digATL | The Digital Atlanta Portal

Originally built in 1925 as one of the first parking garages in the city, the Ivy Street Garage was renovated and opened to students in 1946. In 1964, it was renamed Kell Hall to honor Wayne S. Kell, the original director of the school. Kell Hall was demolished and replaced with a campus greenway in 2021. On this website, you can browse the collections of digital items gathered, read about Kell Hall’s history, take a virtual tour of the building and contribute your own stories to the project. 

The Flat Rock community in southern DeKalb County, Georgia (just outside Atlanta) is one of the oldest continually-occupied African-American communities in Georgia. Although history shows that many African-American communities in the South were broken apart as former slaves migrated north in search of jobs and a more equitable life, Flat Rock remained an intact community. This was largely due to the efforts of individuals who were able to purchase land and later sell it in small parcels to fellow community members. Proximity—both to ancestors and significant places—is a cross-culturally important component to the creation of a sense of community. Placed on a high peak in DeKalb County, the Flat Rock Cemetery became such a place for the Flat Rock community. It contains burials dating from 1834 (three years prior to the official establishment of the community) through 1959. In the spring of 2008, Johnny Waits, president of the Flat Rock Archive, proposed a project to the members of the Greater Atlanta Archaeological Society (GAAS) involving the clearing and mapping of this historic cemetery. These initial meetings eventually led to the involvement of Georgia State University (GSU). Through the use of a total station, Jeffrey Glover of GSU and his students have been mapping the cemetery and conducting research into its material culture. The objectives of this project include completion of the cemetery map and the subsequent connection of identified graves to the archival data collected by Mr. Waits. These data will be integrated with photographic images of tombstones and material offerings, and will be established on GSU’s geospatial server using ESRI’s ArcServer. These interactive maps will be made accessible to visitors to the Flat Rock archive web site.

Steve Eberhardt photographs the people and events (and animals) around Atlanta, Georgia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Economist, The Nation, and The Guardian. The collection consists of born-digital photographs of marches, demonstrations, and other community events in and around Atlanta from 2014 to 2020. Events include Senator Bernie Sanders at Morehouse College, the Peachtree Road Race, an Atlanta Beltline Lantern parade, the Hindu Festival of Chariots Parade, and numerous Black Lives Matter protests. This collection will continue to grow as more photographs are donated.

Historic District Information Form authored and submitted by GSU Case Studies in Historic Preservation students, Spring 2017. Located partially in the City of Atlanta, DeKalb County and in unincorporated DeKalb County, East Atlanta is a good example of an evolving suburb. In the late 19th and early 20th century the area was an urban neighborhood that relied on the streetcar system and by World War II had evolved into an automobile-reliant suburban. Development progressed from a densely gridded street pattern in the northern portion indicating a traditional urban neighborhood to a curvilinear street pattern in the southern section indicating an automobile-centric suburb. The area includes at least three commercial nodes, a variety of historic houses and community and commercial buildings, a cemetery, a park, a Civil War monument, and five state historic markers.

Design guidelines prepared by graduate students in the Preservation Planning Class of Georgia State University’s Heritage Preservation Program under the direction of Richard Laub and Mary Ann Eaddy, Spring 2011. These guidelines explain and interpret general design criteria in the local preservation ordinance for Decatur, serves as a tool to guide preliminary design decisions, preserves historic character of the area, protects and stabilizes property values, makes suggestions for design appropriateness and provides neighborhood continuity, stability and predictability in assessing future change. The purpose of this report is to provide recommendations that aid in the preservation of the unique architectural and historic character of the city. The recommendations incorporate and revise the Design Supplement to the Decatur Historic Preservation Resource Manual, developed in 1997, the McDonough-Adams-King the Guidelines for MAK district property owners, developed in 2008, and the Historic Resource Survey: Final Report, City of Decatur, Georgia, September 1, 2009, developed in 2009. Students consulted with the Historic Preservation Commission of Decatur to ensure that these revisions accurately reflect the intent of Decatur’s local historic designations and the design review process. We hope that consideration of these recommendations will aid in the preservation of the unique architectural and historic character of the city. The Historic Preservation Planning Class would like to extend its appreciation to Regina Brewer and the entire Decatur Historic Preservation Commission for their support. We would also like to grate fully acknowledge the express help of Laura Drummond, Ken Kocher, Andrew Kohr, and the staff of the DeKalb History Center and Decatur Branch of DeKalb Public Library.

Prepared by the Spring 2006 Preservation Planning Class. These Design Guidelines explain and interpret general design criteria in the local preservation ordinance in Old Decatur, serves as a tool to guide preliminary design decisions, preserves historic character of the area, protects and stabilizes property values, makes suggestions for design appropriateness and provides neighborhood continuity, stability and predictability in assessing future change. The purpose of this report is to provide recommendations that aid in the preservation of the unique architectural and historic character of the city.

Prepared by the Spring of 2013 Case Studies in Historic Preservation class. The Decatur Northwest Residential area is an outstanding representation of early to mid-twentieth century revival house styles. The district has remained consistent to its historic twentieth century layout and context. This Historic District Information Form (HIDF) has been compiled in anticipation of its submission to the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office Review Board. Following approval, it would be sent to the National Parks service for The National Register of Historic Places.

Information form for the historic district known as Kirkwood. Contains Sanborn maps, early plattings of the properties, interviews, as well as historic photographs and newspaper clippings.

Date created:
Spring 2002

The Judge Wilson House, dating from the mid-1850s, was one of six documented antebellum houses left in Atlanta as of 2015. Contains a historical overview of the house, and the existing conditions of the exterior, interior, attic, crawl space, utilities, cemetery and grounds of the home. The purpose of this report is to provide a current assessment of the condition of the structure and to provide recommendations for needed repairs and options for future consideration.

Date created
Fall 1991

Documents the history of radio broadcasting in the state of Georgia over a 50 year period from its inception in 1922 through the 1970s, including Atlanta stations WAOK, WAGA, WQXI, WSB, WKLS, and others. Content and materials included in this exhibit are from the Radio Broadcasting Collections housed in the GSU Library Special Collections and Archives and the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame collections. Originally created October 2013, coinciding with the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame’s 7th Annual Induction and Awards Ceremony.

Located in Midtown between Peachtree Street and Spring Street and constructed from September 1937 to June 1938, Rhodes Center was Atlanta’s first modern shopping center geared towards the automobile. This Historic Structure Report covers the historical significance of the property, conditions of the buildings, planning options for future use, stabilization of the property and on-going maintenance for the future. The purpose of this report is to provide a current assessment of the condition of the structures and to provide recommendations for needed repairs and options for future use.

Date created:
Fall 1990

National Register Nomination Proposal to preserve the neighborhood known as Pittsburgh, located south of Mechanicsville. This traditionally African American neighborhood is bordered by railroad tracks. This resource includes a large map as well as various smaller maps, photographs, and primary sources on the area.

Date created:
Spring 2004