Georgia Natural Wonder #256 - Lake Claire Community Land Trust - DeKalb Co. (Part 6)

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #256 - Lake Claire Community Land Trust

I stumbled on to this place in a google search and went by the same day my daughter and I were hiking the Lullwater Preserve (GNW# 254). By the time I have formally post this as a new wonder, I will have attended the Jerry Jam instead of going to the Kentucky game. It sucks not having my connection for away game tickets. Almost all the images today are mine or my daughter's.


Swinging spot, Drum Circle / Stage for Jerry Jam.

Now most of this text comes straight from the LCCLT site. Today's TRD Scrolling Nugget is from the Jerry Jam from 2018.



Map of today's Natural Wonder of DeKalb County Georgia.



How the land Trust Began

The Lake Claire Community Land Trust (LCCLT) was founded by a group of visionary neighbors in 1983. Three years later they bought 1.5 acres of red clay covered with trash and kudzu from MARTA, with the intention of creating a “greenspace” for community use and enhancement. With time, love, and lots of hard work, it has evolved into the wonderful haven it is today.



The original group of neighbors has expanded over the years as their efforts drew new people into the Land Trust community. In 2008, the IRS officially granted us 501©3 non-profit status. In 2009, a grant helped us expand to include the pond. In 2012, we set up a Conservation Easement to permanently protect the land. Today, the Land Trust remains a vital part of neighborhood life in Lake Claire.



In the beginning was Kudzu. And the Kudzu covered all the Earth that is now the Land Trust and the Valley and all the backyards except for one. And the Kudzu covered and smothered all plants, there were no bushes or small trees, just humps covered by Kudzu. And the Giant Trees were not immune from the threat, they too were under attack as multiple Kudzu vines traveled up the Giants and started covering their tops as the prelude to the Smothering. To Kudzu, all the world is a trellis, and nothing is too tall to climb.



The late Norman Glassman, together with his neighbors and fellow “trustees” helped shape the Lake Claire Community Land Trust.

 

The story was that in the 1940s, Kudzu was considered to be a good shade vine for covering outdoor sitting areas. One of the mostly elderly neighbors planted some for shade in the backyard. The Kudzu did provide shade, and then kept going and going beyond the capacity of the homeowners to contain, especially during the long hot Summers when humans wilted and Kudzu grew even faster. Several decades later, the Kudzu had overwhelmed the efforts of the Elderly, who had not the energy to confront and subdue the plant that ended up taking over all of the Land. What was needed was Young People.



And starting in 1976 the Young People, a.k.a. Urban Pioneers, started coming to the Land, saw that it would be Good, and were confident that the Kudzu would succumb to their youthful energy and confidence. So the old homes were bought up as the Elders went to Heaven where there is no Kudzu. What lured the Pioneers was the combination of low prices and the obvious possibilities of a large Greenspace within an Intown neighborhood. Even though many of the houses were vacant, and several houses had folks squatting in them, the potential was obvious to those who had eyes to see it.



One problem for the Pioneers was that the Banks had redlined the whole area and were very reluctant to take on mortgages. Enter the BOND Credit Union, which had been set up in Little Five Points to fill the lending gap in Inman Park and surrounding neighborhoods. BOND was willing to make mortgage loans in the neighborhoods surrounding L5P. They understood Intown needs and houses that were “fix-it-uppers,” and they were not Afraid.



Each reclaimed house had its own story, but the main story was Affordable and Intown. And so as the Young People started reclaiming the houses they also reclaimed the Land, yard by yard, which took much longer and much more effort than was expected. But they were young and had energy and determination. The largest Kudzu vine of all, in a far corner of the Land, was 5 inches in diameter, growing up one of the Giant Trees. A sharpened machete, two energetic swings from a healthy right arm, and the Vine was cut. The Kudzu now knew that the Reclamation had begun. Life was coming back to the Land.


Yelp Reviewer said The overlook facing Atlanta- you get to see a hint of the skyline of Atlanta from the highest point of this place- there are these super high chairs wooden weathered but comfortable to sit there and drink a coffee and read a book. So of course TRD had to climb up there.

Now it is the year 1980. MARTA was finishing work on the East rail line, and a few of the Pioneers foresaw that MARTA would eventually sell off the 1.3 acres it owned at the southern end of the Land, on the High Ground. They foresaw that once the Kudzu was removed, the Land could become a neighborhood asset if left as Greenspace and not developed for new housing. And they liked the idea of a Greenspace on the High Ground, rather than a row of townhouses looking down on them. They foresaw many wonderful and varied Community activities and lots of beautiful and useful Plants that were not Kudzu. And so the Effort was begun, flyers were printed (no internet), meetings were held.


