The grand opening of the Winecoff Hotel in 1913 was a glittering gala that attracted many of the most glamorous citizens of Atlanta. Bridal suites, ballrooms, and exquisite dining areas were sites of pleasure within the famous Winecoff. The grandeur ended suddenly, however, when the most devastating hotel fire in American history raged through its majestic corridors, claiming 119 lives on December 7, 1946.

    Builder William Winecoff died in the disaster, as did his wife. The building stood empty and deserted until 1950 when it was reconstructed and equipped with many fire safety features. It reopened as the Peachtree on Peachtree Hotel. Sadly, the hotel never regained its former glory and prosperity. In 1967 owner Fred Beasley donated the building to the Georgia Baptist Convention, charging Baptists to establish a ministry for elderly on the very site where so many had perished. This was the birth of what is today Baptist Retirement Communities of Georgia.

    The Convention declared a mission to provide homes of comfort, security, and compassion, within a Christian environment, and at affordable prices. The cocktail lounge became a chapel, storage spaces were created, and the Peachtree on Peachtree Inn became home to 120 elderly residents.

    God blessed, and the ministry grew, reaching seniors all across the Metro-Atlanta area. Over the years the mission has remained the same, a living testimony that in God's hands tragedy truly can turn to triumph.

    Presently there are over three hundred seniors living in our communities at the Baptist Manor, Garrison Personal Care, and Garden Cottages in Palmetto Park and Clairmont Crest of Decatur, Georgia.