Georgia Natural Wonder #260 - Glen Emerald Park & Rock Garden - DeKalb Co. (Part 8)

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #260 - Glen Emerald Park, and Glen Emerald Rock Garden

From DeKalb History Center

These parks have been described as DeKalb County’s hidden gems. It’s not hard to see why. Glen Emerald Park, and Glen Emerald Rock Garden, hidden off of Bouldercrest Road, contain 27 acres of woodland, lake, parkland, and an unusual rock garden. Visitors to this rock garden have called it Ferngully, with its moss-covered boulders, stone bridges, and millstone table tops.


Photo looking toward terraces. April 2024.


TRD Scrolling Nugget Emerald Triangle by Harvey Mandel for the Emerald Rock Garden and Park.

This park was built in 1935 by William Edward Carroll. The Carroll Family owned a 200-acre property off of Bouldercrest since the 1870s. Several extended Carroll family members continued to live on this property. William Carroll (b.1895) opened Dutch Oven Bakers, which became hugely successful. By 1936, 40 stores sold Dutch Oven baked goods and 13 trucks delivered the goods. The main bakery was built on Stewart Avenue (today Metropolitan and the site of present-day Country Home Bakery). In 1935, William Edward Carroll quietly began developing this land “destined to provide Atlanta with one of the most elaborate recreation developments in the southeast.” It would become a 42 acre private development with three lakes, a swimming pool, clubhouse, botanical gardens, Alpine garden, barbeque pits, picnic shelters, horse stables, and riding paths.


The Atlanta Journal, July 14, 1935


View of Emerald Glen Lake with decorative rock feature. The damn has been recently reconstructed. April 2024.

A crew of 25 worked to build the first of three major dams (built on a tributary to Intrenchment Creek), which were 360 feet long, 140 feet wide, and 40 feet high. It was estimated the entire project would take three years, and provide 50 men with construction jobs; an important selling point during the Great Depression. The entire project cost $300,000 and was financed through Carroll Gardens, Inc., a company owned by the Carroll Family. $300,000 in 1935 would be 6.5 million today. I am a little curious about the financing. It was emphasized the project was privately funded, and despite Carroll operating a successful bakery business, he lived modestly in a bungalow in the Westview neighborhood. His parents also lived modestly: his father, George Edward Carroll, was a groundskeeper at East Lake Country Club. 



The botanical garden would begin at Bouldercrest Road, with a broad terrace overlooking the swimming pool, similarly designed to the Candler estate (Briarcliff). The terrace would drop 40 feet to a second terrace, on which a spacious lawn and road winding around the lake to the clubhouse. Facing the terraces on a hill would be the Alpine garden. The garden would feature flagstone walks, tables, and benches. The flagstone came from a quarry in North Georgia. 



Three artesian wells would provide water for the project and drinking fountains at picnic sites. Ponds would be stocked with bream and bullfrogs from the hatchery. Bullfrog farming was described as “just one of the many sidelines” of Carroll. Finding that bullfrogs were a necessity to his hatchery, he discovered that “their fried legs are delicious… [and would] supply frog legs to the dining room of the clubhouse.”


View of pool at the bottom of the terraces. April 2024. 

Trees included hundreds of dogwoods, mimosas, and weeping willows. Additionally, the property had mountain laurels, azaleas, and flowers from all over the world. The landscape designer for this project was William Monroe, Sr., of Monroe Gardens and Landscape. Monroe  was a prominent landscape architect in Atlanta. He was well known for his use of stonework, rock gardens, natural settings, and terraces. He helped develop Chastain Park and Adams Park, both in Atlanta. Monroe Drive was named in his honor.


Photo looking down the terraces, along the water feature. April 2024. 

Many members of the Carroll family lived on the property, the last documented resident died in 1961. It does not appear William Carroll and his wife Bertha ever permanently lived on the property. He sold his shares in his bakery business and retired to Florida in 1962, passing away at the age of 98 in 1993. 



