All posts by Gabriele Griciute

The Past of University Commons

Atlanta Stories

University Commons is a dormitory for Georgia State University students. The dormitory houses approximately 2000 students in the varying 8-12 story building1. Its complex consists of four intertwined buildings with a courtyard in the center. Located in the block made by Piedmont Avenue, Ellis Street, John Wesley Dobbs Avenue, and the split road created by the off ramp of 85/75 South and Jesse Hill Jr Drive, University Commons was built in 2005. That makes this building a fairly recent construction in the area, and it begs the questions:

What was there prior?

Who lived on this lot before the University decided to move the on-campus students into this land?

Before these questions are able to be answered, it is important to note the changes of certain road names as these changes reflect an area that we know today that may not be known in the same way historically. John Wesley Dobbs Avenue was renamed in 1994, with its original name being Houston Street2. The street where the off ramp splits onto Jesse Hill Jr Drive was once called Butler Street, but this change came in 20013. The last change is more so an erasure than a renaming, as the small street that ran through the plot where University Commons now stands, Logan’s Alley, is now not seen in any maps of the area. For the sake of accuracy and attention to the history of the area, we will refer to the past street names rather than the ones that are used in present day. Refer to Map 1 and 2 to understand the general area of the old and new streets. 

Photo depicts Google Maps of current University Commons. Shows the current street names.
Map 1. Google Maps image of current streets surrounding University Commons.4
Image of 1931 Sanborn Fire map. Indicating old road names. Street to left was Butler Street.
Map 2. 1931 Sanborn Fire map. Street to left most side was Butler Street.5

Through this writing, one can follow the history of what once was before University Commons came to be in this area. It is important to note that this plot of land was predominantly owned and lived on by people of color. There were many homes scattered throughout the plot in earlier times, but our focus will be on the news, businesses, stores, churches, etc. that existed here.

Corner of Houston Street and Piedmont Avenue

This image conveys the corner of Piedmont avenue and Houston Street from a 1911 Sanborn map.
Map 3. 1911 Sanborn map depicting where James McDougald’s Drugstore was located. The “S” is the drugstore.

The corner of Houston Street and Piedmont Avenue, which is seen in the bottom left when referring to Map 2, had a very significant change over the years. A key concentration on this corner is plot 124, which gets turned into 170/176. Based on the Atlanta city directories, plot 124 was a corner plot that has been a grocery6, drug store7, and/or convenience store. It had many different workers there and had residents that lived above the shop. One important note to make is that it is known through the 1902-1913 Atlanta City Directory that this plot had a drug store owned by James McDougald8. The importance of this specific drugstore is related to one of the employees that worked there. The employee was John Wesley Dobbs9, who was a civic leader for African American rights in Atlanta10. He would later have Houston street renamed after him.

Image of McDougald's Drug Store from 1912.
McDougald’s Drugstore Advertisement from 191211.

Following James McDougald’s drugstore, the plot 124 appeared to be vacant for a few following years until it became a confectionery12. Within the next few years after that, the plot would change from 124 to 170/176. Eventually, the stores that sat on Houston Street and Piedmont Avenue would soon become a plot for an auto repair garage, as shown on the Sanborn map of 193113. The auto repair shop remained for several years, with a growing parking lot starting to surround it and gradually take over the living spaces of residents that once surrounded plot 124. An aerial map from 199314 shows the corner going from the auto rep building to a parking lot. In 200515, the lot was fully bulldozed and awaiting construction for University Commons.

Corner of Houston Street and Butler Street

Sanborn Map (1911) depicting Gate City School/
Map 4.1911 Sanborn map showing Gate City School16.

Moving toward the bottom right corner of the block, the 1899 Sanborn map17 indicates that there was a school in this area titled Gate City School. Gate City School was built in the 1880s, with its original name being Houston Street School18. Gate City School was known as a school to educate African American students. The plot then became vacant, but eventually it turned into a motor freight terminal1920. In a 1968 aerial, it was seen to be turned into a parking lot21. In 2005, it was bulldozed and awaiting construction for University Commons22. 

