Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Harper House
535 Auburn Avenue
| | Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site | |
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 20, 2021
1. Harper House Marker
Charles Lincoln Harper, who lived here from 1891 to 1945, worked tirelessly as an educator and civic leader to overturn Atlanta's segregationist policies. As principal of Booker T. Washington High School, which Martin Luther King, Jr., attended, Harper instituted numerous vocational and college-prep courses designed to improve the lives of blacks. He later served as the first executive secretary of the black Georgia Teachers and Education Association and as president of the Atlanta NAACP chapter.
Mr. C.L. Harper was a tremendous principal. He was always trying to find some activity so that he could meet the needs and challenge active boys and girls. Pearlie Dove
Captions:
[Top] Charles and Carrie Bell Nichols Harper and their children, Mae Earline and William Nicholas, in the 1920s.
[Bottom] Harper (circled) and members of the Booker T. Washington High School faculty, 1924.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
Location. 33° 45.325′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Neighborhood Transformed (a few steps from this marker); Nowell Family House (a few steps from this marker); Bryant Preparatory Institute (a few steps from this marker); A Relaxing Atmosphere (within shouting distance of this marker); Bryant-Graves House
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 20, 2021
2. Harper House Marker
Regarding Harper House. An Atlanta high school and an elementary school have been named in his honor. There is also a life-size statue of him in an Atlanta city park.
Photographed by Atlanta Public Schools
3. Charles Lincoln Harper (1877-1955)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,750 times since then and 100 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 21, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2, 3. submitted on November 22, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