The amphitheater- Apparently there's a drum night that happens a few times a week. Yelp Reviewer said I loved the nights we went to join in on the drum circle. My husband would bring his drum and join in on the music being played while me and our children would dance around the fire, singing, laughing, and enjoying the company of other families.


Daughter got this panoramic.

The Atomic Cafe, located where the Flying Biscuit is now, hosted several meetings. A few meetings were held on top of what is now the Land Trust Peak, and then the meetings moved inside to the homes of several of the Pioneers. That is when the detailed, adult work began. Pledges of money were made, and BOND Credit Union provided a Letter of Intent to Loan, to show MARTA that we were serious and capable enough to buy the Land. MARTA indicated that it would do the preparation work to put the Land up for sealed bid Auction, as required by Law.



MARTA was very cautious, because they wanted to be sure they were dealing with a responsible and serious group. The Pioneers had no history of working together, and MARTA was understandably nervous. And of course the Nay Sayers had an easy time of it, pointing out that there were many Pitfalls and Problems, etc. But the Pioneers were Yes Sayers, so they went ahead anyway, and formed the Lake Claire Community Land Trust as a non-profit corporation. That helped to convince MARTA, as did the BOND Letter of Intent.



Now it is 1986. MARTA finally scheduled and advertised the sealed bid Auction. They decided to offer the 1.3 acres of Land as three separate parcels, the biggest one from the Arizona Ave. cul-de-sac all the way to what is now the middle of the Fire Circle. The middle parcel included the Peak all the way back to the Sauna area. The third parcel extended from the western side of the Peak all the way to Nelms Ave.



Three of the Trustees (a.k.a. Board Members) of the Land Trust went to MARTA headquarters on the Appointed Day. They carried with them the agreed-upon bids to submit at the Auction. When they arrived at MARTA they checked the public list of those who would be bidding on the Land. They hoped to find that no one else was interested, but found that a developer would also be bidding.



So the Trustees went to a side room to decide whether to increase the bids, or shift the bids in favor of getting the most important parcel, from Arizona to the Fire Circle. The time got closer to the 11:00 am deadline. The talking continued until one of the three said: “It is almost Time.” And indeed it was three minutes before 11:00 am. Yikes! The bids were finalized. Then a quick walk with the bids in a sealed envelope to hand in to the Timekeeper, who put one end of the envelope into the Official Time Clock. The time stamped on the bid envelope was 10:59. Had it said 11:01 the bid would be invalid and there would be no Land Trust.



Now into the Bid Room, where the MARTA Man ceremoniously opens and publicly announces each bid. The Trustees won the bids for two of the three parcels of the Land. But the biggest and most important parcel, from the Arizona cul-de-sac all the way to the middle of the Fire Pit, was won by the developer. Bummer. As the Trustees left the building, they consoled themselves with phrases like “We have the High Ground and the Nelms corner, pretty good,” etc. But they all knew it was a Serious Bummer, especially since most of the Trustees and Supporters lived on Arizona and surrounding streets and would have no good access to the Land without the Arizona parcel.



Two days later the MARTA Man calls: The developer wanted All or Nothing, so he was dropping out. The Arizona parcel was available, did the Trustees want to buy it? YES, YES, YES. Life is Good.


Reminds me of (GNW #196) Black Pug's Back Yard.

The Real Estate Closing happened in one of the beautiful Old Mansions of Inman Park. The meeting was attended by MARTA lawyers, BOND lawyers, and several Trustee Officers of the Land Trust, as required by Law for the Signing. An hour later, after the passing around and signing of many Important Papers, the Lake Claire Community Land Trust was the proud Owner and Steward of the Land.



The total price for all three parcels was $26,500. The Note with BOND Credit Union was for 15 years, with four Trustees signing on the Bottom Line, pledging to repay the Note in proper fashion. Two Trustee families paid BOND the down payment money.



Fifteen years later, the Paid in Full Note was burned in a happy public ceremony in the Arizona cul-de-sac. Several of the Children of the Trustees had the honor of holding up the burning Note as the onlookers cheered. Thus in a way the Torch was passed, as must happen for any worthy Endeavor to be sustainable so as to benefit Future Generations. And the Land Trust continues to prosper and function as a Greenspace for wonderfulness, and new Ideas happen, most of them good, and sometimes children who grew up with the Land Trust return as adults, telling how good it was to have the Land Trust to experience, and occasionally they appear with their own Children, to play on the Land Trust.



So the elderly Pioneers now have the pleasure of seeing new Young People starting to take over, respectfully and with good intent. 



And perhaps the original Elderly, whose Land was eaten by the Kudzu, can look down and see the Land flourishing, and see that the Kudzu is contained and new Young People are being vigilant to keep it contained, and thus they can relax in Heaven, where there is no Kudzu.

