A Legacy of Healing and Fellowship at 2391 Benjamin E. Mays Drive

Introduction: The Evolution of a Commercial Anchor

The commercial district of Cascade Heights is defined by buildings that have continually adapted to serve the shifting needs of Southwest Atlanta. Located at 2391 Benjamin E. Mays Drive (formerly Sewell Road), the simplistic brick structure known today as the McGhee King Building stands as a prime example of this evolution. Originally constructed in 1962 to serve the dual purposes of a professional medical center and a white Masonic lodge, the building’s history perfectly encapsulates the demographic transition of the corridor. As the neighborhood integrated, the building evolved into a vital federal and philanthropic anchor for the incoming Black professional class. Today, it serves as the headquarters for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, honoring the legacy of two pioneering Black physicians and providing critical educational support to the community.

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Chapter 1: The Battle Hill Lodge and the Vote to Move

The origins of the building at 2391 Sewell Road [now Benjamin E. Mays Drive] date back to the early 1960s, driven by the ambitions of a local fraternal organization. For years, the Battle Hill Lodge No. 523 F. & A. M. had held its stated communications at 840 Gordon Street S.W., the same building that had once housed the medical and political offices of Fulton County Commissioner Dr. Charles R. Adams.^[1] Seeking to upgrade their facilities and capitalize on the booming suburban expansion to the west, the lodge members looked toward the Cascade corridor.

The decision to relocate was formalized in the summer of 1962. In the June 23, 1962, edition of The Atlanta Constitution, the tiny print at the bottom of the Battle Hill Lodge notice explicitly instructed its members: “Vote on moving to Cascade Heights.”^[2] The vote was successful, and the lodge immediately initiated a massive construction project.

In September 1962, the local press announced that a “New Medical Building Here Under Way.”^[3] The project was spearheaded by the Battle Hill Lodge Building Corp. Constructed by builder E.C. Long, the two-story, air-conditioned brick building was designed with a highly specific, dual-use floor plan. The ground floor was dedicated entirely to commerce and health, featuring fourteen individual office suites designed specifically for doctors, dentists, and other professional tenants.^[4] The second floor was reserved as a private sanctuary for the white fraternal order, housing the lodge rooms and a large dining room for the Masons.^[5] To accommodate the anticipated influx of patients and lodge members, the property was paved with a parking area capable of holding sixty cars.^[6]

Architecturally, the building reflected the utilitarian, midcentury aesthetic of the era. The rectangular structure featured a flat roof and a simplistic brick exterior. The centrally located entrance was defined by double metal and glass doors flanked by metal side lights. Above the entrance, two rectangular decorative brick panels were flanked by tall, narrow window bands, a motif repeated on either end of the front facade.^[7]

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Chapter 2: The Vote to Flee and the Federal Hub

The white fraternal order’s tenure in Cascade Heights was remarkably brief. As the demographics of the surrounding Audubon Forest and Cascade Heights neighborhoods transitioned in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the lodge members grew increasingly disconnected from the community they had just moved into. The culmination of this institutional white flight was quietly published in the summer of 1971.

“In the July 20 and August 3, 1971, editions of The Atlanta Constitution, the Lodge Notice for Battle Hill Lodge No. 523 F. & A. M. appeared as usual, but the final line of the tiny print revealed the lodge’s ultimate intention: ‘Vote on moving to Lithia Springs.’”^[8], ^[9]

Just nine years after voting to move into the neighborhood, the Masons voted to abandon it, retreating to the exurbs of Douglas County. Their departure left the building available for a new era of ownership, perfectly setting the stage for Black professionals to claim the space.

The transition was immediate. By September 1971, the facility was heavily marketed in the Black press as the “Audubon Forest Professional Building.” Advertisements touted its convenient location and free parking, actively recruiting physicians, dentists, lawyers, and businessmen to lease the office space.^[10]

Throughout the 1970s, the building evolved into a critical administrative and educational hub for the Black community, housing both federal agencies and federally funded business institutes.

