Athens, Georgia: Nuwaubian Temple-Bookstore (Gone)

I'm afraid it's all come down. Ever since the head Nuwaubian Malachi York was busted for trafficking minors across state lines for immoral purposes, the Nuwaubian Nation has foundered, selling the building after leaving it vacant for quite some time. The for sale signs are gone, and the Egyptian facade has come down so one would assume the new owners are not among the 144,000 chosen few who will rise up from Earth as the Judgment nears.

I traveled past the Nuwaubian Temple-Bookstore a number of times this past weekend. It is still Nuwaubian, still interesting, but no longer a bookstore nor, as far as I can tell, a temple: it's closed. It is impressive, though, and looks well maintained.

While the Nuwaubian Pyramid and compound in Putnam County, GA, is fairly well-known, the Nuwaubians also had a significant presence in Clarke County (which is in fact where their founder was arrested and charged with child molestation -- and where there was a recent investigation into the large number of Nuwaubians employed by the county jail). While founder Malachi York's bookstore "Eyes on Egypt" is no longer in existence, a larger bookstore/meeting hall remains on Broad Street in Downtown Athens.

The future of the building is uncertain, so visit it while you can!