Yelp Reviews

For those who want a hippie, whimsical, slightly grungy 1970's play hide and seek among rainbow mushrooms, peace signs, overgrown hedges, and commune like energy, you definitely want to come here. You came here to see Big Lou the Emu, see overgrown vegetable gardens, see lots of communal homes, giant bubble sticks, and feel flashbacks of going to the 80's. It feels like you stepped into some liberal city like Seattle- look forward to blue hairs, hipsters, indie spirits, elephant pants, dread locks, beards, vintage bikes, etc.


Looking across to neighboring house and backyards.

This was such a great place to have a small adventure. Located at the end of a quaint neighborhood, this community park is filled with community gardens, chickens, trails, lots of viewing spots, and even an emu! We didn't get a chance to see the my but the trails that lead to ponds and a lookout spot were awesome. The chickens and gardeners there were also friendly. There weren't too many people there so it'd be an ideal place to have a private picnic by the pond or wander through trails throughout the afternoon. It's a lot bigger than I remember when I went years ago. What a great find!



This place is truly magical. It's a real community-driven effort to bring a little bit of nature back to the life of the city. It's not a park; it's a place for gardens, picnics, and drum circles. In fact, the drum circle is probably one of the most amazing things I've seen in the city in quite some time. It's an impressive display of people dancing around the fire, just letting the sound of the drums control the beat. The drummers are simply people who show up with something to bang a beat on, and occasionally a person sings a made-up melody or a pan flute chimes in. The gatherings at these events are large and the crowd is high-energy in only a positive way. On occasion, there is fire-twirling as well, which is a real treat if you've never seen it before!



When you visit Lake Claire Community Land Trust, you're reminded how awesome and special Atlanta is. Its mystique is part of its charm, as is its community-driven spirit. This space is basically a community garden / gathering space right on Dekalb Ave in Lake Claire / Candler Park. They have events and gatherings here, but it's also a free and open space to explore and de-stress.

They use to have an Emu like the Insurance Commercials. But he is no longer there.


They had all these images on the fence how he interacted with the kids.


There is an artistic tribute to him now.


Big Lou the Emu has passed Thru.

Time for a second TRD Scrolling Nugget to get you through our DeKalb County Tangent ....



DeKalb County (Part 6)

We continue with our exploration of the National Register of Historic Places listings in DeKalb County. We are at #34 of 56.

Lithonia Historic District



The Lithonia Historic District consists of a commercial core surrounded by residential areas, with a period of significance spanning from 1845 to 1964. the Lithonia Historic District is significant for the role that Lithonia gneiss, a type of granite for which the city is named and because of which it prospered, has played in construction throughout the U.S. since 1879. 



Stylistic influences in the district include Second Empire, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, Neoclassical Revival, English Vernacular Revival, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival. The district is bisected by the Georgia/CSX Railroad, which runs perpendicular to the historic commercial core's primary thoroughfare, Main Street. The commercial area extends south from the intersection of Main Street and the railroad, covering a two-block area. The commercial buildings are primarily brick and local granite masonry, with little decorative detailing. Commercial styles include single retail, multiple retail, and retail and office types.


Main Street in Lithonia, with shops visible along the side of the road.

The residential areas consist architecture typical of late 19th- to mid 20th-century types and styles. 



Residential neighborhoods also feature locally quarried granite and gneiss. House types and styles include the central hall Georgian cottage, gabled-wing cottage, Queen Anne cottage, New South cottage, pyramid cottage, bungalow, Ranch house, I-House and Queen Anne house.


Rock Me Baby.

Landmark properties include the Masonic Lodge (1916), The Lithonia Women's Club (1928), the Lithonia First United Methodist Church (1910), Antioch Baptist Church (1911), Lithonia Presbyterian Church, The Union Missionary Church (1911), the Bruce Street equalization school (c.1953), and The Seminary (1895). Contributing sites in the district include two cemeteries, two parks, the former Georgia Railroad Quarry, and the ruins of the Bruce Street School for African-Americans (1938).



The district is significant under National Register criterion A (association with historic events) and C (architecture), with areas of significance in Architecture, Black and European Ethnic Heritage, Community Planning and Development, Industry, and Transportation.

Longview-Huntley Hills Historic District

The Longview-Huntley Hills Historic District is a residential subdivision constructed in several phases between the 1950s and the early 1970s in the city of Chamblee on the northern outskirts of metropolitan Atlanta. 



The layout of the almost 800 lots on over 300 acres is irregular, with curvilinear streets on gently rolling hills with mature trees. Front yards tend to meld into one another, providing landscape continuity.



