Aug 4, 2026 - Neighborhoods

Rare photos show Cabbagetown before its transformation

Thomas Wheatley

Two black-and-white photos: left shows a factory street with tall chimneys and power lines; right shows an elderly man in a coat and hat standing amid junk beside a dilapidated house. — The exhibit provides another perspective on the mill neighborhood's evolution. Photos: Barbara McKenzie/The Chunklet Music Preservation Project

A new exhibition of never-before-seen photographs shines a light on the history of Cabbagetown.

Why it matters: Cabbagetown '76, an exhibition of Barbara McKenzie photographs at the Cabbagetown Community Center, captures the everyday life of the close-knit, hardscrabble community during a time of economic uncertainty.

Catch up quick: For nearly a century, the neighborhood was a mill town for workers at the nearby Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill, one of the South's pioneering textile-processing facilities.

The mill's closure in the late 1970s prompted many longtime residents to leave. Artists and musicians began moving in during the 1980s, laying the groundwork for Cabbagetown's transition into a popular and pricey intown neighborhood.

Zoom in: Organized by the Chunklet Music Preservation Project and Patch Works Arts and History Center, the photos show the characters, church services, celebrations and hardships of the families who lived there.

If you go: The free exhibit runs through Aug. 30 at the Cabbagetown Community Center. It is open Fridays from 4pm to 8pm and on listed Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4pm.

Read the backstory of the exhibit in Arts ATL

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Rare photos show Cabbagetown before its transformation

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