Prior to 1995 and the development of Emerald Lake Condominiums, the property existed as the “Fox Hall and Bouldercrest Apartments.” These apartments, along with the neighboring “Bouldercrest Apartments,” were unfortunately condemned and became a haven for transient residents. 



Drugs, and crime plagued the neighborhood. The apartment complexes faced unique zoning challenges, being designated as fee simple triplexes with many disengaged owners who neglected the properties.



After 1996, Steinberg and Associates acquired the Fox Hall and Bouldercrest apartments property via foreclosure with the intention of rehabilitation. However, they encountered significant difficulties due to the aforementioned ownership structure.

Discovery and Preservation of the Rock Garden

During the initial cleanup efforts of the condemned complexes, a remarkable rock garden, previously obscured by many feet of overgrown kudzu and vegetation, was uncovered.



Cheryl Rosenblum, formerly Cheryl Steinberg of Steinberg and Associates, recognizing its historical value, aimed to preserve the garden and integrate it into the new development plans. Their efforts included negotiations to acquire full ownership of both apartment buildings, allowing for the separation of the rock garden.



Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Steinberg and Associates faced financial difficulties, jeopardizing the garden’s future. Steinberg used the rare opportunity when they owned 100% to start the process of donating the parcel containing the park to DeKalb County. These efforts were almost ruined because of the new lenders and the park was in danger of being demolished.

Intervention and Current Status

Fortunately, around 1999, Kelly Jordan played a pivotal role in securing the garden’s preservation. He played a key role in facilitating funding and advocating for the rock garden’s official transfer to DeKalb County. Without the behind the scenes work of Kelly Jordan, the Rock Garden would not be here for the people of DeKalb to enjoy. Cheryl Rosenblum always said she uncovered the historical rock garden but Kelly Jordan saved it.



With the skillful efforts of David Thayer and his crew, the garden underwent a meticulous restoration process. Drawing upon historical accounts from previous residents, the team aimed to recreate the garden’s original splendor.



Today, the revitalized Emerald Lake Condominiums stand alongside the beautifully preserved rock garden, a testament to the collective efforts of numerous individuals. Many thanks to Kelly Jordan for his efforts to preserve this hidden gem, and for providing additional information.

TRD Images

The rest of these images are from Top Row Dawg's visit with his hiking daughter and her friends.


Daughter takes TRD in a panoramic shot, way off in middle of image holding Onyx on a rock bench.


TRD panoramic of lower pond.

You can visit the parks here:

Glen Emerald Park is located at 1479 Bouldercrest Rd, Atlanta, GA 30316.  Park here for public access. Additionally, the park offers various fitness activities, including a fitness center and a tennis court. 


Now this is the place we parked. Go past the playground down to the path to the lake dam.


The lake is to your right and there are these rock pillars in the waters edge across the way.

Now my GPS took me to Glen Emerald Rock Garden at 1457 Foxhall Ln SE, Atlanta, Georgia. But that is a walk in entrance and there is no parking. The apartments are gated on Foxhall. Go to the Public Park address above.


We passed a deer and I missed taking his photo up close. We asked a fellow walking his dog how to get to the Rock Garden and he said we passed it. The deer was still visible and the fellow said that was the trail following the deer up through the Kudzu.


We crossed the gully back by the deer and we came out on the lower section of the Rock Garden.



From Snoflo

Glen Emerald Park is a hidden gem located in DeKalb County, Georgia. The park spans over 52 acres and offers visitors a peaceful and serene environment to enjoy nature. There are various reasons to visit Glen Emerald Park, including its beautiful hiking trails, numerous picnic areas, and well-maintained playgrounds for children. The park's main attraction is Glen Lake, which offers visitors the opportunity to fish, kayak, and paddle-boat. 