Logan’s Alley

As discussed earlier, Logan’s Alley was a street that ran straight through University Commons, but now this street no longer exists. However, there was significance to its existence. This specific street did face a lot of suffering. On July 6, 1888, two officers came into a house on Logan’s Alley and arrested a man named Jack Ward, a black man, for assault with intentions of murder23.

Newspaper article from the Atlanta Constitution (1899) of a black man killed by an officer in Logan Alley

On August 12, 1889, a black man named Charley Knight was killed by an officer named Ed Chanler. Knight was shot by Officer Chanler in the corner of this alleyway24.  On February 18, 1929, an unknown man, presumed to be about 30 years old, was found dead in the alley25. On July 6, 1939, a truck caught on fire and its blast burned a man in Logan’s Alley26. Each of these incidents give insight to the brutality that the street had seen. However, it is also important to note that the street did have instances of community as well. There was a church on Logan’s Alley called the Moses Chapter Baptist Church, which was located on plot 12027. The church was known to be a colored church, and it held funerals for people in the community28. Prior to the church, it seemed to be living suites for people of the community. The Sanborn map also shows that there was a bus station on the northside of Logan’s Alley. Logan’s Alley soon disappeared over time, and it eventually became a parking lot. In 2005, the parking lot was bulldozed and awaiting construction for University Commons29.

Corner of Ellis Street and Butler Street

1931 Sanborn map showing Bethel Baptist Church.
Map 4. 1931 Sanborn map showing Bethel Baptist Church30.

This corner, shown by the top right corner when referring to Map 2, contained various buildings. In the 1899 Sanborn map, it was just dwelling for individuals31.  The 191132 Sanborn map shows that there were stores located there, but unfortunately, no further information could be found about those stores. The stores were still at that time surrounded by dwellings. One of those stores eventually became Bethel Baptist Church33. On September 4, 1932, newspapers showed that Bethel Baptist Church was very popular at the time34.  The corner later became empty and vacant with no buildings standing. The lot faces the same demise as other parts of the area, as it was turned into a parking lot first and then eventually bulldozed for the construction of University Commons35. 

Corner of Piedmont Ave and Ellis Street

Newspaper clipping from Atlanta Constitution in 1949 depicting the death of the watchman in the Excelsior Laundry.
Atlanta Constitution 1949 clipping of Excelsior Laundry watchman.

This corner, located in the northern left corner of the lot, developed buildings a little later than the rest of the property. It first showed signs of a building in a 1930 Sanborn map36. This map showed that there was a laundry facility located in the area as well as a cleaning plant. The corner also had a business called Excelsior Laundry. The Excelsior Laundry on this corner faced some unsettling incidents in its time of operation. On March 6, 1949, a night watchman for the laundry, John Crawley, was found dead in the basement of the laundromat. This was not the first attack he had been victim to37. In more recent history, parts of the laundry building stayed standing until 1993. In 2005, it was bulldozed and awaiting construction for University Commons38. 

Conclusion

Understanding what was at University Commons before the students moved in is important. It can be clearly seen that a lot of people were here before. People lived here, opened up shops, went to church, attended school, and participated in many other daily life activities. There were unfortunate events that were faced by the community and constant reshaping of the area’s uses, but we should never forget those who once were on the same plot of land. Students at Georgia State University should be aware of what was here before them and be able to tell the stories of those who were here prior. Who knows, maybe in the future University Commons will be transformed into a whole different building and someone will need to spread its stories as well.