This post-World War II development, platted in the 1950s and generally completed by the beginning of the 1970s, was built in response to rapid growth in the Chamblee area. 



It was spurred by its proximity to the newly opened General Motors plant in neighboring Doraville and to other manufacturing plants built along the newly constructed Peachtree Industrial Boulevard that abuts the Longview-Huntley Hills neighborhood to the south.

McDonough-Adams-Kings Highway Historic District

The McDonough-Adams-Kings Highway Historic District is a residential neighborhood located south of downtown Decatur. Houses in the district date from the early through the mid-20th century. A majority of the houses were built between 1910 and 1940 and retain a high degree of integrity. Common house types in the district are Bungalow, American Small House, Ranch House, English Cottage, American Foursquare, and Georgian House. 



The common architectural styles are Craftsman, English Vernacular Revival, and Colonial Revival. Twenty-one houses are designs by Atlanta architect Leila Ross Wilburn, who published numerous pattern books for houses in the first half of the 20th century.



Leila Ross Wilburn was one of only two women registered as an architect in Atlanta in 1920. Through her plan books, she influenced neighborhoods throughout Georgia and the rest of the country. 



In a 1924 Atlanta Journal article, Wilburn articulated her love of architecture, saying, "It took me long years to build up a clientele, and I know that the first years are far from easy. The experience is compensated for today, however, by the pleasure which comes from building houses". 

Northcrest Historic District

The Northcrest Historic District consists of several contiguous and historically related suburban residential developments constructed between 1959 and 1975 just outside the 1-285 perimeter highway, southeast of Doraville, and about 11 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The subdivisions were planned to include single-family houses, one multi-family apartment complex, a park, a school, and a swim/tennis club within approximately 400 acres. 



The largest and earliest of the subdivisions was Northcrest (platted in 13 units between 1959 and 1966). Others were Hidden Acres (1962, 1965, and 1966 plats), Concord Manor (1962 and two 1966 plats), and Northcrest East (1966 and 1967 plats). The area was almost completely built out by 1975. The landscape was planned with open lawns on wide curvilinear streets that work with the hilly terrain.



The Contemporary style as seen in Northcrest manifests itself in a variety of forms and includes over 400 houses, or two-thirds of the houses in the district, in this style. 



From what is known, it is likely the largest collection of Contemporary-style houses in the Atlanta area, if not the state.



A 1963 Northcrest brochure advertised the landscape by stating, "All lots are heavily wooded, and all trees possible are saved". 



In addition your lot will be landscaped, seeded and shrubbed. 



The wooded atmosphere and winding streets of Northcrest will add to the property value in years to come."

Northwoods Historic District

The Northwoods Historic District in DeKalb County, Georgia consists of five adjoining residential neighborhoods, including Northwoods, Fleetwood Hills, Gordon Hills, Gordon Heights and Sequoyah Woods. The Northwoods, Gordon Hills and Gordon Heights neighborhoods are all located within the city limits of Doraville, Georgia, and Sequoyah Woods and Fleetwood Hills are located in unincorporated DeKalb County. The district was developed in the 1950s and 60's and consists of approximately 530 acres with a total of 922 historic/contributing resources.



On June 2, 2014 the Northwoods Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The district is significant because it is an intact example of midcentury and contemporary architecture in Georgia.  The district was developed to provide affordable homes that met VA and FHA requirements and other amenities for middle-class workers in nearby industries, including the General Motors automobile factory Doraville Assembly, Delta, Lockheed and others.



As a planned use development, the district serves as an early example of a mixed-use development, with schools, churches, offices and homes all located within the district.  The Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association sponsored the nomination for recognition, and the Heritage Preservation Program at Georgia State University prepared the nomination materials and conducted the supporting research, interviews and community meetings as well as gathered and preserved a number of historic documents and pictures. The Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association has served the district for over 50 years of its history and continues to do so today by providing a sense of community for Northwoods and the surrounding areas.



On October 10, 2019, the US Board of Geographic names approved names for two creeks based on an application from the Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association and with the support of the City of Doraville. The first is Northwoods Creek, which is named for the Northwoods Historic District. The second is Stewart Creek, which is named for Stewart Lake, which was formed in an old rock quarry dug during the Great Depression by workers with the Works Progress Administration. While the lake is no longer there, it seems appropriate that the creek bear its name. 

Notable buildings

The Herb Butler Union Hall located at 5407 Buford Highway served as the home to the United Autoworkers, Local 10 until the closure of General Motors' Doraville Assembly in 2008. Designed by Phillip Windsor, the Herb Butler Union Hall is significant both architecturally and as a tangible reminder of the district's middle-class roots.  The hall is named after James Herbert "Herb" Butler (November 4, 1927 – February 21, 2008), one of Local 10's most influential members who served the union for over 50 years.


