Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park Expands to Include Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and Temple
Trust for Public Land, Prince Hall Masonic Lodge Leaders and the National Park Service Celebrate Final Step in Effort to Renovate and Permanently Protect a Cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement
Atlanta, GA — February 11, 2026 – Today, Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced the expansion of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park with the addition of the historic Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and Temple (the Lodge). TPL, Prince Hall Mason Lodge leadership, the National Park Service (NPS), community leaders, and elected officials hosted an official ribbon cutting to celebrate the formal inclusion of the Lodge in the National Historical Park.
“This important moment represents the power of partnership, persistence, and community leadership,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, President and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “For years, this building stood at risk of being lost, even as it held the stories of Dr. King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and generations of Civil Rights Leadership who shaped our nation. Today, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple is protected forever and soon will become part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Park, ensuring that future generations can learn from and be inspired by the history and legacy enshrined in these walls.”
Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge will open to the public with programming by NPS in the Spring of 2026. The milestone stems from a nearly decade-long effort to restore, protect, and preserve one of the most significant and endangered sites connected to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work.
“The Masons serve as a driver of progress in the Black community, and the re-opening of the renovated Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and Temple exemplifies the advancement of our people,” said Prince Hall Grand Master, Primus James. “This space will continue to serve as a gathering place for Black civic, labor and cultural organizations, the way it has for over eighty years. Its addition to the National Historical Park deepens the public’s understanding of Dr. King’s impact while preserving a beloved, Black-led institution.”
“This lodge is a sacred space. Our mission is to ensure it continues to serve the community — not simply as a museum, but as a living, working place of historic and cultural significance,” said Edward W. Bowen, Legal Advisor to the Prince Hall Masons and strategic advisor for the restoration project.
Located along Auburn Avenue, Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge played a central role in the Civil Rights Movement. It was the longtime headquarters of Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and gathering place for several influential Black organizations. Before this undertaking, the Atlanta History Center had identified the Lodge as one of the two most historically significant, unprotected buildings in metro Atlanta.
“Prince Hall Masonic Lodge stands as a pillar of Black civic leadership, civil rights activism, and community uplift. Today we honor not just the reopening of a building, but the revival of a legacy that has shaped this community, this nation, and the world,” said Martin Luther King III, Fourth President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “My father once led the SCLC from a small office within these walls — a space that helped change the course of history. Following his path was never a question for me. This lodge, and the giants who walked its halls, formed the village that helped raise me and inspired my own commitment to justice and service.”
Trust for Public Land worked closely with the Prince Hall Masons, the National Park Service, philanthropic partners, and local leaders to secure the funding, restoration, and federal transfer needed to permanently protect the building. The project renovated and restored the structure while preparing it for public access, interpretation, and educational use.
“We are honored to incorporate the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and Temple into the Martin Luther King National Historical Park and Preservation District,” said Reginald Chapple, Superintendent, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District. “The park remains committed to working with the King family, the Masons, Eastern Stars, and partners to preserve the Sweet Auburn community and share the legacy of Dr. King in the neighborhood that shaped him and his philosophies. This addition to the park preserves an important component of Dr. King’s story, as well as the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.”
The Lodge used to be a frequent meeting location for important African American organizations, including the Atlanta Civic-Political League, a voting-rights organization, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a labor organization. It was also the home of a Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Shoppe, whose owner became America’s first self-made female millionaire. Furthermore, in 1948, WERD, the nation’s first Black-owned and directed radio station, began broadcasting at the Lodge and offered a rare public venue for black jazz and blues performers during the Jim Crow era, while also playing a key role in helping Dr. King and the SCLC deliver their message.
“I’ve always thought the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge to be one of the most important buildings in Atlanta. Few buildings hold such a remarkable concentration of leaders, movements, and stories that have shaped our city. To see it saved, restored, and ready for the future makes me proud—not just as a preservationist, but as an Atlantan,” said Atlanta History Center President and CEO Sheffield Hale.
As part of the restoration and conservation of the Lodge, the Atlanta History Center partnered with the Masons to catalog the papers and other artifacts that were located within the Lodge. Meanwhile, NPS is requesting extensive oral histories with community members, family, and friends who played important roles with the SCLC headquarters and WERD Radio.
“Auburn Avenue is special to Atlanta – a place where Black leadership, culture and courage shaped this city and our nation,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “The Prince Hall Masonic Temple is another cornerstone of that legacy. Preserving this building honors our history, strengthens Sweet Auburn, and invests in our future. The City of Atlanta is proud to have been a partner in this project, ensuring this landmark is forever protected and included in the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.”
The restoration and permanent protection of the Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge were made possible through an African American Civil Rights grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, along with generous private support from the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and other philanthropic partners, as well as state and local funding.
Today’s announcement is the second completed project from TPL’s Alliance for Civil Rights Historic Sites program, building upon the opening of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in 2023. Through the Alliance, TPL formally partners with NPS and others to activate and open Black historic sites in the South. The Alliance is part of TPL’s Black History and Culture Initiative.
Conserving sites of significance to Black culture and history has long been a part of TPL’s work of protecting land and creating parks, with community always at the center. From the Nicodemus National Historic Site in the Kansas Plains to Pullman National Monument in Chicago, TPL, NPS, and supporters have helped preserve and create public access to the historic buildings and outdoor spaces that tell the complete story of life in America. However, of the 95,000 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, only 3 percent focus on the experiences of Black Americans. More work needs to be done and TPL hopes to help continue leading those efforts with communities across the country.
To learn more about Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge’s renovations and permanent protection, and to support Trust for Public Land please visit www.tpl.org/.
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About Trust for Public Land:
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org
About Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District:
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park preserves and protects the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The site specifically interprets where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried. Major historic resources within the site include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Home, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the King Family Home in Vine City, Historic Fire Station #6 and numerous historic properties in the preservation district. The park provides interpretive programs, education, exhibits, and events that are free and open to the public Monday – Sunday (daily) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
About the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia:
Founded in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia, Free and Accepted Masons traces its origins to the leadership of Rev. James M. Simms, a Baptist minister and free man from Savannah, Georgia. Having been made a Mason in Boston, Rev. Simms returned to Georgia after the war and, on February 4, 1866, established Eureka Lodge No. 1 in Savannah. That same year, Hilton Lodge No. 13 was formed in Savannah, and Banneker Lodge No. 38 was established in Augusta, together laying the foundation for Prince Hall Freemasonry in the state. On June 24, 1870, these lodges convened in Savannah, where Rev. Simms organized the Grand Lodge and was elected its first Grand Master. Incorporated in 1890 and renamed in 1950, the Grand Lodge has since chartered more than 500 lodges and served over 20,000 members statewide. Despite periods of hardship, the jurisdiction remains strong and growing, guided by a spirit of peace and harmony. Today, the Grand Lodge stands as the largest fraternal organization in Georgia, with more than 150 years of history dedicated to benevolence, intellectual development, and mutual respect. Rooted in the principles of Brotherly Love, Faith, and Charity, it seeks to unite men of diverse backgrounds into a harmonious and purposeful community.
