either
their pastors were members, or they hosted Klansman during services, or
cooperated with the Klan in evangelization. Reverend M. B. Miller of the First
Christian Church (268 W Dougherty St) served as chapter president, and his
assistant Reverend Jerry Johnson as secretary. The pastor of the West End
Baptist Church also claimed KKK membership. Although never a large part of the
membership, several civic leaders were also Klansmen, including two former
mayors, president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the Kiwanis Club,
the chairman and four members of the Clarke County Democratic executive
committee, a county commissioner, and more.

The Klan in Athens participated in a variety of activities.
They partook in charity work—for those they deemed worthy of receiving aid.
They campaigned to “clean up” Athens and enforced their vision of traditional
morality Through their anti-vice activism, the Athens Klan vaulted into political
power and elected a slate of local candidates in 1924. The Klan also undertook
vigilante action, usually in the form of flogging men and women with leather
straps during the night. Their actions targeted supposed violators of their
code of morality and social hierarchy. Each incident instilled terror in the
targeted population. Although Athens Klansmen may have participated in
lynching, whether or not they did remains obscured, as newspapers universally
reported that these events were carried out by “parties unknown.”

The Athens Klan maintained a number of headquarters in the
city during its existence. Its first headquarters during the early 1920s was
located at 459 ½ Clayton Street. They then moved from downtown to 1336 Prince
Avenue in Normaltown. In the late twenties, they moved back downtown to 133 ½
Clayton Street, right next to the present-day location of the Globe and across
from the Georgia Theater. Although the Klan operated as a secret organization,
the prominent location of their downtown headquarters demonstrates the level of
openness with which they acted. Someone writing a letter could address it to
“Ku Klux Klan, Athens, Ga,” and confidently expect it to arrive at the correct location.

This is the site of the former headquarters of the Athens Ku Klux Klan #5. Active during the 1920s and '30s, the Athens KKK drew a membership of hundreds and broad support from Athens' white community. Along with the nation-wide "Invisible Empire" of the Klan, the Athens chapter promoted anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, and anti-feminist views through rallies, political activity, and vigilantism. The Klan maintained its headquarters at what was then 133 1/2 Clayton Street during the late 1920s and 1930s. The original building is no longer standing.

Athens Ku Klux Klan #5 Headquarters

The original building was Athens’ YMCA from 1889 to 1919, and housed “a music store, movie house, hotel, Masonic Temple, furniture company and Sears Roebuck” according to the theater's official website. Later, in 1935, the building was replaced by the Elite Theatre, which was later renamed the Georgia Theatre. It has been a music venue (except for a brief period where it was used as a Methodist church) since. 	Unfortunately, the Georgia Theatre suffered a fire on June 19, 2009. The theater has since been rebuilt and restored. According to the theater's official site they say that “this historic concert hall has been rebuilt as a labor of love with reverence for the creative spirit that Athens has long embraced. With special thanks to the people of Athens and all who worked so diligently to restore her and make her better, the Georgia Theatre stands proudly reborn.” The theater has operated without issues since, hosting musical acts almost every night of the week since 2011. 	The building &nbsp;features an indoor stage with two levels of standing room, the main floor and two balconies, and a rooftop bar and restaurant. The indoor stage hosts all of the theater's main performers. The rooftop bar is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 am to 2:00 am and the restaurant is open from 11:30 am to 11:00 pm, however these hours can change due to poor weather. The rooftop also features a second stage that also hosts a variety of musical acts. Metered parking is available on the street outside the theater.<div> </div>

The Georgia Theatre is a music venue in downtown Athens Georgia, located at 215 North Lumpkin Street. They describe themselves as a “great place to see a show, have a sandwich, see a view, meet friends, and get your Athens on” on their Facebook page. The venue hosts a variety of musical acts from many different genres and is a huge part of Athens’ music scene.

