NPS Photo In 1895 a two-story frame Queen Anne Victorian style house was built for a white family at 501 Auburn Avenue. The home was purchased in 1909 by Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, for $3,500. Rev. Williams moved into the house with his wife Jennie Celeste and their 6 year old daughter Alberta Christine, their only child of three to survive infancy. On November 25, 1926 Christine married a minister by the name of Michael Luther King at her father's church. Instead of Christine moving in with her new husband he moved in with her and her parents in the family home. Over time the Kings would have three children born in the home, Willie Christine, Michael Jr. (later known as Martin Luther King, Jr.), and Alfred Daniel. On March 21, 1931 Rev. Williams dies in the home of a heart attack. After Mrs. Willies dies of a heart attack the Kings move to a new home at 193 Boulevard. The home stayed in the family and became rental property for the family. After Dr. King's assassination on April 4, 1968 plans were begun to restore the house as a historic museum. Today visiting the home where Dr. King was born and lived the first twelve years of his life is often the highlight of ones visit to the park. The popular free ranger-led Birth Home Tours of the interior of the home are limited to 15 people and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the tour. Effective November 27, 2023 tours of the Birth Home will be suspended until June 2026 to allow for an extensive rehabilitation project.TranscriptWelcome to the Birth Home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. located at 501 Auburn Ave. Northeast in Atlanta Georgia, it has been restored to represent the way it looked when Martin Luther King Junior lived here from 1929 to the early 1940s. This is the Parlor. Martin known as ML, and Alfred Daniel, known as AD, and sister Christine would enter the parlor to take piano lessons. However, ML and AD disliked taking piano lessons so to discourage their teacher they loosen the screws off the stool and took a hammer and hammered the piano. The picture on the wall out of his mother's parents reverend Adam Daniel known as AD Williams and Mrs. Jennie Celeste Williams. This is the coat room, better known as the Foyer the Kings and Williams would greet their guests in this room. The photo on the wall is the King and Williams family taken at 1939 shortly after Christmas. Next let's head to the game room this was used as the game the office and was once the bedroom of Martin's grandparents the reverend AD Williams and Mrs. Jennie the family would gather in this room for family game night. The photos in this room are reverend AD Williams and Mrs. Jennie. The kids would also do their homework in this room. Martin and his dad Martin Luther King's Senior later known as Daddy King were considered the best players monopoly was Dr. King's favorite game and Chinese checkers n was his Dad’s. The radio in the corner to the right is where Martin would listen to his favorite show, “The Green Hornet”. The dining room. The family ate their meals in the dining room. Each Sunday dinner required everyone to recite a Bible verse before they ate, ML's favorite Bible verse was Jesus wept because it was the shortest Bible verse he knew and he could get to dinner quickly. He loved to eat and liked almost any type of food. He especially loved fried chicken, collard greens, Black Eyed Peas, cornbread, apple pie with ice cream, your typical southern soul food dinner. This is the kitchen where Martin's mother Alberta and his grandmother Jennie prepared all of the family meals. ML Christine and AD were all tasked with chores of doing the dishes however Martin disliked washing dishes and he would hide in the bathroom every time it was his turn.
This is Daddy King and Alberta King's bedroom. All three children were born in this room, Willie Christine Farris was born here in 1927 when she was born her parents pulled out one of the drawers of the shepherd wardrobes cedar chest and lined it with blankets and used it as a crib or a formal bassinet. There's second child Michael Luther King Junior was born here on Tuesday January 15th, 1929, at 12 noon he would later be renamed Martin Luther King Junior. Doctor King's baby brother, Alfred Daniel affectionately called AD was named after his maternal grandfather, he was also born in this room in 1930. This is Martin an 80s bedroom or the boy's room as it was called by the family. Martin and AD also shared this room with their father's younger brother, their uncle Joel who was also close to their age. The Kings and Williams often welcomed other family members and guests to live with them at 501 Auburn Ave. Sometimes the boys had to give up their room when the King Williams family home was used as a boarding home for visitors. Christine their sister said Martin and AD were very messy and kept their room untidy, the boys would only clean up if their guests were in the home. As you can see the King family lived as a typical American family in the Sweet Auburn community of Atlanta Georgia. Thank you for visiting the Martin Luther King national historical park and preservation district and official unit National Park Service in the US department of the interior.
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Virtual tour of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birth Home. Narrated by Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District Superintendent Reginald Chapple. Descriptive TranscriptThe Birth Home Project Video invcludes the Cultural Resources Chief Ranger and Constuction Contractor relaying details about how the project is coming along. Video of Birth Home front exterior, interior, basement and back side exterior. Contract workers are shown discussing and in action digging and sweeping.
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This video outlines the progress rehabilitation project on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home.
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Narrated documentary interpreting the early life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Last updated: January 15, 2026