Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Shotgun Houses
472 - 488 Auburn Avenue
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 8, 2012
1. Shotgun Houses Marker
These duplexes are typical of the houses where Atlanta's blue-collar laborers lived in the early 1900s. The Empire Textile Co. built them for its white mill workers, but they moved out after the 1906 Atlanta race riot, and blacks began renting them. The houses generally are one room wide and up to four rooms deep. They are called "shotgun" houses because the interior and exterior doorways are aligned, so a shot supposedly could be fired through them from front to back. Another theory is that the name comes from the African word "to-gun," which means place of assembly.
[Bottom left photo caption reads]
The militia was called out when whites and blacks clashed in a violent race riot in September 1906.
[Background photo reads]
The backs of the houses hummed with activity as women washed clothes and prepared meals while their children played in the yards.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1906.
Location. 33° 45.334′ N, 84° 22.294′ W. Marker is in Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County
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 the North Atlantic Region, 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: The Home (a few steps from this marker); The Birthplace (a few steps from this marker); Middle-Class Dwelling (within shouting distance of this marker); Fire Station No. 6 (within shouting distance of this marker); Birth Home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Stepping Up (within shouting distance of this marker); Apartment House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Training Ground (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Atlanta.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Historic Fire Station No. 6 (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . .
1. Shotgun house. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 27, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Atlanta Race Riot of 1906. New Georgia Encyclopedia website entry (Submitted on April 24, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 8, 2012
2. Shotgun House and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,590 times since then and 173 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 24, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