In September 1972, the building (specifically Suite 4) became the new Southwest Office of the Social Security Administration. The office was established to serve residents in postal zones 10 and 11, providing the full range of social security services, including retirement, survivor, disability, and Medicare claims. The office was managed by Chester E. Cooper, a native of New Orleans and graduate of Xavier University who had previously served on the Health and Social Services staff in the Office for Civil Rights in Atlanta, alongside manager Darlene McKinney.^[11], ^[12], ^[13]

Simultaneously, the building served as the headquarters for the Southeastern Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management (SIEM). Funded by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of Minority Business Enterprise, SIEM was a powerhouse of economic education. Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, the institute hosted constant, free seminars for Black entrepreneurs directly out of their 2391 Benjamin E. Mays Drive offices. They offered comprehensive courses on retail management, tax management, advertising, bookkeeping, and business law. They frequently partnered with the Small Business Administration, the Trust Company of Georgia, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) to provide prospective business owners with the tools necessary to succeed in the corporate landscape.^[14], ^[15], ^[16], ^[17], ^[18], ^[19], ^[20], ^[21], ^[22], ^[23], ^[24]

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Chapter 3: The Sickle Cell Foundation and the McGhee-King Center

The building’s most profound chapter began when it was acquired to serve as the headquarters for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia. Founded in late 1971, the organization was established to combat a devastating genetic blood disorder that disproportionately affects the African American community. The foundation was championed by two towering figures in Atlanta’s medical history: Dr. Nelson McGhee Jr. and Dr. Delutha King.

Dr. McGhee, who passed away in 1996, was a pioneering physician who served as the interim president of the Morehouse School of Medicine and co-founded the foundation. Dr. King served as the chairman of the board for the foundation, dedicating his career to advancing treatment and awareness for the disease. Under their leadership, the foundation achieved massive public health victories, including initiating the testing of all newborns in Georgia for the sickle cell trait beginning in 1980.^[25]

Recognizing that children suffering from sickle cell disease frequently missed significant amounts of school due to severe pain crises and hospitalizations, the foundation utilized the 2391 Benjamin E. Mays Drive building to launch a vital educational initiative. In late September 1998, the foundation officially unveiled the “McGhee-King Tutorial & Enrichment Center” inside the headquarters.^[26]

The center was designed specifically to help pediatric patients catch up on their schoolwork in a safe, accommodating environment. D. Jean Brannan, the foundation’s president and chief operating officer, fiercely advocated for the children. “When you’re sick and miss school, you fall behind,” Brannan noted. “The way the system is set up, nobody cares. You fall through the cracks. We are not going to let that happen to our children.” She bluntly highlighted the systemic inequities surrounding the disease, stating, “If sickle cell occurred as an entire white or black, it would be cured. Nobody cares.”^[27]

The facility featured a cheery, white-walled space separate from the clinical operations the patients dreaded. It was outfitted with encyclopedias, books, and computers equipped with $5,000 worth of educational software. Another room featured a large television and VCR, serving as a mini-auditorium, while yet another room was decorated with “space facts wallpaper.” The center was staffed by dedicated volunteers like Carolyn Bouldin, an educator who helped put the center together to serve as a place of warmth.^[28]

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the foundation highlighted the struggles of patients like seven-year-old Shabria Alston, the year’s poster child, who attended Gideons Elementary School. “I’ve had kids tell me the pain is like a toothache all over their bodies,” Brannan explained. “They think they are going to die when the pain is that bad.”^[29]

The building also served as the administrative hub for the foundation’s broader philanthropic efforts, including organizing “Camp New Hope,” a five-day summer retreat in Rutledge, Georgia, designed specifically for children ages 6 to 16 living with sickle cell disease.^[30] Today, the McGhee King Building stands as a quiet but powerful monument to the physicians who dedicated their lives to health equity, ensuring that the commercial district of Cascade Heights remains a center of healing and community support.

Related Reading:

• Fulton Federal / Pinnacle Credit Union Building: A History of 2357 Sewell Road
• Healing the Divide: A Comprehensive History of Southwest Atlanta Hospital

Footnotes & Citations (Click to Expand)

Citations:

1. “LODGE NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, June 23, 1962, 20. ↑
2. “LODGE NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, June 23, 1962, 20. ↑
3. “New Medical Building Here Under Way,” The Atlanta Journal, September 28, 1962, 39. ↑
4. “New Medical Building Here Under Way,” The Atlanta Journal, September 28, 1962, 39. ↑
5. “New Medical Building Here Under Way,” The Atlanta Journal, September 28, 1962, 39. ↑
6. “New Medical Building Here Under Way,” The Atlanta Journal, September 28, 1962, 39. ↑
7. Cascade Heights Commercial Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Section 7, 2020. ↑
8. “LODGE NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, July 20, 1971, 25. ↑
9. “LODGE NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, August 3, 1971, 38. ↑
10. “Audubon Forest Professional Building,” The Atlanta Voice, September 18, 1971, 7. ↑
11. “Southwest Security office gets new manager,” The Atlanta Voice, December 2, 1972, 6. ↑
12. “Chester E. Cooper Named To Social Security Post,” The Atlanta Constitution, December 2, 1972, 33. ↑
13. “A New Security Office is open for business,” The Atlanta Voice, September 23, 1972, 7. ↑
14. “Southeastern Institute Sponsors Seminar,” The Atlanta Voice, September 23, 1972, 8. ↑
15. “Seminars Planned,” The Atlanta Constitution, September 21, 1972, 112. ↑
16. “Minority small business seminar set for July 22,” The Atlanta Voice, August 19, 1972, 1. ↑
17. “Management Course,” The Atlanta Journal, October 8, 1975, 90. ↑
18. “BUSINESS WORKSHOP ON MAY 20,” The Atlanta Journal, May 15, 1974, 94. ↑
19. “Owner-Manager Workshop Open,” The Atlanta Journal, April 18, 1974, 106. ↑
20. “Entrepreneurship,” The Atlanta Journal, January 24, 1980, 196. ↑
21. “The Black Board,” The Atlanta Voice, January 19, 1974, 6. ↑
22. “THE SOUTHEASTERN INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT will offer a twelve-week course in Bookkeeping,” The Atlanta Voice, October 8, 1977, 12. ↑
23. “The Southeastern Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management will hold a twice a week beginning course in Business Law,” The Atlanta Voice, June 21, 1975, 2. ↑
24. “THE SOUTHEASTERN INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT is pleased to announce a seminar in Advertising,” The Atlanta Voice, November 23, 1974, 2. ↑
25. Rochelle Carter, “Sickle cell patients get schoolwork help,” The Atlanta Journal, October 1, 1998, 299. ↑
26. Rochelle Carter, “Sickle cell patients get schoolwork help,” The Atlanta Journal, October 1, 1998, 299. ↑
27. Rochelle Carter, “Sickle cell patients get schoolwork help,” The Atlanta Journal, October 1, 1998, 299. ↑
28. Rochelle Carter, “Sickle cell patients get schoolwork help,” The Atlanta Journal, October 1, 1998, 299. ↑
29. Rochelle Carter, “Sickle cell patients get schoolwork help,” The Atlanta Journal, October 1, 1998, 299. ↑
30. “Camp New Hope,” The Atlanta Voice, August 8, 1998, 6. ↑

Comprehensive Bibliography (Click to Expand)

• Atlanta Daily World. “Display Ad 2: Ashmel’s Plumbing Co., Ltd.” December 26, 1996, 2.
• Atlanta Daily World. “Williams Purchases Hart Plumbing Co.” September 25, 1975, 12.
• Cascade Heights Commercial Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. 2020.
• Carter, Rochelle. “Sickle cell patients get schoolwork help.” The Atlanta Journal, October 1, 1998, 299.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “Chester E. Cooper Named To Social Security Post.” December 2, 1972, 33.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” June 23, 1962, 20.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” July 16, 1968, 19.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” August 6, 1968, 38.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” September 17, 1968, 22.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” December 2, 1969, 26.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” July 20, 1971, 25.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” August 3, 1971, 38.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “LODGE NOTICES.” June 6, 1984, 65.
• The Atlanta Constitution. “Seminars Planned.” September 21, 1972, 112.
• The Atlanta Journal. “BUSINESS WORKSHOP ON MAY 20.” May 15, 1974, 94.
• The Atlanta Journal. “Entrepreneurship.” January 24, 1980, 196.
• The Atlanta Journal. “Management Course.” October 8, 1975, 90.
• The Atlanta Journal. “New Medical Building Here Under Way.” September 28, 1962, 39.
• The Atlanta Journal. “Owner-Manager Workshop Open.” April 18, 1974, 106.
• The Atlanta Voice. “A New Security Office is open for business.” September 23, 1972, 7.
• The Atlanta Voice. “Audubon Forest Professional Building.” September 18, 1971, 7.
• The Atlanta Voice. “Camp New Hope.” August 8, 1998, 6.
• The Atlanta Voice. “Minority small business seminar set for July 22.” August 19, 1972, 1.
• The Atlanta Voice. “Southeastern Institute Sponsors Seminar.” September 23, 1972, 8.
• The Atlanta Voice. “Southwest Security office gets new manager.” December 2, 1972, 6.
• The Atlanta Voice. “The Black Board.” January 19, 1974, 6.
• The Atlanta Voice. “THE SOUTHEASTERN INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT is pleased to announce a seminar in Advertising.” November 23, 1974, 2.
• The Atlanta Voice. “The Southeastern Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management will hold a twice a week beginning course in Business Law.” June 21, 1975, 2.
• The Atlanta Voice. “THE SOUTHEASTERN INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT will offer a twelve-week course in Bookkeeping.” October 8, 1977, 12.