  1. Community Living Guide-University Commons. (2019). Housing. https://myhousing.gsu.edu/community-living-guide/residence-hall-information/university-commons/ ↩︎
  2. Dobbs, John Wesley | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. (n.d.). Kinginstitute.stanford.edu. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/dobbs-john-wesley ↩︎
  3. Jesse Hill. (n.d.). New Georgia Encyclopedia. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/jesse-hill-1927-2012/ ↩︎
  4. 33°00’00.0″N 45°00’00.0″E · 33.000000, 45.000000. (2019). 33°00’00.0″N 45°00’00.0″E · 33.000000, 45.000000. 33°00’00.0″N 45°00’00.0″E · 33.000000, 45.000000. https://www.google.com/maps/place/33%C2%B045 ↩︎
  5. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1931-1932. ↩︎
  6. Atlanta City Directory, 1892. ↩︎
  7. Atlanta City Directory, 1913. ↩︎
  8. Atlanta City Directory, 1913. ↩︎
  9. Keen, R. (2013, September 24). The John Wesley Dobbs House – History Atlanta. History Atlanta. https://historyatlanta.com/john-wesley-dobbs-house/ ↩︎
  10. John Wesley Dobbs. (n.d.). New Georgia Encyclopedia. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/john-wesley-dobbs-1882-1961/ ↩︎
  11. Display ad 50 — no title.(1912, Nov 07). The Atlanta Constitution (1881-1945), pp. a24. ↩︎
  12. Atlanta City Directory, 1921. ↩︎
  13. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1931-1932.
    ↩︎
  14. Sprawling of Atlanta. 1993 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎
  15. Sprawling of Atlanta. 2005 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎
  16. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 154, 1911-1925.
    ↩︎
  17. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 45, 1899.
    ↩︎
  18. Houston Street School – Digital Library of Georgia. (2025). Usg.edu. https://dlg.usg.edu/record/geh_athpc_1043 ↩︎
  19. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1931-1932.
    ↩︎
  20. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1924-Mar. 1962. ↩︎
  21. Sprawling of Atlanta. 1968 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎
  22. Sprawling of Atlanta. 2005 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎
  23. DARK DEEDS.: ANOTHER QUIET DAY IN THE POLICE CIRCLES. JACK WARD, THE STABBER CAUGHT–SOME HEAVY FINES IMPOSED BY HIS HONOR OTHER CRIMINAL ITEMS. THE CARVER CAPTURED.(1888, Jul 06). The Atlanta Constitution (1881-1945), pp. 5.  ↩︎
  24. KILLED BY AN OFFICER.: CHARLEY KNIGHT SHOT DOWN BY A POLICEMAN. REACHING FOR AN AXE THE NEGRO COMES VERY NEAR OVERCOMING THE PATROHNAN, AND THE LATTER RESORTS TO HIS PISTOL FOR PRECTION.(1889, Aug 12). The Atlanta Constitution (1881-1945), pp. 5. ↩︎
  25. DEAD MAN FOUND IN ATLANTA ALLEY IS NOT IDENTIFIED.(1929, Feb 18). The Atlanta Constitution (1881-1945), pp. 1. ↩︎
  26. TRUCK TANK BLAST BADLY BURNS MAN.(1939, Jul 06). The Atlanta Constitution (1881-1945), pp. 22. ↩︎
  27. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1924-Mar. 1962. ↩︎
  28. (COLORED.).(1944, Nov 19). The Atlanta Constitution (1881-1945), pp. 4. ↩︎
  29. Sprawling of Atlanta. 2005 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎
  30. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1931-1932. ↩︎
  31. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 43, 1899.
    ↩︎
  32. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 178, 1911-1925. ↩︎
  33. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1931-1932. ↩︎
  34. CHURCH NEWS: BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH, BUTLER AND ELLIS STREET.(1932, Sep 04). Atlanta Daily World (1932-), pp. 3A. ↩︎
  35. Sprawling of Atlanta. 2005 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎
  36. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Map 39, 1931-1932.
    ↩︎
  37. Day, night hunt on for slayer of watchman.(1949, Mar 06). The Atlanta Constitution (1946-), pp. 6A. ↩︎
  38. Sprawling of Atlanta. 2005 Aerial Mosaic Layer. (2025). ↩︎