239 West Lake Avenue

Date:  No date listed

Atlanta developer Walter H. "Chief" Aiken opened the Waluhaje Hotel Apartment building on West Lake Avenue in northwest Atlanta in 1951. The name Waluhaje came from combing the first two letters of the names of Mr. Aikens (Walter), his wife (Lucy), and two of her siblings (Hazel and Jefferson).  Mr. Aiken's estate, nearby on Simpson Road, was also known as Waluhaje. 

Upon the death of Mrs. Aikens in 1992, the house was willed to Clark Atlanta University, which now uses the building as their Alumni Conference Center.

Date:  05/23/04

Featured within the building was the Waluhaje Nightclub.

A reader writes to inform us that "in 1967, the Waluhaje was purchased by Mrs. Mamie Jones of the Mamie McLendon Jones Enterprise, Inc., of Atlanta.  She was a long-time business owner on Sweet Auburn Avenue during the 30's through the 60's.  Mrs. Jones and her sons were responsible for bringing the Atlanta Job Corps to town."

The former Waluhaje Apartments building has been serving as headquarters for Atlanta's Job Corps program since 1969.