 

One of the most popular points of interest in the park is the beautiful Japanese Garden, which was designed by a renowned Japanese landscape architect? I trust the first site which said the Rock Garden was the work of William Monroe, Sr., of Monroe Gardens and Landscape. The garden features a koi pond, traditional pagoda, and a bamboo grove.

 

Interesting facts about the park include that it was once a private estate and that the property was donated to the county in the 1980s. 



The estate was owned by Asa G. Candler Jr., the son of the founder of Coca-Cola. Candler used the property as a summer home and would often entertain guests with lavish parties?  I trust the other site saying the Carroll's owned the place but this makes more sense the Candlers owning the place due to finances needed to build place and similarities to Briarcliff mansion.



The best time of year to visit Glen Emerald Park is during the spring and fall seasons when the weather is mild, and the foliage is most vibrant. 

Millstone tables.

However, the park is open year-round and offers visitors a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature in all seasons. 



Overall, Glen Emerald Park is a must-visit destination for anyone in the DeKalb County area. 


Rock benches, can see Flagstone rock formations in distance just below Foxhall Road.



With its beautiful scenery, numerous amenities, and fascinating history, the park offers something for everyone.


Looks like a waterfall went down under bridge. Outdoor Rock Grill.


Daughter likes images of Onyx.


This is very top of park where the flagstone boulders look natural but were probably landscaped like everything else. Can see walk in entrance off Foxhall.


Looks like an old Coca Cola House Party Spot. This Monroe fellow is going to lead me to several more Natural Wonders when we get to Atlanta and Fulton County.


We came back down to the lake, you could see apartments across the Kudzu Valley. We crossed the new Dam on a nice soft pad trail.



All Trails

This short dirt and mulch trail loops around Glen Emerald Lake with great lake views on the western side of the loop, a lush forested area, and plenty of shade. The trail weaves through a timber canopy and passes a well-kept playground and rock garden. The trail comes close to the back of several homes and an apartment building but has excellent scenery.


There are two islands in the lake. The near island has a rock wall around it.


Crossing Dam, and Spillway off Dam.


Continuing past Dam. Looking back to more apartments below Dam.


Nice neighborhood overlooking lake. Bulldog fans, statutes and actual barking bulldog.


Old Growth Pine Trees around lake.


Looking out on Rock Island and across lake to Dam.


This all use to be under a sea of Kudzu. Holding it back along Lake Trail.


Trees have fallen, good thing this second tree fell away from house. Hurricanes and Kudzu kills trees.


View from upper wetland part of lake and walk back around to car.


Pavilion overlooking lake back at public park and walk back up past simulated Rock Garden type playground.

DeKalb County (Part 8)

Now we covered all the National Historic Register Places and the Historical Markers and Monuments of DeKalb County. We move on to the communities.

Cities

Atlanta

We know from earlier post that 10% of Atlanta is in DeKalb County. East Atlanta, Candler Park, Kirkwood are all National Historic Register places and we covered them pretty good already, so we are going to wait till we get to Fulton County, to cover Atlanta. I'm learning Atlanta annexed Emory University in 2018, this is getting complicated.

Avondale Estates

Avondale Estates population was 3,567 in 2020.



Avondale Estates was founded in 1924 by George Francis Willis, a patent medicine magnate, who purchased the entire village of Ingleside to create a planned community. The city was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England, birthplace of Shakespeare. 


Downtown buildings were designed in a Tudor style to reinforce this image, as were many of the houses in the city. The city incorporated in 1927.


Avondale Estates is entirely underlain by granite, and clay-rich soil developed on it. Some of this granite can be seen outcropped along the shore of Lake Avondale. 

The mostly Tudor-style downtown area of Avondale Estates, known as the commercial district, is home to a variety of businesses including consignment stores. Pizza, southern comfort food, and Chicago style hot dogs are some of the restaurant fare options within the city limits. The city is the location of the first Waffle House restaurant which opened on Labor Day weekend in 1955 having been converted into a museum, along with an existing operational full-time Waffle House nearby, with numerous others in the Decatur, Georgia area as well. The Avondale Salad, featured on certain Waffle House lunch menus, derives its name from the city.



