Sparks Hall – Then and Now

Atlanta Stories

At 33 Gilmer Street stands a building called Sparks Hall. It’s been serving as a classroom space for 70 years, but before that, the site had a few different lives. As Atlanta has transformed into a major urban center, the evolution of its buildings reflects broader shifts in the city and civic life. By tracing the roots of Sparks Hall and looking toward its future, we can uncover insights into both the growth of Georgia State University and the changing landscape of Atlanta itself.

Historical Background

Zoomed in image of a Sanborn Fire Insurance Map showing the corner of Gilmer and Courtland where Sparks Hall now lives. You can see some sparse dwellings in the lot.

1892 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 20 showing the block of Gilmer and Courtland Street. The lots that Sparks Hall lives on now can be found in the upper right corner from 27-31 Gilmer Street

In the late 19th century, the lot that now holds Sparks Hall was residential. Ranging from 27 to 31 Gilmer Street at the time, we can find a handful of dwellings on the corner of Gilmer and Courtland1. Considering their proximity to the lumber yards, we can infer that these were working-class homes, either to private homeowners or possibly rented out.

When cross-referencing the 1892 Atlanta City Directory, we find that residents of these lots included individuals like J.L. Sanders and J. E. Lynch, who seems to have lived at 26 Gilmer Street (34 Gilmer Street after 1891) for around 20 years if we follow his name through the directories to 1902 2. By the 1931 Sanborn Map (to the right), however, the landscape had begun to shift. Many of the earlier residences had been replaced or cleared, and auto-related uses such as parking lots and garages had begun to dominate the area, signaling the rising influence of car culture and downtown commercial activity in early 20th-century Atlanta. 3

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from 1931 showing the corner of Gilmer and Courtland Streets where Sparks Hall now lives. Where there were previously dwellings there is now auto parking and a plumbing supply shop.

This transformation from residential to commercial utility mirrors a common urban trajectory in American cities during this period, where proximity to growing downtowns made such neighborhoods prime targets for redevelopment.

20th Century Changes

By the mid-20th century, the character of the Gilmer Street lots had shifted again—this time toward institutional use. As Georgia State College (then the College of Business Administration) began expanding its presence downtown, the land that once held homes and then parking was absorbed into a growing campus footprint. The university needed more classroom space, and by the early 1950s, plans were underway for a new building that would become Sparks Hall.

These changes occurred within the broader context of urban redevelopment and campus planning. As Georgia State expanded downtown, similar redevelopment projects were reshaping nearby neighborhoods, most notably Sweet Auburn, a historically Black business and cultural district4. Urban renewal plans in the mid-20th century led to the demolition of many Black-owned businesses and residences in Sweet Auburn, a pattern seen across American cities where infrastructure and institutional growth displaced communities of color. While framed as progress, GSU’s expansion participated in this larger restructuring of the urban landscape, which often prioritized institutional needs over community preservation.

Newspaper clipping from 1960 on the dedication of Sparks Hall for Dr. George Sparks
Newspaper clipping from 1960 detailing the dedication of Sparks Hall, The Atlanta Constitution5

In 1960, the University named the new building Sparks Hall to honor Dr. George Sparks, who had been president of the university for 29 years, through many moves and changes, including the construction of this building 6.

A photo from the 1964 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives shows students gathered outside Sparks Hall during its early years, suggesting the building quickly became a hub of student life. Alongside classroom use, Sparks Hall and the surrounding area were sites of student protests and sit-ins during the civil rights era, marking it as a physical and political space in the university’s history7. The two photos below are prime examples of Sparks Hall’s presence, taken in 1967 and 1992, respectively8.

A 1964 picture of the front of Sparks Hall. Some people are walking in front and around the building.
Students stand in front of Sparks Hall protesting the dismissal of two political science preofessors. They hold signs reading "I want to take Polit. 424 under Hopkins" and "We protest" and "Georgia State - a progressive college???"
Picture taken of a student protest after two political science professers were dismissed, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 17, 1967
Students conduct a sit-in inside of Sparks Hall in response to a racial slur being written on a trash can by a fraternity member of the school. Students seem to be chanting or yelling with their fists raised.
Picture taken of a sit-in conducted in response to a racial slur being written on a trash can by a fraternity member, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1992

Construction of Sparks Hall

These changes occurred within the broader context of urban redevelopment and campus planning. Georgia State’s early expansion plans included buying up nearby lots on Decatur Street and creating a more unified downtown campus. Later development plans, like the Library Plaza Greenway, proposed the demolition of Sparks Hall to make way for more open space, adding another chapter to the building’s long and layered history.

The construction of Sparks Hall in the early 1960s came at a pivotal moment in Georgia State’s history. As the institution transitioned from a branch of the University of Georgia to the independent Georgia State College (and eventually Georgia State University by 1969)9, there was an urgent need for more classroom space to serve a rapidly expanding student population.

