Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

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Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)

Location:	Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Coordinates:	33°45′19″N, 84°22′16″W
Area:	34.47 acres (13.04 federal) 0.139 km²
Established:	October 10, 1980
Total Visitation:	624,848 (in 2005)
Governing body:	National Park Service

Interior of Ebenezer Baptist Church, view from behind the pulpit.

King's tomb is located on the grounds of the King Center

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site consists of several buildings surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn district of Atlanta, Georgia. Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King and his father Martin Luther King, Sr. pastored, is also part of the national historic site.

The MLK National Historic Site honors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The area was designated a National Historic Landmark district on May 5, 1977. The site became a national historic site on October 10, 1980 and is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). In total, the buildings included in the site make up 35 acres (0.14 km²). The visitor center contains a museum that chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement and King's role in the movement. Fire Station No. 6, a firehouse built in 1894, contains a gift shop and an exhibit on desegregation in the Atlanta Fire Department.

Annual events surrounding Martin Luther King Day in January typically draw large crowds. Speakers have included Presidents of the United States, national and local politicians, and civil rights leaders. Remembrances are also held on the anniversary of King's April 4, 1968 assassination.

1 Birth home
2 Ebenezer Baptist Church
3 King Center
4 Reference
5 External links

[edit] Birth home

Free tours of King's boyhood home at 501 Auburn Avenue are led by NPS rangers and are available by reservation at the visitor center (tours begin at the fire station). The house, built in 1895, was King's home for twelve years from his birth (January 15, 1929) while his family was living with his maternal grandmother.

[edit] Ebenezer Baptist Church

When not used for special events, Ebenezer Baptist Church is open to the public for self-guided tours. Martin Luther King, Jr. was baptized in this church and later was assistant pastor to his father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr., Senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, from 1960 to 1968. His funeral was also held at Ebenezer Baptist. Although the Baptist congregation moved to a new sanctuary across the street, the historic church is used occasionally for special services. The NPS, which holds a long-term lease on the building, is planning to begin preservation work on the church in early 2006.

[edit] King Center

Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, a nonprofit agency dedicated to achieving the goals of Dr. King, housed in Freedom Hall, is located across Auburn Avenue from the NPS visitor center. The King Center was established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King. Martin Luther King Jr.'s gravesite and a reflecting pool are also located next to Freedom Hall. Mrs. King was interred with her husband on February 7, 2006.

As of 2006, the King Center is a privately owned inholding within the authorized boundaries of the national historic site. However, there is debate within the King family on whether it should remain so or be sold to the NPS.