VHB helped preserve a nationally significant piece of American history: the King Family Home in Atlanta, Georgia, part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. In partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and architectural partner GWWO, VHB supported a comprehensive effort to rehabilitate the historic residence and prepare it to welcome the public for the first time.
Located in the historic Vine City neighborhood in Atlanta’s Westside, the home is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King raised their four children and where Mrs. King continued to live following Dr. King’s assassination in 1968. It also served as the birthplace of The King Center, founded by Mrs. King in the home’s basement offices. Today, the property remains an essential piece of the story of Dr. King’s life and legacy told throughout the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.
VHB’s multidisciplinary team led concept development, civic engagement, landscape planning, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance to help NPS explore thoughtful, community‑minded alternatives. As part of the planning efforts, VHB led several public meetings, both at the park and at local community centers, to gather input and better understand issues such as visitor transportation to the site, potential parking constraints, neighborhood impacts, air and noise pollution from tour buses, recommended tour group sizes, and opportunities to provide accessible entry into and throughout the home.
“This project requires balancing historic preservation with the realities of an active residential neighborhood,” said Erin Leatherbee, Project Manager at VHB. “Hearing from community members who knew the King family, and who shared how they envision visitors experiencing the site, has been essential in shaping feasible, respectful options.”
Working alongside VHB, GWWO Architects brought deep architectural knowledge to develop accessible solutions that allow visitors to safely and comfortably experience the home. Their approach preserves the site’s significant architectural features and draws on decades of work from culturally significant National Park Service sites.
“GWWO values our partnership with VHB and the NPS and was honored to support the planning effort to tell this important American story and illuminate the life and legacy of Dr. King and his family,” said Isabelle Gizinski of GWWO.
Building on the concept plans developed with VHB and GWWO, the NPS is now in the design phase and looks forward to welcoming the public to the King Family Home.
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