Beaver Slide or Beavers' Slide was an African American slum area near

Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...

documented as early as 1882. It was replaced by the University Homes public housing project in 1937, which was razed in 2008–9.

Charles Forrest Palmer Charles Forrest Palmer (December 29, 1892 - June 16, 1973) was an Atlanta real estate developer who became an expert on public housing and organized the building of Techwood Homes, the first public housing project in the United States. He would lat ...

, the man who organized the clearance of Beaver Slide and creation of University Homes, stated in his autobiographical book that Beaver Slide's name was due to James Beavers, Atlanta Chief of Police from 1911 to 1915, once observing the slum from a hillside, losing his footing and sliding down into the slum, thus: "Beavers' Slide". Beaver Slide was noted for its criminality. In 1925 the area was targeted for a "cleanup" by city and university authorities. The area was celebrated musically in the "Beaver Slide Rag" by

Peg Leg Howell Joshua Barnes Howell, known as Peg Leg Howell (March 5, 1888 – August 11, 1966), was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist, who connected early country blues and the later Twelve bar blues, 12-bar style.University Homes public housing projects (

William Augustus Edwards William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards (December 8, 1866 – March 30, 1939) was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he design ...

, architect), which opened in 1938. University Homes was razed in 2008–9. As of January 2012 there has been no definitive announcement of what will be built on the land.

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Beaver Slide Rag
(audio file) {{Coord, 33, 44, 51.68, N, 84, 24, 36.22, W, type:landmark_region:GA-US, display=inline,title African-American history in Atlanta Former shantytowns and slums in Atlanta

See also

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External links