New marker in Doraville commemorates historic Black neighborhood

A unique aspect of Doraville’s history is now explained on a newly installed plaque telling the story of the historic Carver Hills neighborhood.

In February, officials were joined by members of the Greater Mount Carmel AME Church and Zion Full Gospel World Ministries, along with Doraville residents, to celebrate the completion of the project that has been more than a year in the making.

The plaque, located in front of Greater Mount Carmel AME Church, celebrates and honors the historically Black neighborhood of Carver Hills, which was established in 1947 and included a thriving community complete with churches, a school, stores, and was home to dozens of families, stated officials.

“The neighborhood was established when Black landowners at the site of what is now Assembly Atlanta were given new homes by General Motors (GM) as an incentive to move, making way for the factory,” said Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman. “The Carver Hills neighborhood was born and remained a thriving community for many decades.”

The plaque states that the neighborhood was named after Dr. George Washington Carver, one of the most prominent Black scientists of the early 20th century.

“Unfortunately, when I-285 was built, it destroyed much of the neighborhood and split the remaining portions in half,” said Geierman. “The closure of the GM plant in 2008 dealt another blow. But, through all of the changes, the people behind this community have endured.”

Doraville’s 2022 Celebration Committee raised money last year through fundraisers, including a 5K run, to create and install the plaque.

“None of this would have happened without the leadership of the Doraville Celebration Committee,” said Geierman. “We thank them for providing this recognition for an important Doraville community.”

The plaque is located at 4078 Carver Drive in Doraville.