The Old Inn

Next we bring you an old Inn, which was once the pinnacle of hotel luxury. Built in 1968, it boasted plush carpeted walls, color TVs, and modern décor, in each of its 120 rooms. One staple of the inn was its 5 star restaurant, which received outstanding reviews from nearly all of the guests.  The hotel also featured meeting rooms for up to 125 people and a large heated swimming pool in the front. It closed in 2007, after a major downturn in quality of service and lack of cleanliness.

As we made our way through the shrubs and vines engulfing the base of the 5 story building, it was clear that no one had entered the hotel in quite a while, as there was no blazed path to the entrance. We followed the vines all the way into the bottom floor, they had slowly crept inside, following the light that spilled through the doorway.

Few things were left behind, marks were indented in the carpet where bed frames had rested for decades. All that we found were the occasional "lonely chair" or cheap painting hanging on the wall.

Also left behind were the large, industrial washers and dryers, far to large to remove.

As we made our way upstairs to the top few floors, we found moss growing through the carpets, facilitated by the large windows and leaky roof. Foot prints were few and far between, probably left by squatters and property assessors.

Each room was nearly identical, the only telling differences where the variations of curtains that hung in the windows.

On the top floor we found the old hotel club, featuring a long leather bench seat down one side of the room and a full bar on the other.

After the closing in 2007, the inn has sat vacant, surrounded by and ignored by active businesses, and regularly monitored by police. There are no future plans for this property. 

Thats all folk's! Till next week -- Bloody and Turtl

Rags to Riches

Today we bring you the an old office building, a formidable part of Atlanta’s African American history.  The owner founded the company in 1920; making it the first privately owned African American business in Atlanta.   The company occupied the building until 1980, when they built a new office space, right down the street. This beautiful building has sat unoccupied ever since. Due to its downtown location, there is a heavy presence of squatters, vagrants, and drug abusers.

Old record books can be found stacked in the basement

The owner, who was born a slave, quickly became Atlanta’s first black millionaire; his thriving business opened branches in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. The building was built in 1892, originally a private residence, was converted into offices in 1920. 

A gas heater still hangs below a beautiful gold painted ceiling 

Sadly, the building was full of trash, left behind by the several squatters. Every window was boarded so there was hardly any natural light inside.

The original time clock hangs on a wall, surrounded by scattered papers 

As we made our way through the two-story building, it was hard not to notice the beautiful woodwork around the door frames and hand painted lettering on the glass.  The entryway pictured below contained a fair amount of marble.

The entryway

The deteriorating ceiling

Down in the basement we found a small corridor that led to a utility room.

The corridor

To no surprise, we found that the entire room had been scrapped, leaving only empty breaker boxes behind.

The utility room

Upstairs we found two safes, one locked and one wide open, both too heavy to be saved when the company changed locations.

Safe #1

Safe #2

The only natural light peeked in from this skylight on the second floor.

Skylight

And also, to no surprise, we found plenty of drug paraphernalia.

Needles and spoons

Thats all folk's! Till next week -- Bloody and Turtl

Introducing Abandoned Atlanta

We are here to bring you the side of Atlanta that is hidden from our daily lives. A side filled with fascinating histories and intricate infrastructure. We are here to show you whats below your feet, high in the clouds, and around dark corners. We strive to document these structures for the sake of historical preservation, so that generations from now, people will have a deeper understanding of what came before them. Posts will include photos, histories, and other relevant content regarding the location.  Follow us as we bring you, Abandoned Atlanta.

-Turtl