Herb Butler Union Hall located at 5407 Buford Highway. Church in Northwoods Historic District.

Renowned architect John C. Portman Jr. together with his associates designed both Sequoyah Middle School (formerly Sequoyah High School) and Cary Reynolds Elementary (formerly Sequoyah Elementary and Northwoods Area Elementary before that). 


Old Sequoya High School. Had no idea this was John Portman.


Old Sequoyah Elementary School.

These two schools are located in the Sequoyah Woods neighborhood in the district. The modern design of these two schools showcases some of Portman's early work. Portman later achieved notoriety for his design of Peachtree Center in Atlanta, the Renaissance Building in Detroit, Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles and Western Warsaw Hotel in Poland. There is a plaque outside each school recognizing Portman and Associates for their modern designs.



The district remains as one of the more affordable communities in Northern DeKalb County, and it is now home to a diverse mix of cultures, including Hispanics, Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese and many others.

Oglethorpe University Historic District



I'm Just going to provide this link on Oglethorpe University for this most part here. I do want to recount the specific significance as the historic core of the Oglethorpe University campus is the Oglethorpe University Historic District. It presents the distinctive appearance of an English college along Peachtree Road in north Atlanta. Fronting Peachtree Road are, from right to left, Phoebe Hearst Memorial Hall, a landscaped quadrangle, the Lupton Hall with its clock tower, and the Hermance Stadium facade. At the end of the quadrangle in the distance is Lowry Hall, now the new Philip Weltner Library. All academic halls are gabled 2-1/2 story buildings with basement levels with visible windows.



Since Georgia is "stone country," Oglethorpe University was mainly constructed of high quality blue granite, quarried in Elberton, Georgia. 



The irregular cuts of stone are cemented with masonry. Indiana limestone was used to trim the portals, windows, and copings. Decorative angels and gargoyles also are made of limestone.



Oglethorpe was relocated to the metro-Atlanta area (the current state capital), where there was a great need for a liberal arts school for white men. This came about due to the pioneering efforts of Dr. Thornwell Jacobs (1877-1956), a landmark educator, who in 1912 began the campaign and secured the support of 42 Atlanta civic leaders to found a school, preceding Emory University and others. 



During Dr. Jacobs' presidency, the school was known for athletics, notable philanthropic support from such luminaries as William Randolph Hearst, and giving many honorary degrees including ones to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart. 



It was also the first school to house a time capsule and has remained as the headquarters for time capsule information ever since.



The four intact buildings on the Oglethorpe campus are good examples of Collegiate Gothic architecture on a southern college campus. 



The extraordinary use of local materials and superior craftsmanship make Oglethorpe University an enduring architectural and historic resource.

Old DeKalb County Courthouse (Georgia)

The present appearance of the old DeKalb. County Courthouse, a model of Beaux Arts neo-classicism, remains essentially as designed in 1917. During that year, Atlanta architects Walker and Chase transformed a gutted circa 1900 structure on the site into a larger building with wings and porticoes. The result is a magnificently dignified "old style" public building in the center of Decatur, on the town square.


With and without the Confederate Monument.

The outside is constructed entirely of cut, Stone Mountain granite. (Stone Mountain is DeKalb County's major natural landmark.) The north and south entrances are adorned with round Roman columns of cut granite placed atop large square_ cut pedestals. The column capitals, architrave, frieze and cornice are pure Corinthian in design with all the embellishments of this
style of architecture. Second floor windows in the center structure have cut stone lintels laid in a Roman arch. The east and west wings have rectangular windows. 

 
Stone Mountain granite. John Lewis replaces Confederate Monument after a century.

The building still retains all of its original outward appearance. The condition of the outside is excellent, having suffered no real damage over the years. The roof, of terra cotta tile, is still in good repair.


Vintage Post Cards.

The inside, including the stairways, is decorated with Alabama marble, still in a splendid state of repair. The marble stair treads are well worn and dished out by the many thousand footprints of DeKalb and Georgia dignitaries over a period of many decades. 


Meeting Hall and Weddings too.

The main courtroom, with its paneling and neo-classical detailing, has been made into a meeting hall.

William and Minnie Pearce House



Between 1910 and 1920, William J. (1868-1963) and Minnie L. (1874-1962) Pearce and their 15-year-old daughter, Mamie, moved from Marietta in Cobb County to the house on Madison Avenue.  William J. Pearce was a sales manager for the McNeel Marble Company, a monument manufacturer in Marietta.  William and Minnie Pearce lived in the house until their deaths in 1963 and 1962, respectively.  



