Right here stands the Hanley’s Funeral Home Historical Marker. It marks a place of profound significance in Atlanta’s history. Before it became Hanley’s Funeral Home, this building served as the District Grand Lodge No. 1 of Georgia of the Independent Benevolent Order. It was built in 1915. In 1925, the building transitioned and became Hanley’s Funeral Home.
Hanley’s Funeral Home quickly became a notable establishment. It is located at 21 Bell Street in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. The funeral home is most notably remembered for handling two of Atlanta’s largest funerals. The first was for boxer Tiger Flowers in 1927.
Later, Hanley’s Funeral Home played a crucial role after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Hanley’s prepared his body for the funeral. The historical marker notes that within these walls, in 1968, Hanley’s Bell Street Funeral Home was the site where the physical body of a visionary leader was prepared to be laid to rest. Family and community gathered here as his soul began its journey home.
Hanley’s Funeral Home stands as a reminder of significant moments in Atlanta’s history. It connects us to the past. It reminds us of the leaders and events that shaped the city.