About Castleberry Hill

Named after Daniel Castleberry, an early settler and land owner, Castleberry Hill is a historic community located on the southwestern edge of Downtown Atlanta. As old as Atlanta itself, prior to the Civil War, the neighborhood was known as Snake Nation and characterized as a red light district and a place where snake oil salesmen peddled their wares. Following the Civil War, the working class neighborhood emerged as a warehouse and manufacturing district, as Atlanta rapidly developed into a regional railroad hub. Castleberry Hill declined after World War II as many industries and residents left the aging urban district for Atlanta’s rapidly growing suburban communities. Home to a number of early 20th century warehouses, the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a federally recognized historic district in 1985. Since that time, a cluster of redevelopment and adaptive reuse projects have transformed Castleberry Hill into one of urban Atlanta’s most popular destinations.

Much of this redevelopment was driven by Herman J. Russell (1930-2014), the founder of H.J. Russell & Company. Born nearby in 1930, Russell decided to become his own boss and create his own jobs at the age of eight and continued that entrepreneurial mindset throughout his life. Earning a degree in building construction, he founded the H.J. Russell Plastering Company in 1952. A philanthropist that funded the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, Russell’s company diversified and grew along with the city over the following decades. As the company grew, Russell invested in the surrounding Castleberry Hill neighborhood at a time when people were abandoning the urban cores of major cities across the country. Now known as the H.J. Russell & Company, the company Russell founded is now one of the largest minority-owned real estate development and construction services firms in the U.S. With Russell anchoring the community, Castleberry Hill has grown into a community that is home to one of the highest concentrated areas of Black-owned businesses in the country, serving as a successful revitalization example for similar communities across the country. Today, The Jaxson virtually shares a few sights, scenes and destinations in and around Castleberry Hill.

Russell Hospitality Campus

Located at the intersection of Northside Drive and Fair Street SW, the Russell Hospitality Campus features lodging, dining and event space in the heart of Castleberry Hill.

A look inside Paschal’s Restaurant inside the Russell Hospitality Campus. Paschal’s has a rich history that dates back to 1947 when the Paschal brothers, James and Robert Paschal opened their first location at 831 West Hunter Street. Popular for southern specialties such as fried chicken, braised short ribs, smothered pork chops and peach cobbler, Paschal’s Restaurant became the ‘meeting place’ for some of the most notable entertainers, politicians, and business people, including Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson, Vice President Al Gore, and Dr. Martin Luther King just to name a few.

The 104-room Clarion Inn and Suites by Choice Hotel is located the Russell Hospitality Campus. The hospitality campus also includes 10,000 square feet of combined meeting and event spaces for corporate meetings, family reunions, weddings, graduations, conferences and celebration parties.

Owned by members of the Southern rap quartet Nappy Roots, Atlantucky Brewing is a craft brewery that recently opened in February 2022. The Black-owned craft brewery is located in Intown Apartments and Lofts. A mixed use project developed by the H.J. Russell & Company.

A look inside Rosie’s Cafe at the intersection of Northside Drive and MLK Jr Drive SW.

Additional infill construction underway by the H.J. Russell & Company and The Integral Group on Vine Street SW near Clark Atlanta University.

RICE

The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) is a hub for Black-owned businesses that is currently under development. With a mission to inspire and empower Black entrepreneurs as a form of equitable economic mobility engine for the community, the 50,000 square foot LEED Silver Certified building is the former corporate headquarters of the H.J. Russell & Company. When complete, RICE will offer educational, networking, mentoring, and capital resources to create jobs and build wealth within the community.