Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge

The Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge building is most famous for housing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference for four decades. Built in 1940 by John Wesley Dobbs, the building retains its original character due to its uninterrupted use and maintenance by Masonic leadership, but over the years it fell into disrepair and was at risk of being lost. The Atlanta History Center identified the building as one of the two most historically significant, unprotected buildings in metro Atlanta.

In 2026, Trust for Public Land completed efforts with the leadership of the Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge to restore and conserve the building and incorporate it into Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Park. This addition to the Park’s existing destinations will create a more immersive and comprehensive historical experience.

In addition to the significance tied to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and SLCC, the building was 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. And in 1948, WERD, the nation’s first Black-owned and directed radio station, began broadcasting there and offered a rare public venue for black jazz and blues performers during the Jim Crow era but also played a key role in helping Dr. King and SLCC deliver their message.

Nationwide, TPL has partnered with the National Park Service and others, to restore sites like Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge to tell the vivid and honest history of America’s failures and triumphs in the struggle for civil rights. But 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 will continue leading those efforts hand-in-hand with communities across the country.