The origin of the name “Hulsey Yard,” also known as “Hulsey Yards,” is believed to have come from William Henry Hulsey (1838-1909). W. H. Hulsey was a soldier, politician, and founder of Atlanta Public Schools. In 1869 he served one term as Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. In the 1920s, W. H. Hulsey’s son, L. J. Hulsey (1881-1946), sold a large portion of the family's land for railroad expansion. In 1902, Hulsey Yard became a subsidiary of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The first time Hulsey Yards appears in records was in 1927 when it was listed on a map from the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company.

The Georgia Railroad Company was formed in the early 1830s. In 1835 the company incorporated banking operations and the name was changed to Georgia Railroad and Banking Company. In 1967, Hulsey Yard became part of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) after merging with ACL. In 1985, a piggyback facility was created at the yard that facilitated the transfer of shipping containers from rail cars onto semi-trailer trucks. In 1986, the yard became part of CSX Transportation after SCL merged with the Chessie System. Hulsey Yard continued to operate as an intermodal freight transfer facility until 2019 when CSX vacated the site.

Hulsey Yard is located between the historic Atlanta neighborhoods of Cabbagetown, Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, and Reynoldstown. The 78-acre yard spans the distance between King Memorial and Reynoldstown Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail stations, borders two Historic Districts, and is bisected by the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail. In 2020, CSX planned to reactivate Hulsey Yard, but it ultimately closed. In March 2024 Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced plans for new infill stations on the MARTA rail network, including the Krog Street/Hulsey Yard line.