The Georgia Theatre 

As you take a stroll through Athens today, you may notice the large brick building on Clayton street. The building may be significantly older than the surrounding buildings. The location is the site of the first building built on the south side of East Clayton street. This building is known as the Moss Scott Building, though Athenians do not refer to this building by this name. Instead, individuals who grew up in Athens remember the location as the Otasco building. The changing businesses in this building demonstrate the changes in commerce, transportation, and population in Athens over the past century.&nbsp; Sanborn Fire Insurance company maps record a soda fountain in this location in the map drafted in 1898. The site was the location of a soda fountain, then a barber shop. After 1908, but before 1913 the current structure either replaced or was added on to this building. The architecture appears slightly different than the intended Beaux Arts Classicism style. Typically the Beaux Arts Classicism style features “heavier” masonry decorations. These may include quoin (dressed corner stones), columnns, or rusticated entrances. However, The architecture of the building appears “lighter” than this style. The symmetrical ornamental pieces at the top are not as thick and formal. This suggests that the building received an architectural facelift in the 1920s. The name of the building may refer to John D. Scott who also built the first auditorium in Athens further down on Clayton street.Newspapers from the 19th and early 20th century refer to a building known as the Moss building. Moss, a family name in Athens, may explain the first name to the Moss Scott building. However, Athens directories from 1898 indicate that the Moss building was actually located on 24 E Clayton Street and served as law offices. The Moss Scott building that was a soda fountain was 28 E Clayton street before the numbering system for buildings changed to 164 E Clayton street.&nbsp;Athens directories from 1926-1927 indicate that J.C. Penny’s was in the building for a short time. As the 20th century progressed the rise of the commercial mall replaced homemade goods. J.C. Penny’s moved to the corner and Sterci’s replaced this business. Sterchis as a home-goods store offered furniture, clothing, and automobile assistance. The photo included below shows Sterchis. Crymes, a home, and auto supply store, was the next business in this building. This business would supply the growing American automobile culture of the 1950s. By 1983 Otasco&nbsp;would replace this business. Otasco stands for Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company, so the location continued to function as a auto supply store. In 1984, Otasco was notable as the largest employee-owned companies in America. In 1988, the company filed bankruptcy and closed in 1989. Today, the structure houses Cloud, a bar frequented by college students most Friday nights. This change demonstrates the growth of the University of Georgia for the past decade and how this population change influences the city of Athens. The Moss Scott building is an interesting opportunity to contemplate the influence of classical, commercial, and college culture on the buildings in Athens.&nbsp;

This may be the site of the first building on the south side of East Clayton Street. Originally the site of a soda fountain in 1989, this current building was added after 1908 but before 1913. 

Moss Scott Building

The Commerce Building, also known as the Southern Mutual
Building, is a neoclassical style building located on College Ave in downtown
Athens, Georgia. It was built in 1908 and was considered Athens’ first
skyscraper. The building is also the largest ferro concrete building in the
South. The building was designed by Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley.&nbsp;

The
building was the headquarters for the Southern Mutual Insurance Company from
1908 to 1988. The company had previously operated from a three-story building
on the corner, and that building was moved when construction on the current building began. In 1988
the company moved to its current location on Alps Road. The Costa Family Soda
Fountain called the building home until 1939, when they opened up Costa's Ice
Cream Factory on East Washington Street. Milner, Stephens, &amp; Bentley law
firm moved into the building in 1952 after waiting years for a vacancy and
remained there until 1982. Other businesses to occupy the building include
Georgia National Bank, C&amp;S Bank, and Palmer and Sons Drug Store.

In
2004, the building was purchased by Dr. Fred Moorman, a local dermatologist,
who changed the name to The Fred Building. Today, the building houses
apartments as well as Fred’s Historic Properties, which is also owned by
Moorman. The apartments still contain original fixtures and floors from the
Southern Mutual Company offices. Fred’s Historic Properties manages a number of
apartments around downtown Athens, including the Albon Chase House, which is
one of the oldest mansions in Athens. Albon Chase owned and operated the precursor
for the Athens Banner-Herald, as well as working for the Southern Mutual
Insurance Company.&nbsp;

The Commerce Building is an historic building located in downtown Athens, Georgia. The building was constructed in 1908 as the headquarters of the Southern Mutual Insurance Company. There have been a number of businesses that have called the building home, including the Costa Family Soda Fountain. The building is now owned by a local dermatologist and has been converted into apartments and commercial space. 

Commerce Building

The Confederate Monument in Athens was erected by the Ladies’ Memorial
Association in Athens&nbsp;on May 5, 1871. By this date, there were only eight other
Confederate Monuments in the South, and only one other in the state of Georgia.1&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ladies’ Memorial Associations were by and large responsible
for memorializing the Confederacy throughout the southeastern United States in
the later 19th&nbsp;century. The
responsibilities of the LMA included decorating Confederate graves, moving the
remains of Confederate soldiers to cemeteries, and erecting monuments to their
memory. These local chapters of the greater Ladies’ Memorial Association
sprouted out of the wartime Ladies’ Aid Society.2 Members of this
Society sought to honor their husbands and Confederate soldiers. It became a
woman’s wartime civic duty to support the Confederate cause in any way they
could; more often than not, due to the fact that Confederate Soldiers were 2.5
times more likely to die in uniform than a Union Soldier,3 that
duty looked like finding and burying the remains of soldiers. Thus, when the
war was over, it was only fitting that these Societies would continue to tend
to the graves of soldiers and erect monuments in their respective towns.4
Because many white&nbsp;Southerners believed their&nbsp;cause to be&nbsp;honorable and moral, “homage and
public celebration” are the “only possible outcomes” of memorialization.5

&nbsp;

