National Park Service purchases home where Martin Luther King Jr. was born

ATLANTA, Ga. — The childhood home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has changed hands. The National Park Service bought the house from the King family, who owned it for more than a hundred years.

Each year thousands of visitors flock to Auburn Avenue to see the birthplace of King. The house was purchased by King's grandparents in 1909. The King Center would not confirm the price of the sale to the National Park Service, but sources told WGCL the home went for $1.9 million. Those charged with preserving history say it isn't the price tag that makes this significant.

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Dan Moore is the owner of the African-American Panoramic Experience, a museum just blocks away from the historic King family home. "When you look at preservation, it's much better in the hands of the National Parks Service, who has the funds to preserve it."

Moore says having the federal government backing could mean having financial support needed to ensure the home's longevity. "The National Park Service has a long record of preservation and, of course, this is their first national park for a black individual, so we have to maintain all of the things we can as long as we can."

CNN/WGCL