Mattie Freeland Community House Opens in English Avenue

April 3, 2017

On Friday, March 31, members of the Historic Westside community celebrated the much-anticipated opening of the Mattie Freeland Community House in English Avenue.

The new community center honors the legacy of Ms. Mattie Freeland, a longtime English Avenue resident and member of the neighborhood’s New Life Covenant Church, who for decades offered her home as a place of refuge, restoration and hope.

Her home will now serve that purpose again.

The house was rebuilt by a team from Holder Hunt Russell Moody, the Joint Venture (HHRM) also constructing the Mercedes-Benz Stadium nearby. The team worked with New Life Covenant Church and Dr. Mironda Williams, Ms. Mattie’s granddaughter, to bring the house back as a community space to benefit the residents of English Avenue. The Community House will begin this spring offering various classes and workshops.

Other partners who provided support and assistance to complete the project include: National Covenant Properties, the New Life S.A.Y. Yes! Center, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Home Depot Foundation, Trees Atlanta and Invest Atlanta.

The Community House sits across the street from the Mattie Freeland Community Garden, also built in her honor shortly after her passing in 2007. The Garden will soon be expanded into the Mattie Freeland Park. Land for the park is now being acquired and funding sources for its eventual build-out are being identified. At the Community House dedication, Atlanta City Councilmember Ivory Young, not only presented a proclamation from the City, but also announced a $10,000 contribution from the Office of Atlanta City Council, District 3 towards the completion of the new greenspace, which will also be an official City of Atlanta park.

 

Media coverage on the Mattie Freeland Community House and Community Garden, including WABE’s coverage of the Ribbon Cutting, can be found below.