The nearly 100-year-old space is now part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / February 23, 2026 / Located on the corner of Auburn Avenue and Hilliard Street, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge, built between 1937 and 1941, is a vital part of Atlanta's history. Through its long-standing partnership with the Trust for Public Land, Georgia-Pacific provided funding and in-kind support to restore the building as a 16,000-square-foot, multi-use space. The building will also be a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, with programming provided by the National Park Service (NPS) later this year.
Georgia-Pacific provided funding to help restore the Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge, which will be a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. Photo Credit: Tom Miller, courtesy of Trust for Public Land.
The lodge is home to the local Prince Hall Masons, a fraternal organization founded in 1775 by former slave and civil rights activist Prince Hall. The Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge was developed by John Wesley Dobbs, a mason who was considered the unofficial mayor of Auburn Avenue. Decades later, his grandson - Maynard Jackson Jr. - became Atlanta's first Black mayor, and the first Black mayor of a major Southern city.
WERD, the first radio station owned and operated by Black Americans in the U.S., operated out of the Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge. Photo Credit: Tom Miller, courtesy of Trust for Public Land.
The lodge became the epicenter for influential Black organizations and the Civil Rights Movement. It was a frequent meeting space for the Atlanta Civic-Political League, a voting-rights organization, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a labor organization. It was the longtime headquarters of Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The building also housed a Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Shoppe, whose owner became America's first self-made female millionaire. In 1948, WERD, the nation's first Black-owned and directed radio station, began broadcasting at the Lodge and offered a rare public venue for black jazz and blues performers during the Jim Crow era, while also playing a key role in helping Dr. King and the SCLC deliver their message.
The lodge is home to the local Prince Hall Masons, a fraternal organization founded in 1775 by former slave and civil rights activist Prince Hall. The Prince Hall Masonic Lodge was built between 1937 and 1941. Photo Credit: Tom Miller, courtesy of Trust for Public Land.
Community enrichment is one of Georgia-Pacific's pillars of philanthropy. We want to ensure that the communities in which we operate, and where our team members live and work, provide educational opportunities and community enrichment as well. With our headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is committed to the area's revitalization and success through supporting projects and initiatives with significant impact on the city's past, present and future. Learn more about our stewardship programs here.
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View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/industrial-and-manufacturing/georgia-pacific-helps-restore-historic-prince-hall-temple-honoring-atl-1139910
