Hotel District in Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Alonzo Herndon 1858-1927
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 14, 2021
1. Alonzo Herndon 1858-1927 Marker
Inscription.
Alonzo Herndon 1858-1927. . Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery in Walton County, Georgia, in 1858. After moving to segregated Atlanta, Herndon opened several barbershops including the upscale Crystal Palace in 1902. In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Headquartered here on Auburn Avenue, it grew into one of the country’s most successful black-owned businesses. A founding member of the National Business League organized by Booker T. Washington in 1900, and of the Niagara Movement (forerunner of the NAACP) organized by W. E. B. Du Bois in 1905, Herndon became noted for his involvement in and support of local organizations devoted to advancing African-American business and community life. One of Atlanta’s most important twentieth-century entrepreneurs, Herndon died in 1927 and is buried in South-View Cemetery.
Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery in Walton County, Georgia, in 1858. After moving to segregated Atlanta, Herndon opened several barbershops including the upscale Crystal Palace in 1902. In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Headquartered here on Auburn Avenue, it grew into one of the country’s most successful black-owned businesses. A founding member of the National Business League organized by Booker T. Washington in 1900, and of the Niagara Movement (forerunner of the NAACP) organized by W. E. B. Du Bois in 1905, Herndon became noted for his involvement in and support of local organizations devoted to advancing African-American business and community life. One of Atlanta’s most important twentieth-century entrepreneurs, Herndon died in 1927 and is buried in South-View Cemetery.
Erected 2017 by the Georgia Historical Society, Georgia State University, Atlanta Student Movement Veterans of the 1960s, and District Two, Atlanta City Council. (Marker Number 60-24.)
33° 45.344′ N, 84° 23.026′ W. Marker is in Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County. It is in the Hotel District. Marker is on Auburn Avenue NE east of Courtland St NE, on the left when traveling east. Located at Georgia State University Centennial Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Auburn Ave, Atlanta GA 30303, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. Alonzo Herndon 1858-1927 Marker at Centennial Hall.
Public domain
3. Alonzo Herndon
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 15, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
