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The Atlanta Zero Mile Post is a stone marker which marked the terminus of the 
In October 2018, the Zero Mile Post was moved from the Georgia Building Authority's depot building to the
Locomotion: Railroads and the Making of Atlanta
', with the recently restored ''Texas'' locomotive, one of the two remaining Western & Atlantic locomotives that would have passed by the mile post many times during its service. Usually placed along rail lines at each mile, markers informed train crews where they were along a specific route. The above-ground portion of the rectangular marker is approximately 1 foot wide on each side and 42 inches tall. The crown is pyramidal, and one side of the marker is engraved with "W&A RR OO" – the W&A indicating the Western & Atlantic Railroad and the double-zero designating the beginning of the rail line. The other side of the marker is engraved “W&A RR 138”. When entirely exposed, the marker is 7 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 800 pounds.
Zero Mile Post
historical marker
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a railroad owned by the State of Georgia and currently leased by CSX, which CSX operates in the Southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
It was fo ...
in Atlanta, US. It was located in a disused building in Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county ...
, within the Underground Atlanta
Underground Atlanta is a shopping and entertainment district in the Five Points neighborhood of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States, near the Five Points MARTA station. It is currently undergoing renovations. First opened in 1969, it takes ...
Historic District, under the Central Ave. viaduct, between Alabama and Wall streets. The Zero Mile Post was recognized with a historical marker by the Georgia Historical Commission
The Georgia Historical Commission was an organization created by the U.S. state of Georgia for purposes of historic preservation. The Georgia legislature created it in February 1951 to promote and increase knowledge and understanding of the hist ...
in 1958 and entered into the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1977. It was delisted in 2019.
In the 1980s, the Zero Mile Post was placed indoors as a passenger depot for the New Georgia Railroad tourist operation was constructed around it. After the New Georgia Railroad ceased operation in 1994, the former station was secured behind a locked fence, only accessible by appointments approved by the Georgia Building Authority.
In October 2018, the Zero Mile Post was moved from the Georgia Building Authority's depot building to the Atlanta History Center
Atlanta History Center is a history museum and research center located in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia. The Museum was founded in 1926 and currently consists of nine permanent, and several temporary, exhibitions. Atlanta History Cen ...
, and the building was demolished to accommodate the reconstruction of the Central Avenue and Courtland Street bridges above. A replica post was placed at the exact location of the original, and paired with an interpretive marker provided by The Georgia Historical Society after the bridge work concluded.
The Zero Mile Post's relocation generated controversy, with some arguing that it lost much of its significance by being removed from its original location, while those at the history center say that it is well preserved, and that the replica is better suited for outdoor exhibition. The Zero Mile Post is currently displayed and interpreted in an exhibition, Locomotion: Railroads and the Making of Atlanta
', with the recently restored ''Texas'' locomotive, one of the two remaining Western & Atlantic locomotives that would have passed by the mile post many times during its service. Usually placed along rail lines at each mile, markers informed train crews where they were along a specific route. The above-ground portion of the rectangular marker is approximately 1 foot wide on each side and 42 inches tall. The crown is pyramidal, and one side of the marker is engraved with "W&A RR OO" – the W&A indicating the Western & Atlantic Railroad and the double-zero designating the beginning of the rail line. The other side of the marker is engraved “W&A RR 138”. When entirely exposed, the marker is 7 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 800 pounds.
External links
*Zero Mile Post
historical marker
References
{{coord, 33.752335, -84.388584, type:landmark_region:US-GA, display=title History of Atlanta Monuments and memorials in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Fulton County, Georgia Buildings and structures completed in 1842 Former National Register of Historic Places in Georgia