By Ernie Suggs, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA — More than a month after bystanders thwarted an arson attempt at the birth home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the National Park Service has been working to secure the historic site while also keeping it accessible to the public.

It is a delicate balance made easier by the fact that the home is scheduled to be closed for at least the next two years as part of a nearly $5 million renovation.

Judy Forte, who is retiring after 17 years as the park’s superintendent, said the Park Service has taken several measures to enhance security since the alarming Dec. 7 incident.

Park Ranger Selene Daniel leads a tour group outside of the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta on Juneteenth, Monday, June 19, 2023. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com / Tribune News Service)

That includes increasing patrol units around the house and intensifying the monitoring of the security cameras that were already in place. Most notably, a heavy chain link fence has been erected around the home.

“We have always been concerned about the openness of the house after the park closes,” said Forte, who announced her retirement in late 2023. “Anyone can come sit on the porch, so we have always talked about how we can enhance security.”

Forte said a fence will also go up around what is called the King Family Home on Sunset Avenue. That is the home that King had been living in when he was killed in 1968. It also is being renovated.

“The birth home is also a construction site right now,” Forte said. “So not only will the fence prevent people from coming up to the house, but also protect people. Security and safety are equal concerns.”

Never was that more apparent than last month, when bystanders saw someone douse the porch and bushes in front of the home with gasoline, then reach for a lighter.

Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, 26, was detained by the bystanders and taken into custody when police arrived.

“If the witnesses hadn’t been here and interrupted what she was doing, I mean, it could have been a matter of seconds before the house was engulfed in flames,” Atlanta fire Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry told reporters at the time.

Once in custody, Henderson was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for a psychological evaluation before being booked into the Fulton County Jail. She is charged with second-degree criminal attempt to commit arson and interference with government property and remains jailed without bond. She has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 6, court records show.

She is a U.S. Navy veteran who had earned medals for good conduct among other accolades during her four years in the service. A witness said she appeared agitated after the incident at the King home.

At the time, there was no gate restricting access to the home, which attracts more than 700,000 visitors from around the world annually. The two-story Queen Anne-style house sits about 10 yards off the street in a historic preservation district, but Auburn Avenue is a busy public street with no traffic restrictions, making it difficult to secure the area.

The National Park Service officially purchased the home and the Sunset Avenue home in 2018.

Renovations during the two years the home is closed will include fixing leaks and flooring, upgrading electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, shoring up the foundation and adding fencing in the back yard. The National Park Service also is scheduled to spends millions on the infrastructure of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park to make significant changes while restoring, preserving and adding to its historical context.

Former President Jimmy Carter in 1980 signed a law establishing the 35-acre Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site to preserve the places where King was born, lived, worked, worshipped and was entombed. Michigan Congressman John Conyers Jr. proposed making King’s birthday a federal holiday in 1968. After years of efforts led by the late Coretta Scott King, legislation passed both the U.S. House and Senate and former President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

MLK Day 2024 will be a busy on Auburn Avenue. Tents will be set up and manned by park rangers, who will interpret the history of the home. They will tell people how King’s grandfather purchased the home in 1909 for $3,500 and how the civil rights leader was born there on April 29, 1949 and lived there until he was 12.

“We still want people to come and hear these stories and history,” Forte said. “We really want people to come out and have a celebratory time.”

Staff writer Henri Hollis and Rosana Hughes contributed to this article.

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