Located on the lots at 29–35 Gilmer Street, Sparks Hall was built to accommodate this growth. The structure marked a clear shift in how the university used space, consolidating what had been parking lots, shops, and earlier residential properties into a purpose-built academic facility. It was one of the earliest major construction projects in what would become a long-term effort to transform downtown Atlanta into a cohesive university campus. Nearby, developments were in progress to add more campus spaces to the area, including the Plaza, or as it is called now, the Campus Greenway. Below is a series of photos from the Georgia State University Library Archives that show the progress on the Library Plaza development1011. The plaza sits between the library to the left and Sparks Hall on the right12.

Phase 1 of GSU's library plaza development. The Library is to the left, with a pedestrian walking area above a parking lot.
Phase 2 of the library plaza development. Construction is underway, same composition as phase one photo with library to the left.
Finished Library Plaza in 1980. There is now some green space and places to sit. Library is to the left and Sparks Hall to the right.

The building’s presence also signaled Georgia State’s increasing influence on the surrounding urban landscape. The university had begun acquiring more property on Decatur Street and nearby blocks, gradually replacing older commercial and residential buildings with institutional infrastructure. Sparks Hall helped anchor this process of change, both symbolically and physically, standing at the heart of the university’s downtown expansion and serving generations of students and faculty.

Future Plans

Today, Sparks Hall continues to serve as one of Georgia State University’s central classroom buildings. With floors full of general-purpose classrooms, administrative offices, and department spaces, it remains a high-use building for undergraduate instruction. Many students, especially those in their first and second years, take core curriculum courses in this building, just as thousands have for the past seven decades. 

This image is a rendering of the future of GSU's campus greenway. Expansions include removal of buildings and adding more green spaces. There are lots of trees and seating, and library is to the right.

Photo from Georgia State University News Hub, rendering of the future of the campus greenway, to the left is where Sparks Hall would be and the right is the Library

However, Sparks Hall’s future is uncertain. As part of the university’s campus greenway redevelopment project, Sparks Hall has been identified for demolition to create a pedestrian plaza that links Hurt Park to the Campus Greenway, providing more of a traditional college campus quad area for students to use13. The goal of this project is to introduce more open space into GSU’s dense urban campus, improving walkability and helping to integrate the campus into the downtown area, while providing more outdoor spaces for students to utilize14. 

While the proposed greenway reflects contemporary design trends and a student-centered vision for public space, it also marks the end of an era for one of GSU’s oldest active buildings. The removal of Sparks Hall would not only change the physical appearance of Gilmer Street but also erase a tangible link to a key period in the university’s growth. Its demolition would be a reminder of how institutional priorities – and the cityscapes they shape – continue to evolve.

The story of Sparks Hall is more than just the history of a single building. It reflects the broader transformation of Georgia State University from a small business college to a major urban institution, mirroring the evolving landscape of downtown Atlanta itself. From 19th-century residential lots to a mid-century academic building to a planned greenspace in the 21st century, the site has continuously adapted to meet ever-changing civic and institutional demands. 

By tracing the change at Sparks Hall, we gain insight into the priorities that have shaped Atlanta’s urban core: the push for modernization, the impacts of institutional expansion, and the tensions of progress. Even as Sparks Hall may be removed from the skyline, its history offers a glimpse into how cities grow, who they serve, and what they choose to remember.

  1. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 20, 1892. ↩︎
  2. Atlanta City Directories, 1881; 1891; 1892; 1896; 1899; 1902 ↩︎
  3. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 14 1931. ↩︎
  4. Wiggins, D. (2022). “Save Auburn Avenue for Our Black Heritage”: Debating Development in Post–Civil Rights Atlanta. Journal of African American History, 107(1), 79–104. https://doi.org/10.1086/717346 ↩︎
  5. Georgia State To Dedicate Sparks Hall. (1960, Nov 15). The Atlanta Constitution (1946-) ↩︎
  6. Georgia State University, Past Presidents, President George M. Sparks https://president.gsu.edu/past-presidents/president-george-m-sparks/ ↩︎
  7. Jackson, Charles D., Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographs, Georgia State College students protesting dismissal of two political science professors, Atlanta, Georgia, May 17, 1967. ↩︎
  8. Karas, Marlene, Atlanta Journal Constitution Photographs, Georgia State University students stage a sit-in at Sparks Hall after a racial slur was written on a campus trash can by a fraternity member, 1992 ↩︎
  9. Georgia State University Library. Research guide: Special Collections and Archives: Georgia State University History: Timeline. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115683&p=754495 ↩︎
  10. Georgia State University Library, Area for Georgia State University Library Plaza [Second Phase], 1970s ↩︎
  11. Georgia State University Library, Construction for Georgia State University Library Plaza, 2nd Phase, July, 1972 ↩︎
  12. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia State University’s Library North, Kell Hall, and Sparks Hall overlooking Library Plaza, 1980 ↩︎
  13. Kroth, M., Creating a True College Town Downtown, Georgia State University Magazine https://news.gsu.edu/magazine/creating-a-true-college-town-downtown ↩︎
  14. Georgia State News Hub, Georgia State Plan Will Transform Atlanta Campus, November 12, 2024 https://news.gsu.edu/2024/11/12/georgia-state-plan-will-transform-atlanta-campus/ ↩︎