• Welcome
  • Introduction Video
  • About this Project
  • Meet the Leaders (Index)
    • Henry Aaron
    • Ralph David Abernathy
    • Julian Bond
    • Joseph E. Boone
    • John Wesley Dobbs
    • W.E.B. Du Bois
    • Alonzo Herndon
    • Jesse Hill, Jr.
    • Donald Lee Hollowell
    • Hamilton E. Holmes
    • Maynard Jackson
    • Martin Luther King, Jr.
    • John Lewis
    • Joseph Lowery
    • Benjamin Mays
    • James & Robert Paschal
    • Roslyn Pope
    • Booker T. Washington
    • Domonique Wilkins
    • Hosea Williams
    • Andrew Young
  • Interactive Map
  • Explorer's Toolbox
  • Historic Districts
    • MLK Historical Park
    • MLK Park Photo Gallery
    • Nat'l Center for Civil & Human Rights
    • Rodney Cook, Sr. Park
    • Sweet Auburn District
  • Newsletter
Black Leaders of Atlanta

​Alonzo Herndon

​Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 – July 21, 1927) was an entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. Born into slavery, he became one of the first African American millionaires in the United States, first achieving success by owning and operating three large barber shops in the city that served prominent white men. In 1905, he became the founder and president of what would become one of the most well-known and successful African-American businesses in the United States, the Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company.

Where to Connect

  • ​Herndon Home Museum — in Vine City
  • Atlanta Life Insurance Company
  • Herndon Plaza — former home Atlanta Life Insurance Co. in Sweet Auburn
  • Crystal Palace — the building that housed Herndon’s iconic barber shop still stands at 66 Peachtree Street (watch video above)
The building that housed Herndon’s iconic barber shop, The Crystal Palace, still stands at 66 Peachtree Street (watch video above for full story)

Learn More

  • Alonzo Herndon (New Georgia Encyclopedia)
  • From Rags to Riches: The Story of Alonzo Herndon (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
  • Herndon Home (National Park Service)
NEXT STOP
Picture
INDEX + INTERACTIVE MAP + MATCHING QUIZ + EXPLORER'S LOG
CONTACT + DONATE + EXPLORE + LEARN + FOLLOW + SUBSCRIBE
website by ATLsherpa
  • Welcome
  • Introduction Video
  • About this Project
  • Meet the Leaders (Index)
    • Henry Aaron
    • Ralph David Abernathy
    • Julian Bond
    • Joseph E. Boone
    • John Wesley Dobbs
    • W.E.B. Du Bois
    • Alonzo Herndon
    • Jesse Hill, Jr.
    • Donald Lee Hollowell
    • Hamilton E. Holmes
    • Maynard Jackson
    • Martin Luther King, Jr.
    • John Lewis
    • Joseph Lowery
    • Benjamin Mays
    • James & Robert Paschal
    • Roslyn Pope
    • Booker T. Washington
    • Domonique Wilkins
    • Hosea Williams
    • Andrew Young
  • Interactive Map
  • Explorer's Toolbox
  • Historic Districts
    • MLK Historical Park
    • MLK Park Photo Gallery
    • Nat'l Center for Civil & Human Rights
    • Rodney Cook, Sr. Park
    • Sweet Auburn District
  • Newsletter