The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(TNS)
Two historic buildings in northeast Atlanta went up in flames Thursday evening.
The blaze occurred at the old Atlanta Eagle gay bar and the Kodak building in the 300 block of Ponce De Leon Avenue in Midtown. Footage from the scene appeared to show giant flames engulfing the original Kodak sign that stands on top of the building.
Several fire engines responded to the fire, which was first reported around 8 p.m. As crews worked to put out hotspots, parts of the roof of the Atlanta Eagle building appeared to be charred and falling apart. The Kodak sign still stood tall, but officials have not said if it’s now a hazard.
A cause for the blaze was not provided.
The Kodak building was built in the early 1900s as a private residence. Star Photo moved into the building in 1951 as Ponce De Leon Avenue was made into a busy commercial corridor. The building was then plastered in signage, including the iconic Kodak sign.
The Atlanta Eagle was originally built as a single-family home in 1898, and it became a well-known gay bar over the last 30 years. It became the first recognized and protected LGBTQ landmark in the Deep South, according to Historic Atlanta, which has advocated for the building’s preservation.
Thursday’s incident is located near the Krispy Kreme that reopened in 2023 after back-to-back fires destroyed the building. The business shuttered in February 2021 because of a blaze, then demolished that summer after a second fire in July.
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