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‘It would be a travesty’: Petitions to save historic Atlanta building from demolition

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Published  December 13, 2023 10:55pm EST
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Historic Chastain Park building may be demolished

The fight to save the historic, 112-year-old Gresham Building in Gresham Park, is on. The Galloway School is considering demolishing the building as alumni and several historic organizations are stepping in to try and stop it.

ATLANTA - Community members and alumni of the Galloway School are rallying to save a historic landmark.

The school is considering tearing down the 112-year-old Gresham Building, and now a petition to get them to reconsider has neared 500 signatures.

It once served as a whites-only almshouse or homeless shelter for residents of Fulton County.

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Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park. (FOX 5)

After it became a school in the late 60s, notable alumni who have passed through those halls have included Martin Luther King III. He enrolled there after his dad’s assassination.

"It would be just a travesty to see it torn down," said David Finehirsch, class of ’88. "This [building] has a lasting impact on me personally. I’m an architect and developer and I can’t imagine I would become that had I not attended the school in that building."

Alumnus Bruce Johnson, class of ’76, was one of the originals.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park. (FOX 5)

Now, the Buckhead resident is fighting to save the building he once learned in.

"I started there when I was like in late elementary school," Johnson said. "It’s a community landmark, it’s been recognized by the National Register [of Historic Places] as a significant structure."

It received that designation in 2014.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park. (FOX 5)

The Saporta Report reported in late November historical organizations like the Atlanta Preservation Center and the Buckhead Heritage Society also objected to its demolition. 

The report added that the proposal has been put on hold until at least January during "ongoing neighborhood discussions."

Several requests for comment from the Galloway School leadership went unreturned Wednesday.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park.

Many are rallying around to save the historic Gresham Building in Chastain Park. (Supplied)

This group of alumni wants to see how much it would take to just renovate the current building.

"A proper study needs to take place to see what the real cost impact is on whether a solution can be come up with that saves the building.," Finehirsch said.