The monument in Athens was no exception to this idea of
Confederate honor and loyalty.&nbsp;The
LMA put forth a great deal of effort&nbsp;to fundraise for the erection of the monument. According to Augustus Longstreet Hull in his&nbsp;Annals of Athens, private
investments were the sole source of fundraising for the monument.&nbsp;No government
or federal funding, or even federal permission, was dedicated to the Athens
monument, unlike many later monuments.6 From the first
Confederate Memorial Day which took place on May 4, 1866 to the day the
monument was erected in 1871, the LMA in Athens worked tirelessly to fundraise
for the construction of the monument. There were concerts, plays put on by
University Thespian Groups and&nbsp;fairs, all advertised under the banner of&nbsp;“Come
one, come all, and let us raise our monument; let it be reared on high, so our
children’s children may from it learn how our brave ones died”.7
After the monument was instated on the corner of Washington Street and College
Avenue in 1871, even more money needed to be raised for what was written by
University Chancellor Andrew Lipscomb to be inscribed on the monument by a
mason in Augusta. The inscriptions include a poem, a nod to the Ladies’
Memorial Association, and six statements of honoring the Confederate dead. By
1872 and $4,444.44 later, the monument was complete.8&nbsp;

&nbsp;

All businesses and
schools were temporarily closed so that all the citizens of Athens and Clarke
County could take part in a procession and celebration that started at the
University Chapel, made its way to the original site of the monument, and
ended by decorating Confederate graves in the Oconee Cemetery. At both the
unveiling ceremony in 1871 and the inscription ceremony in 1872, speeches were
made. The first speech was made by Albert L. Mitchell, a local Confederate
Veteran. The second speech was made by Alexander Erwin, another Confederate
Veteran who “predicted that the South would rise out of its present low estate
forced upon it by the atrocious Reconstruction policies of the Radicals".9&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Shortly after these processions, life continued in Athens. As cars
became more popular, the location of the Confederate Monument caused it to be
“looked upon more as an impediment than a sentiment”.10&nbsp;Since its instatement, the monument
has been moved twice: firstly a block northward from its original location, and
secondly two and a half blocks southward to its current location of College
Avenue and the middle of Broad Street.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the wake of the monument incident in Charlottesville in 2017,
a city-wide meeting was called to discuss the potential removal of the Confederate
Monument in Athens. However, as of now, there are no real administrative
decisions being made.

The Athens Confederate Monument was erected in 1871 due to the efforts of the Ladies' Memorial Association and the monetary contributions of the Athens and Clarke County citizens. Its inscriptions honor the Confederate dead, its erection was followed by procession and celebration, and its stature and history reflect the greater sentiments of the culture in which it was first instated. The monument currently stands at the corner of College Avenue and Broad Street.

Confederate Monument

When the University of Georgia was chartered in 1785, the land selected for the University&nbsp;was an oak grove. By the time John Milledge and his committee bought this land in 1800, it stood as a barrier&nbsp;between the Native Americans and the White citizens of Georgia. A 36-acre college yard was laid out following this purchase.&nbsp;In 1834, the University decided that the Botanical Gardens it operated on the campus&nbsp;were too expensive. The land from the Botanical Gardens was sold and the funds were meant to be used to provide a proper fence and gate as the entrance to the school. It separated the University land from the city of Athens along Front Street (now Broad Street). The $1,000 from the Botanical Gardens&nbsp;sale lead to a commission the Athens Foundry to forge the iron gate and the Arch in 1856, which were both erected in 1858. In 1946, the Arch was moved back 6 feet and electric lights were added.&nbsp;A famous tradition surrounding the Arch originated in 1909.&nbsp;&nbsp;When Daniel Redfearn first entered the campus as a freshman, he vowed not to walk under the Arch until he had his diploma in hand. A passing faculty member heard his vow and shared it with his class. This started the tradition of students walking around the Arch and not under it until they graduate that is still upheld today.&nbsp;The Arch has also served as a place of political speech. In its history, there have been at least two instances of people being burned in effigy. In 1941, Governor Talmadge was burned in effigy by around 1,500 students when the University of Georgia was discredited due to political interference. Another instance occurred in late 1955. Governor Griffin, a segregationist, demanded that Georgia Tech refuse to participate in the Sugar Bowl due to their opponent, the Pittsburg Panthers, having an African-American player (Bobby Grier) on their team. Georgia Tech’s president and many Tech students protested Griffin’s demand. The students at the University of Georgia also protested. They had a banner that stated “For Once, We’re for Tech” and planned to burn Griffin in effigy. However, before they could set the effigy on fire, President Tate of the University of Georgia confiscated it. In addition, when political speech was banned from the campus in 1942, the city of Athens allowed students to build a platform six inches from campus directly in front of the Arch in order for Ellis Arnall, a candidate in the race for governor of Georgia, to give a speech. In more recent history, the Arch was a site where people placed items in remembrance and in mourning following the terrorist attacks on 9/11.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many of these items are stored within the Special Collections Library on Hull Street.&nbsp;

The Arch is the symbolic entrance to the University of Georgia. It separates the city of Athens from the campus of the university. The Arch is modeled after the Georgia State seal, which was adopted in 1799, and was erected in 1858. It’s three columnns stand for Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation. 


Downtown Athens Georgia Walking Tour

Morton Theater

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information