What better way to honor women who made their mark on history than touring local landmarks that memorialize them? Atlanta is home to many statues, exhibits, museums, sculptures and learning institutions with significance to this month-long occasion. Here are a few places you can visit.
Anne Frank Exhibit
Sandy Springs is home to a 600-photograph exhibit dedicated to the story of a young girl who provided generations to come with a first-person account of the Holocaust. The Anne Frank in the World exhibit offers a chance for visitors to examine this horrifying moment in history through the innocent words of a young girl whose life was cut short – as evidenced by the diary’s sudden ending on Aug. 1, 1944. It’s a sad but important addition for anyone honoring Women’s History Month in Atlanta.
Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and closed on Mondays. Admission is free. Located in the Parkside Shopping Center, 5920 Roswell Road, Suite 209, Sandy Springs. 770-206-1558. holocaust.georgia.gov
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No women's history tour would be complete without a stop at the birthplace of "Gone with the Wind" – a three-story Tudor revival home in Midtown. The book's significance cannot be overstated – having won a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award and spawning a movie that won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. It was a historic achievement not just for an Atlanta literary figure but as a victory for women the world over as Mitchell's book garnered acclaim and respect and has continued to be seen by many as one of the more important works of the 20th century.
Preserved by the Atlanta History Center, the Margaret Mitchell House is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and noon to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. $13 for adults; $10 for seniors and students (13 and up); $5.50 for children ages 4-12; and children under three get in free. 979 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-249-7015. atlantahistorycenter.com
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Auburn Avenue Bas Relief Sculptures
Bas relief sculptures along Auburn Avenue pay tribute to four local community leaders. Two are women: Alice Dugged Cary and Carrie Steele Logan. Cary was an educator and school principal who helped open the first public library for African-Americans in Atlanta. In the early phases of the Auburn Branch of the Carnegie Library of Atlanta, which opened in 1921, she managed the facility with other African-American women, providing educational opportunities for locals. Logan founded the Carrie Steele Orphan Home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta around the late 1800s. It is recognized as the oldest predominantly black orphanage in Georgia. Others commemorated on the Auburn Avenue relief sculptures are James Tate and Wesley Chapel Redding.
Logan’s bas relief sculpture is located at 101 Auburn Avenue NE, and Cary’s can be found at 330 Auburn Ave. NE.
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Spelman College
Founded in 1881 originally as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman College offers historic tours (with a reservation) of its historic buildings and 39 manicured acres in Atlanta’s West End. According to its website, Spelman is a historically Black college that started in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church, aiming to “empower women to engage the many cultures of the world and inspire a commitment to positive social change through service.”
Historical school tours are available with a reservation. Call 404-270-6501 or email welcomecenter@spelman.edu. 440 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta. spelman.edu
Credit: Chris Shinn
Credit: Chris Shinn
Agnes Scott College
Chartered in 1906, Agnes Scott College was established with a mission to educate women “for the betterment of their families and the elevation of their region.” According to the college’s website, that mission has evolved into a commitment to educate women the world over to “think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times.” The campus is host to historical buildings built more than 100 years ago, such as the main hall, gazebo and Rebekah Scott Hall.
141 E. College Ave., Decatur. For more information, call 404-471-6000. Maps of the campus, which include these and other historic buildings, can be found at http://libguides.agnesscott.edu/speccoll/buildings
Barbara Asher, Architect for the Future
A bronze, granite and cement statue of beloved businesswoman Barbara Asher memorializes the former three-term city council member who was key in bringing the Olympics to Atlanta. The “figurative portrait” in downtown Atlanta was constructed in 1998 following her death. According to the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District’s website, Asher helped open Grady Child Care Center and was also actively involved in the Atlanta Women’s Network.
The monument is located in the median at Marietta St. NW and Broad Street Plaza. For more information, visit ocaatlanta.com/public_art/architect-for-the-future-barbara-asher/
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