On Main Street in Turner Station, you’ll find Speed’s Barbershop and Beauty Salon.
Inside, you’ll find a tight knit community.
Courtney Speed says back in the day, the shop was the place where people gathered.
“And this barbershop is what is known now as the man cave,” said Speed.
Speed moved to the area in the 1960’s. She is spearheading a movement called “Save the Nation of Turner Station.”
“Money turned over in this community eight times before it left out, so that’s what we’re trying to replicate. We may not have the same businesses, but we’re going to repurpose this community,” said Speed.
During Turner Station’s heyday, there were approximately 10,000 residents. There were movie theaters, grocery stores, barbershops, schools and churches.
“We had everything here from a toothpick to a mink coat, right here in the area. We didn’t have to leave here for anything at all,” said Alberta Griffin, a Turner Station resident.
There was also a true sense of community.
“Everybody took care of each other. We didn’t have problems correcting each others children,” said Muriel Lavere Christian Gray.