Council Backs Landmark Review for LGBTQ+ History Home

Atlanta's council unanimously sent a resolution starting landmark designation for 811 Ponce de Leon Place in Virginia-Highland.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in LGBTQ+

Bold flat-color vector editorial illustration of a brick bungalow silhouette with a porch column and front steps against a pale sky. — The Atlanta City Council unanimously advanced a resolution Tuesday to begin landmark designation review for a Virginia-Highland home tied to Michael Hardwick's 1982 arrest. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Atlanta protect historic LGBTQ+ sites like this home from demolition?

The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a resolution to begin the process of designating the Virginia-Highland home at 811 Ponce de Leon Place as a city landmark. The owners have applied to demolish the house to build a new single-family home and swimming pool.

Why it matters

The property is tied to the 1982 arrest of Michael Hardwick under Georgia's anti-sodomy law, a case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Council members say demolishing the home would be a loss to the city, state and nation's LGBTQ+ history.

The Atlanta City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 2, 2026, to send the resolution to Mayor Andre Dickens' office. The property is included in Atlanta's 2023 LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement.

The players

Atlanta City Council

The Atlanta City Council is the legislative body of Atlanta that unanimously approved the landmark designation resolution.

Andre Dickens

Andre Dickens is the Mayor of Atlanta, whose office received the council's resolution for review.

The details

Councilmember Kelsea Bond introduced the resolution, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Alex Wan and Matt Westmoreland. While the Department of City Planning and the Atlanta Urban Design Commission evaluate the home, it would remain intact, and notices and public hearings are required before any decision.

1982: Michael Hardwick was arrested at the home and charged under Georgia's anti-sodomy law.
1986: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Georgia's favor in the Hardwick case.
1998: The 1986 Supreme Court decision was overturned.
2023: Atlanta's LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement was published, including the property.
Nov. 5: The Board of Zoning Adjustment holds a public hearing on the demolition application at noon in Atlanta City Hall council chambers.

Legal Context

The home is tied to Bowers v. Hardwick, the 1986 Supreme Court ruling upholding Georgia's anti-sodomy law that was overturned in 1998. Preserving the property would place the site's history alongside its legal reversal in the city's landmark record.

Residents and visitors can attend the Nov. 5 public hearing in Atlanta City Hall council chambers to weigh in on the demolition application. The outcome will determine whether the Virginia-Highland home at 811 Ponce de Leon Place remains standing.

The takeaway

Historic preservation can keep physical records of contested legal history visible, even after the rulings that shaped them are reversed. Residents who want to follow the designation can track the process through the city's planning and zoning hearings.

What happens next

The Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a public hearing on the demolition application at noon on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Atlanta City Hall council chambers.