Saturday, April 9, 2011

ATLANTApix: Ebenezer Baptist Church

Ebenezer Baptist Church
Ebenezer Baptist Church
On this day in 1968, the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr. was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the community of Sweet Auburn in Atlanta, Georgia. Approximately 100,000 mourners gathered for the funeral even though the church could only hold 800.

The original Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta was founded in 1886, during the reconstruction era of the city. The congregation moved into a newly built church, today known as the Heritage Sanctuary, on Auburn Avenue in 1914 where King was baptized and would eventually serve as co-pastor with his father.

The "Heritage Sanctuary" is currently undergoing renovations and is part of the Martin Luther King National Historic Site, managed by the National Park Service. A completion date for Phase II of the restoration project, which will return the sanctuary to its appearance in 1960-1968, when King was pastor at the Church, has not yet been established.

Immediately across the street is the new "Horizon Sanctuary" of Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was dedicated in 1999 and continues the 125 year legacy of the Church.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

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