By: Esther Keiza

Built in 1906 by I.P. Reynolds, 912 Wiley Street has been a long-lasting symbol within the Reynoldstown community. Reynoldstown was one of the first African American neighborhoods to develop in Atlanta, welcoming formerly enslaved persons after the civil war and fostering a sense of community for everyone.  

Isaiah P. Reynolds, the son of the first mayor of Reynoldstown, built 912 Wiley in 1906, making him the first Black person to build a two-story brick building in the neighborhood. For decades, it served as a store under various owners until 1947.  

Given its long history, the old Reynolds store carries powerful symbolic weight to the Reynoldstown community. Its survival across more than a century of change is a reminder of both resilience in the community and the legacy of its earliest residents.  

Today, the building is stepping into a new chapter. The front face of the Reynolds store is becoming the Museum of Reynoldstown, a project being guided by the Reynoldstown Rangers and community leader John Gibson. The Rangers are a resident-led group committed to creative preservation, known for community initiatives that blend memory, culture, and care. One of their projects is a quilting revival, a gathering where neighbors stitch fabric alongside story. In Reynoldstown, quilting has long carried a cultural meaning, and by reviving the practice, the Rangers are weaving history into the present 

Yes, the colorful mural that passersby once greeted is coming down, but this is not about erasure. Gibson and his team have worked with Emily, the mural’s artist, to honor and document this piece with care. The tags and stylewriting on the side of the building are not to be erased. They remain a part of the living tradition of the Krog Tunnel zone, an open-air gallery that holds meaning for stylewriters, artists, graffitists, porch-historians, and neighborhood kids.  

The Museum is designed to be more than just an art display. The first installation, the “porch portraits” series, features dozens of images of community members— some who may be new to the neighborhood or have called Reynoldstown home for many generations. These portraits, now wheat-pasted onto the building, remind passersby that Reynoldstown is more than just a place, but a living community designed by its people. They are an opportunity for the community to bond with their fellow neighbors, further bringing everyone together.  

912 Wiley is becoming more than just a historic building; it’s becoming a voice for the community. Rather than closing the book on its past, it welcomes the future, opening doors to new stories, encouraging whoever passes by to listen, observe, or reflect.