The William and Minnie Pearce House retains a high degree of architectural integrity and retains its character-defining features including exterior and interior materials, floorplan, and Craftsman-style decorative elements. Located in the Oakhurst neighborhood southwest of downtown Decatur, the house is a one-story, frame, front-gable, Craftsman-style bungalow.  The roof has wide eaves, exposed rafter tails, and knee braces.  There are two chimneys, an external chimney on the north façade and an internal chimney on the south side. 

Ponce de Leon Court Historic District



The Ponce de Leon Court Historic District  consists of a single cul-de-sac located immediately east of downtown Decatur, Georgia. The street is accessed off of East Ponce de Leon Avenue, a historic road that runs east from Atlanta, Georgia through Decatur. Historic Decatur Cemetery is located to the north, and affluent Glynnwood Estates, developed in 1927, and Glenwood school border Ponce de Leon Court on the east.



Ponce de Leon Court is a local historic district in the city of Decatur, and was listed in the Georgia Register of Historic Places in June 2010. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 2, 2011. The single-street district includes approximately 26 parcels, and was based on a subdivision plat developed by John L. Womack in the 1920s. Womack reportedly wanted homes on this street to remind him of the tropics, so he planted both palm trees and banana trees. The palm trees flourished, but the banana trees died. In the twenty-first century, residents successfully reintroduced banana trees on the north end of the street thanks to a change in the microclimate. The Womack family still owned property on the court when it was designated a historic district.



The closely spaced homes on the narrow street are within walking distance of downtown Decatur, and were constructed in an era when developments did not plan adequately for the automobile. The sense of scale and detail created a strong sense of community, and resulted in this street being recognized as a unique asset in Decatur. Ponce de Leon Court primarily includes 1920s-era American Craftsman bungalows, but also has a few historic multi-family homes. 


Both the single- and multi-family structures, as well as historic palm trees, have remained largely intact from the era when they were built.

Ponce de Leon Terrace-Ponce de Leon Heights-Clairmont Estates Historic District



Ponce de Leon Heights is a historic neighborhood in the west section Decatur, a suburb of the Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It includes single family residences and a church, primarily built in the early 1900s. The neighborhood is located between Scott Blvd. to the northwest, Ponce de Leon Avenue to the south and Coventry Road to the east. The name of the community is apparently derived from fronting on the north side of Ponce de Leon Avenue, and from the hilly terrain of west Decatur. Ponce de Leon Heights homes were primarily constructed starting in 1914, sit on small lots and include many examples of Craftsman bungalows architectural style.

Pythagoras Lodge No. 41, Free and Accepted Masons



The name "Pythagoras Lodge No. 41, Free and Accepted Masons" is used by the National Register of Historic Places when referring to a historic building located in Decatur, Georgia. The building is also known as Pythagoras Masonic Temple and occasionally known as Decatur Masonic Temple. 



Built in 1924, the building is a work of William J. Sayward (1875-1945), an architect who was a member of the Masonic lodge, and who partnered with William A. Edwards in the firm Edwards and Sayward. It was designed and built in Beaux Arts architecture style.



The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was deemed significant for its architecture and for the social/community history of the lodge.



The building was constructed as a Masonic hall by Pythagoras Lodge No. 41, Free and Accepted Masons, one of several Masonic Lodges which meet in Decatur. The Lodge received its charter in 1844, and has functioned continuously since then.

Old Scottish Rite Hospital building



In 1913, Ed Roberts, while serving as a member of a train crew out of Atlanta, Georgia, was involved in a train wreck that both crushed his leg and dislocated his hip. Roberts returned to Atlanta to convalesce. Roberts contacted Forrest Adair, a friend, and fellow Masonic Lodge member.



During that same year, Michael Hoke, M.D., cured Mrs. William C. "Bertie" Wardlaw's young nephew, a college student, of a serious bone infection. To honor Dr. Hoke, Wardlaw started raising money to open a crippled children's hospital. With the aid of longtime friend and financier Forrest Adair, she approached the Scottish Rite Freemasons for their help in underwriting the proposed hospital. To honor the Masons' contributions, Wardlaw added "Scottish Rite" to the facility's name. In 1915, the hospital opened as Scottish Rite Convalescent Hospital for Crippled Children.

 

A new building was designed by two architects, Neel Reid and Hal Hentz, of the firm Hentz, Reid and Adler in Atlanta, Georgia. The building was completed in 1919, and could originally serve 50 patients. Along with a new facility came a new name: Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children. Until the 1930s, few drugs were available to treat crippling childhood diseases so the original hospital design reflected the emphasis then given to providing young patients with plenty of sunshine and fresh air. The Georgian Revival style buildings were designed with a southern exposure, allowing for plenty of sunshine. The ward buildings on each side of the central administration building included generous windows, including clerestory windows above the main roof-line to provide additional interior light. The buildings were sited to allow ventilation in warm weather.



