Herndon Home Tours and Activities

Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. Herndon studied barbering, and owned and managed a string of barbershops in downtown Atlanta after the Civil War, one of which was considered to be the most elegant in the country with marble floors and chandelier. Investing his income into real estate, Herndon became the largest black property owner in Atlanta by 1900. Later, Herndon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, located in the Sweet Auburn Historic District, and became Atlanta's first black millionaire. The home was primarily designed by Adrienne Herndon, Alonzo's first wife and a teacher at Atlanta University. The couple had one son, Norris. Adrienne died of Addison's disease just three months after the home was completed. In 1912 Alonzo married Jessie Gillespie.

The Herndon home is a two-story, 15-room Beaux Arts mansion built by local black craftsmen. The formally composed building is constructed with multi-colored brick, and features a two-story entry portico supported by Corinthian columns. One-story porches to each side of the building echo this theme in brick piers and wooden capitals. An elliptical fanlight over the main entrance and the balustrade above the full entablature of the building's cornice add a distinctly Georgian Revival flavor to this imposing residence. The Herndon Home is a lasting tribute to the hard work and talent of extraordinary African Americans in Atlanta, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000.
Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. Herndon studied barbering, and owned and managed a string of barbershops in downtown Atlanta after the Civil War, one of which was considered to be the most elegant in the country with marble floors and chandelier. Investing his income into real estate, Herndon became the largest black property owner in Atlanta by 1900. Later, Herndon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, located in the Sweet Auburn Historic District, and became Atlanta's first black millionaire. The home was primarily designed by Adrienne Herndon, Alonzo's first wife and a teacher at Atlanta University. The couple had one son, Norris. Adrienne died of Addison's disease just three months after the home was completed. In 1912 Alonzo married Jessie Gillespie.

The Herndon home is a two-story, 15-room Beaux Arts mansion built by local black craftsmen. The formally composed building is constructed with multi-colored brick, and features a two-story entry portico supported by Corinthian columns. One-story porches to each side of the building echo this theme in brick piers and wooden capitals. An elliptical fanlight over the main entrance and the balustrade above the full entablature of the building's cornice add a distinctly Georgian Revival flavor to this imposing residence. The Herndon Home is a lasting tribute to the hard work and talent of extraordinary African Americans in Atlanta, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000.


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Top Herndon Home Hotel & Accommodation Deals

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

4 out of 5
210 Peachtree St. NW Atlanta GA
The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta
Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown

Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown

4 out of 5
265 Peachtree St NE Atlanta GA
Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown
Hilton Atlanta

Hilton Atlanta

4 out of 5
255 Courtland St NE Atlanta GA
Hilton Atlanta
Reverb by Hard Rock Atlanta Downtown

Reverb by Hard Rock Atlanta Downtown

4 out of 5
89 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. Atlanta GA
Reverb by Hard Rock Atlanta Downtown
Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Atlanta Marriott Marquis

4 out of 5
265 Peachtree Center Ave Ne Atlanta GA
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
The Connally Hotel Downtown Atlanta, an Ascend Collection Hotel

The Connally Hotel Downtown Atlanta, an Ascend Collection Hotel

2.5 out of 5
54 Peachtree St SW Atlanta GA
The Connally Hotel Downtown Atlanta, an Ascend Collection Hotel
Holiday Inn Express and Suites Atlanta Downtown by IHG

Holiday Inn Express and Suites Atlanta Downtown by IHG

2.5 out of 5
111 Cone Street NW Atlanta GA
Holiday Inn Express and Suites Atlanta Downtown by IHG
Signia By Hilton Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center

Signia By Hilton Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center

4 out of 5
159 Northside Dr. NW Atlanta GA
Signia By Hilton Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center
Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park

Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park

4.5 out of 5
190 Marietta St NW Atlanta GA
Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.