Atlanta buying old brick company site to honor people who died as slaves after the Civil War

ATLANTA — The city of Atlanta is working to buy 75 acres of land to honor those who died while working as slaves after the Civil War.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said, “We will preserve green space along the Chattahoochee river and create an appropriate memorial to remember.”

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Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston has been following this story for more a year.

Historians said that after the Civil War prisoners were used as slaves to rebuild the South. Many of them worked at The Chattahoochee Brick Company in orthwest Atlanta.

City leaders said it’s time to honor them.

Historians said the owner, who went on to become Atlanta’s mayor, used incarcerated men, women and children to make bricks.

Many of those people died under harsh working conditions.

Donna Stephens is with the Chattahoochee Brick Company Descendant’s Coalition. She’s been fighting for the city to buy the 75 acres of land along the Chattahoochee River and Interstate 285.

“I can’t thank them enough, I’m just full of gratitude, and our ancestors are full of gratitude,” Stephens said.

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Atlanta Councilman Dustin Hillis said Monday the city council agreed to buy the land and stopped the current owner from putting a railroad yard on the property.

He says they want to use the land for green space, but to also remember what happened here.

“Definitely want to go back to those people who have been such a big part of making this stuff happen to see what they want to see here,” Hillis said.

Community leader Ola Reynolds is one of those people.

“Green space, anything that is more conducive to the community that we can enjoy,” Reynolds said.

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Hillis said it will cost the city $10 million to $20 million to buy the land.

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