The design also included light and air-filled areas for play and rest. Each ward had a glass-enclosed sun or play room. Sliding glass doors fronted each ward and originally led to screened porches. Bedridden children could be wheeled onto these porches or even onto paved terraces in front, to rest or play in the open air. When new medicines that became available to treat childhood diseases in the 1940s the importance of the screened porches was reduced. Steel casement windows have enclosed these porches since that time. Two other main buildings were added later. A service annex, built prior to World War II is a one-storied addition attached to the north side of the administration building. Nurses quarters were built following World War II to the east of the hospital in a separate building.



Now the buildings are not a hospital. A full-service bar is located in the west wing. Offices are located in the main building. The east wing is leased to the Community Center of South Decatur, as is the former laundry building. The east wing is home to the Solarium, community meeting space and a rental facility for weddings and other private gatherings. The nurses quarters were sold to help finance the main building renovations, and have been converted into office space. 

The Seminary (Lithonia, Georgia)



The Seminary is a historic building at 6886 Main Street in Lithonia, Georgia. Originally constructed as a school in 1895, over the years it has also served as a hotel and a private home. It is currently used as a multi-tenant office building. It was entered into the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on November 15, 1978.

History

The Seminary was constructed in 1895. Benjamin Franklin George had donated land for the creation of a school for Lithonia, in part to educate his own children. Lithonia had no public school system at the time; The Seminary was one of three schools which were privately owned and supported by tuition. The building was constructed of granite, using stone quarried locally. The town derived its name and much of its economy from granite at this time. The building is two stories with walls made of 19 to 24 inch granite and has a hip roof. The first floor has 12 foot ceilings and the second floor has 16 foot ceilings.



By 1906 a public school system had been established in Lithonia, so the school was closed and the building sold to John Keay Davidson Sr. He was a Scottish immigrant who founded a quarrying company in Lithonia in 1901. Davidson brought in skilled stonemasons from Scotland as workers, and converted the building into the Auto Rest Hotel to house them. It was at this time that the double veranda at the front of the structure was added. The hotel continued in operation until 1917 when the building was sold to J.H. Malone, who added interior plumbing and electricity to use the building as a private home. It was around this time a two-story bathroom addition was made at the rear center of the house. A second bathroom addition was made in 1962 at the rear north corner of the house The house remained in the Malone family for many years.



In 2007 the house was sold to Ellen King Stewart, daughter in law of one of the original students of the Seminary, Dr. Thomas Weir Stewart. The building was restored and redeveloped by Mrs. Stewart as a multi-tenant office building called the Academy Professional Building.

Smith-Benning House



The Smith-Benning House, built about 1886, is a two-story, wood frame Victorian-Eclectic style house with a prominent mansard-roofed tower and Eastlake details. The House is located on a small lot at the corner of Oakdale Road and Benning Place in Atlanta, Dekalb County, Georgia. The Smith-Benning House is asymmetrically massed with a multi-gabled roof line. The balloon framed house is sheathed with weatherboards and sits on a brick pier foundation which is infilled with brick.



Two-over-two double hung sash windows and exterior doors have surrounds that feature shaped wood lintels with incised scrollwork. Three interior chimneys are badly deteriorated above the roofllne. The house's most prominent decorative features are concentrated on the complex front facade with its tower, porches, balconies and bay window. A bay window,, topped by a small balcony that is protected by a bracketed hood, is located on the wing which projects forward at the north corner. 



The central tower, capped with a mansard roof, rises above the main entrance and is fronted by a two-tier portico with a gable-roofed balcony at the second story level. A first floor porch that begins at the portico wraps around the south front and slde of the house terminating, at a polygonal sun room wing.



In terms of local history, it is significant as the home of two prominent Edgewood figures. Judge Charles Smith (1856-1923), who built the house, was a major figure in the founding of Edgewood, a small suburban community now part of the city of Atlanta. Augustus Harrison Benning (1840-1904), who purchased the house from Smith in 1889, was a wealthy sea captain who retired to Edgewood and used his fortune to help build, in 1897, what is now Atlanta's oldest extant skyscraper, the English-American Building (the Flatiron Building).

Soapstone Ridge


There is a Historical Marker and boulder at the Old DeKalb County Courthouse.

"This steatite boulder was found on the site of a prehistoric quarry along Soapstone Ridge 8 miles south of Decatur. It shows the methods of Indians in making stone bowls with the first birding of the stone to remove workable cores. It is estimated to be at least 3000 years old by archaeologists studying such remains in central and north Georgia. "The soapstone quarry on River Road, DeKalb County, is the largest found by archaeologists in Georgia."

