The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation joined the push for preservation on the city’s Westside on July 28 when CEO W. Wright Mitchell presented $20,000 to the old St. Mark AME Church in his most personal conservation push yet.
It marked the inaugural Wade and Mary Lu Mitchell African American Heritage Preservation Grant, created by siblings W. Wright Mitchell and Catherine Mitchell Jaxon to honor their parents’ legacy. Jaxon said the annual grant will help boost funding for the historically neglected African American history in Atlanta.
The $20,000 grant will pay for urgently needed repairs on the crumbling southeast corner. It will pay for stainless steel stitching in mortar joints and more to ensure the structural integrity of the stone walls.
“It’s great to have a way to carry on our parents’ legacy in a tangible way,” Mitchell said. “And in a way that honors what they felt was very important in the city of Atlanta, the advancement of African American causes.”
On July 28, Mitchell family members and community leaders gathered on the St. Mark AME Church grassy lawn to celebrate the funds and envision the future for the space.
The church was originally built in the 1920s as the Western Heights Baptist Church with granite from Stone Mountain. But it wasn’t until St. Mark moved into the space in 1948 that it became a focal point for the African American community. The congregation remained until 1976.
After the congregation left, the building stayed vacant for decades and fell into disrepair. Pastor Winston Taylor bought it up in 1995, but the roof and interior had to be removed due to major structural and water damage. Today, all that remains are four stone walls and the grassy space inside.
“As much as preservationists may say this building doesn’t matter anymore, I think I’m in a space,” Taylor said. “Architecturally, a space has been defined that we’re standing in here, a space that’s enjoyable, a space that has a presence.”
Taylor said in his decades of work, the building has been rejected by other historic preservation organizations for not fitting standards, particularly with its lack of a roof. But he found an ally in David Mitchell at the Atlanta Preservation Center, and now he has an ally with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
W. Wright Mitchell said the Atlanta Preservation Center, which will partner with the Beloved Community, Inc. to oversee the repairs, brought the project to the Trust. Mitchell felt it “needed to be addressed quickly.”
“In future years, we’ll open it up more broadly to applicants, but we felt St. Mark was worthy and it was a very urgent need,” Mitchell said.
For Pastor Taylor of the Beloved Community, these funds show the “boldness of the commitment” to what the Georgia Trust believes in. But it’s just the start of his long-term work on the spot. He wants to return St. Mark AME Church to the community hub it was once before.
“True, true preservation is the reactivation of the space,” Taylor said.
He said the Beloved Community plans to host a summer school program in 2026 where kids can put on theatrical performances on the green inside the church walls. In the meantime, he will continue to work on beautification to make the property more welcoming with sidewalk beautification and cosmetic fixes.
“It’s a single legacy, it’s all intertwined, and we continue to forge that legacy forward,” Taylor said.
12/22/2025
The Beloved Community, Inc., Representative,
This letter serves as formal notice that St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church (“St. Mark AME Church”) has become aware that The Beloved Community, Inc., is using, or has used, the name St. Mark AME Church in its marketing, promotional, and/or fundraising materials without authorization.
Please be advised that St. Mark AME Church has not granted permission, verbally or in writing, for your organization to use its name, likeness, reputation, or implied endorsement in any capacity. Such use creates a false impression of affiliation, sponsorship, or partnership, which is inaccurate and misleading.
The name St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church is an established and protected identity associated with our religious mission, programs, and community trust. Unauthorized use may constitute misrepresentation and may expose your organization to legal liability.
Accordingly, St. Mark AME Church demands the following actions immediately:
Cease and desist from using the name St. Mark AME Church in any marketing, advertising, social media, printed materials, websites, grant applications, solicitations, or fundraising efforts.
Remove all existing references to St. Mark AME Church from current and previously distributed materials, including digital content.
Refrain from implying any present or future affiliation, endorsement, or partnership unless express written authorization is granted by the Church.
Provide written confirmation within ten (10) business days of receipt of this letter that you have complied with these requests.
This letter is not intended to be a complete statement of St. Mark AME Church’s rights, all of which are expressly reserved. Failure to comply may result in the Church pursuing all available legal remedies to protect its name, reputation, and interests.
We trust this matter can be resolved promptly and professionally. Please direct your written confirmation or any questions regarding this notice to the contact information listed above.
Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Keenan D. Hale, Sr.
Senior Pastor