Morris Brown College was founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The oldest individual campus in the Atlanta University complex has belonged to Morris Brown College since 1932. These structures were built in the 19th century:

• Fountain Hall is one of the few remaining buildings designed by Atlanta architect Gottfried L. Norrman. Opened in 1892, the Romanesque Revival building served as an administration building. It is designated a National Historic Landmark and an Atlanta Landmark Building.
• Furber Cottage, a neo-Georgian two-story structure, was built in 1899 as a model home for economics classes. It is a contributing structure in the Atlanta University Center District and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Gaines Hall is the oldest university building on the Atlanta campus. Constructed in 1869, the Italianate building was designed by William H. Parkins, the first architect to practice after the Civil War. It is a contributing structure in the Atlanta University Center District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Financial and accreditation problems continue to threaten the campus.

Photos from October 2014 can be seen here.

 

Update: In the evening of August 20, 2015 a two alarm fire broke out in the historic Gaines Hall, a former dormitory on the Morris Brown campus.  The damage is extensive. Photos of the campus and the damage to Gaines Hall are available on our Facebook page here. Efforts by numerous individuals and organizations in the wake of the fire have resulted in a renewed public interest in the properties, with Mayor Kasim Reed declaring that the city will do all possible to save Gaines Hall. You can read more about the fight to save Gaines Hall in this WABE article.

Listed in 2011, 2007

Address: 643 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive NW Atlanta, GA  30314-4140
Area of City: Southwest of Downtown
Time: 1866-99
Architect/Designer: Gottfried L. Norrman, William H. Parkins