135 Auburn Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30303
Built 1910
The John Wesley Dobbs Building was originally known as the Southern School Book Depository. It was designed by architecture firm Hentz and Reid and built in 1910. The outside of the building featured embellishments such as garland swags, a torch of knowledge, and an open book. The entrance was also ornate with wood pilasters, an decorative balustrade, and two balanced spheres. Over time due to neglect, the building lost much of its flair as it progressed from being a book repository to a tire warehouse in the 1970s. In the 1980s, the building began housing the Southern Education Foundation and the APEX museum. In 1987, the building was renamed to honor John Wesley Dobbs.