Soapstone Ridge is a mafic-ultramafic geological complex located in the Piedmont region, south-east of Atlanta, Georgia on a 25-square-mile area in DeKalb County and neighboring Fulton and Clayton Counties.



The ridge was named from its deposits of metapyroxenite, which early settlers wrongly believed was soaps Many archaeological sites, including Late Archaic quarry sites dated between 600 BCE and 1500 BCE, occur on Soapstone Ridge. At least 17 quarry sites and 23 workshops sites have been located on Soapstone Ridge.



Soapstone Ridge is not a single site or even a set of a single type of site. Culturally, it consists of a series of soapstone quarries, workshops, and habitation sites that revolve around the
exploitation of soapstone.


Found a bunch of Alec Cressler images of the McGarity-Etheridge Site, soapstone ridge DeKalb County.


Quarries are located at naturally occurring outcrops, usually on steep hillsides or knolls. 


These quarries consist of large boulders with scars or depressions left where a portion of the stone has been removed to form a bowl or other artifact.

South Candler Street–Agnes Scott College Historic District


Campus and Buttrick Hall.

South Candler Street–Agnes Scott College Historic District is a historic district in Decatur, Georgia that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. 


Main Entrance and Presser Hall.

It includes Agnes Scott College, also known as Decatur Female Seminary (1889) and as Agnes Scott Institute (1890-1906), and Little Decatur.


Post Card Buttrick Hall.

The college was founded in 1889 as Decatur Female Seminary by Presbyterian minister Frank Henry Gaines. In 1890, the name was changed to Agnes Scott Institute to honor the mother of the college's primary benefactor, Col. George Washington Scott. The name was changed again to Agnes Scott College in 1906, and remains today a women's college.


Agnes Scott Hall "Main" Building and Inman Hall.

The oldest building on the campus is Agnes Scott Hall (1891), known also simply as "Main," a three-story, brick building designed by local architects Bruce and Morgan. Primarily reflecting the Academic Gothic Revival style (Late Gothic Revival or Collegiate Gothic), Agnes Scott College campus consists of 19 brick buildings. The grounds of the campus have been carefully designed to create a picturesque landscape which compliments the surrounding buildings and creates an effect reminiscent of an English institution.


Front and Interior of Letcia Pate Evans Hall.

The district includes the contiguous, historic, intact houses along South Candler Street from East College Street south to East Hall Street, and the campus of Agnes Scott College—a private women's college. There are also residential buildings on East Davis, East Hancock, and South McDonough Streets, and one on Kirk Road. The houses range in age and style from those built in the late 19th-century to those built in the early 1940s. Residential architectural styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, Neoclassical Revival, Colonial Revival,
and Craftsman style.



In 1994 it included 88 contributing buildings, two contributing structures, and a contributing object, as well as 19 non-contributing buildings and two non-contributing structures.



The oldest house in the district is the Italianate C. M. Candler House (1870s) at 158 South Candler.



Another old one is the George Washington Scott House (1883) at 312 South Candler Street which has a double gambrel roof and Queen Anne detailing. His first house in Decatur was the Cooper House on Sycamore Street, now torn down for the Decatur Recreational Center.


Current Washington House and demolished Cooper House.


Interior images Washington House today.

Steele-Cobb House



The Steele-Cobb House is a two-story, two-over-two, frame, shingled, Plantation Plain-style house with a double verandah centered on the front facade ...



... and shed rooms on the rear. 



The rooms are arranged two-over-two with a central hall and end chimneys. The verandah has simple spoke railings with square posts which support a roof on the second floor, A pair of windows with six-over-six panes flank the trabeated front door on the first floor and the balcony door on the second floor. Two six-over-six pained windows flank the brick end chimneys on each floor. The interior of the house is divided in two by a central hall with a dining room as one enters the left and the stairs to the second floor in, back on the left.



Upstairs, there are two wide, low-ceiling bedrooms on either side of a small hall that leads to the upper verandah. The ceilings in the bedrooms are very low, making them appear almost to be half-story rooms. 


Time has gotten best of this site. Spooky today, a Forgotten Georgia image. Medlock Neighborhood, beware of Dog.

Woah, another monstrous DeKalb County Post (Over 200 images) and I am still in the National Register of Historic Places listings in DeKalb County. I did knock out 17 though and I have only 7 left. But then we have the historical markers, the communities, the Civil War, and the notable people. Looking for a GNW Gal for this post I choose the theme of Notable Claires for Lake Claire. We already scrolled Planet Claire. The Jerry Jam was cancelled this weekend for rain. Will be next weekend but Georgia is off so I can still attend. I'll be able to watch Clairely when the rain is gone. Anyway, GNW Famous Gals named Claire.


Claire Bloom, Claire Danes, Claire Forlani.