Our History

1880s
1885
1890
1917
1929
1999
2012
2014
2015
2018
2019
2020
2021

1880s

Old Fourth Ward was originally populated in the early 1800s.
1880s

1885

Morris Brown College was founded by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and named to honor the denomination’s second bishop, Morris Brown.

1885

1890

Boulevard was deemed one of the most desirable residential streets in the city.

1890

1917

The Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 began just after noon in the Old Fourth Ward.

1917

1929

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born at this home of his maternal grandparents, A.D. and Jennie Williams, on January 15, 1929.

1929

1999

The BeltLine plan was developed as a masters thesis by Georgia Tech student Ryan Gravel.

1999

2012

Old Fourth Ward Business Association established by founding members.

2012

2014

Old Fourth Ward Business Association began offering educational workshops and seminars.

2014

2015

Old Fourth Ward Business Association produces its first festival, “Fire in the 4th”, which goes on to win best new festival from Atlanta Magazine, and raises over $10,000 for its initiatives.

2015

2018

Old Fourth Ward Business Association launched its first Strategic Plan, with a priority to connect businesses, promote the perception of safety, and advocate for walkability and bikability throughout the neighborhood. Click here to read our Strategic Plan!

2018

2019

The O4WBA hired its first full-time Executive Director and won awards from the City of Atlanta Placemaking Program and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Community Development Assistance Program.

2019

2020

The O4WBA helped businesses navigate the COVID-19 pandemic with the O4W Pledge to Public Health.

2020

2021

The O4WBA launched its effort to establish a Community Improvement District throughout the Old Fourth Ward to promote pedestrian infrastructure and community investment in the neighborhood. The O4WBA continues to expand its small business advocacy, pushing the City of Atlanta to make small businesses a priority in the Fall 2021 elections.

2021