Pratt-Pullman Yard

Pratt-Pullman Yard was built in 1904 by Pratt Engineering, a parts manufacturer. In 1917 the plant made munitions to be used by the soldiers in WWI. 

In the mid 20's the site was bought by the Pullman Rail Company and was converted for use as a rail yard. In the late 20's Pullman Yard began hiring black workers in the then segregated south, and quickly became one of the largest employers of African-Americans in the entire United States. 

Pullman lost an anti-trust case in the late 1940's forcing them to scale back operations and sell the property to the State. The Georgia Building Authority used the site in the mid 90's for the short lived New Georgia Railroad, a rail line that took passengers on a scenic rail ride back and forth to Stone Mountain. 

It has been empty ever since.

Hard Knocks, Hard Labor

 Went out with Turtl to visit the ***** school. Here's some fun history on it. I'm going to censor location data.

Originally the property was " ***** Works Camp," established sometime around 1932. This prison camp was first built as a wooden structure that cost around $15,000 and held 125 inmates. However, in 1945 a fire engulfed the structure, killing 1 prisoner. Construction of a new building began, utilizing rocks from the local quarry this time, a less flammable option.

 In 1959, the property changed hands, now controlled by the **** Schools, Inc. This corporation was founded by 22 of the area residents, who wanted to establish a Christian school for their children in the neighborhood. Upon purchasing the property for $125,000 the school began accepting applications for enrollment the same year. Initially starting with grades 1-8, they added a year of high school each of the first four years. The 146 students at **** in 1959 paid $650/each. **** School is still active today, however it moved to another address in ****- its unclear exactly when this move occurred.

The entire property is owned by two entities today. The first building is property of **** county health department. The remaining buildings, as well as the track and field, are owned by a corporation titled the "****, INC". Upon purchase of the property in 2013, the foundation released a statement revealing their plans to transform the property.

The school has never been renovated and is under no active construction. Future plans for the property remain unclear.

Paper and Power

 Known as the old home of a local newspaper, this 5 story structure sits at the heart of downtown.

 Constructed in 1947 for $3 million, it was home to the paper while Ralph McGill served as editor. During this period, the paper's radio station occupied the top floor, while the ground floor was dedicated to retail space. Three years later, the paper was purchased by James C Cox, who merged it with another paper that he owned. The rapidly expanding publication moved out of the building in 1953. Georgia Power moved in two years after.

From 1953-1960, many Atlantans in the metro area would head to the modern building in the heart of downtown to pay their utilities. In 1960, Georgia Power moved to 241 Ralph McGill, leaving the building empty once again. Throughout the next 12 years tenants went in and out of the building, ultimately leaving it empty in 1972.

Many attempts have been made by local preservations to add the building to the National Register of Historic Places, but the city has not been on their side in the process. However, when the building was abandoned in 1972, a bas-relief piece was removed and rehomed in the Georgia World Congress Center Marta Station. The piece was created by a graduate of Georgia Tech, Julian Harris, and measures at 72 feet.

Until recently, the owner of the building was the Georgia Department of Transportation, but in 2017 they sold to Pope & Land & Place Properties. The new owner talked of transforming the property into low cost housing units.

The building sits empty and abandoned today. Covered in VPS panels. A distinct departure from the plans of four years ago.