Johnsontown Neighborhood collection

Johnsontown was a low-income African American community located in the Northern region of Atlanta, Georgia. After affluent Whites failed to take interest in the area in the 1890s, African Americans began to consider the region as a prime location for their housing needs due to their employers being located in the adjoining wealthy Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead. In 1912, Columbus and Callie Johnson, an African American couple purchased land on the southside of Railroad Avenue and built their home. A few years later more blacks began to move into the community who currently worked as maids, yardmen, car hops and chauffeurs for the residents in the Buckhead community. The community was mostly self-sufficient containing a grocery store and restaurant, dance hall, church and school. The Carter Elementary School served the residents of the community as well as children from neighbohing communities such as Bagley Park and Willistown. In 1955 the school was closed due to low attendance. Population began to decline in the 1950's due to commercial and residential redevelopment, migration of young adults, and the expansion of public transportion and the availability of homes on the west side. In 1971, after referendum from the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) successfully passed, Johnsontown was earmarked as the site of the MARTA Lenox station and by 1982 demolition of Johnsontown began to make way for the MARTA Lenox station.