A selection of art galleries and studios are located in an area of the city known as the Rail Arts District.


Little Tree Art Studios located on Franklin Street, is a warehouse that includes multiple artist studios and a music rehearsal space. The movie, Instant Family (2018), starring Mark Wahlberg, was filmed in Avondale Estates.

Brookhaven

Brookhaven, formerly North Atlanta, is a city in the northeastern suburbs of Atlanta that is located in western DeKalb County. On July 31, 2012, Brookhaven was approved in a referendum to become DeKalb County's 11th city. 



Incorporation officially took place on December 17, 2012, on which date municipal operations commenced. With a population of around 55,366 as of 2021, it is the largest city in DeKalb County. The new city stretches over 12 square miles.

History

Brookhaven's first permanent European settler was John Evins, who started a plantation around 1810. Harris and Solomon Goodwin, who moved to Georgia from South Carolina, became owners of the land in the 1830s. The Goodwin home and the family graveyard have been preserved at the 3900 block of Peachtree Road, near Dresden Drive. 


Godwin House dismantled now and in storage, medical office building there now.

A train station known as Goodwin's was constructed along the Atlanta and Richmond (later Atlanta and Charlotte) railway in 1873. The settlement of Cross Keys, with a population of 250 in 1876, was located one mile north along the rail line from Goodwin's.

Oglethorpe Station replaced Cross Keys Station.

In 1879 Cross Keys was described:

    Nancy's Creek furnished power for operating a mill. The place has two churches—Methodist and Baptist—one common school, and steam cotton gins. Cotton and wood form the chief exports. About 140 bales of cotton shipped per annum, most of which is carried to Atlanta by wagon. Population within a radius of 2 miles, near 400. Mail daily… Depot and station is one and one-quarter miles distant from this place.

Atlanta residents began constructing summer cottages in the Brookhaven community around 1900. In 1910, 150 acres on the north side of Peachtree Road were purchased for development as a planned community surrounding a golf course. The nine-hole golf course, designed by Herbert Barker, a golf pro from Garden City, Long Island, opened in 1912. Residences developed in three phases, with Brookhaven Estates designed in 1910, followed by Country Club Estates in 1929 and the Carleton Operating Company in 1936. 


Independently, Edwin P. Ansley sold lots in the area, calling it Oglethorpe Park. 

Construction of the historic neighborhood was largely complete by the end of World War II. The country club became part of the downtown Capital City Club in 1911, and its name was changed to the Capital City Country Club. 



The golf course was expanded from nine to eighteen holes in 1915. The clubhouse, designed by Preston Stevens in the French Provincial style, was completed in 1928. In 1986, the Capital City Club and its surrounding estate homes were placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the neighborhood is now officially known as "Historic Brookhaven."

 

The area was incorporated as the city of North Atlanta in 1924. In 1963, the North Atlanta's leaders asked the state legislature to allow a referendum on a new city charter. The legislature agreed, but also included an additional option in the referendum: dis-incorporation. 



The majority of voters chose dis-incorporation, and the city's charter was dissolved in 1965. The U.S. Census Bureau statistically counted the North Atlanta census-designated place up to the 2010 U.S. Census.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, major commercial and residential development took place in Brookhaven, resulting in the area being largely built-out by 1980.


The Brookhaven/Oglethorpe MARTA Station opened in 1984.

The idea of incorporating Brookhaven as a city was first brought up in 2007, with the purpose of securing local community control over planning, zoning, land use, police, fire protection, and parks and recreation—rather than having those issues decided by the county. However, the idea failed to gain momentum. The proposed city would have included 53,000 people. In 2011, the incorporation of Brookhaven was revived when state Rep. Mike Jacobs announced plans to introduce legislation allowing the creation of a city of Brookhaven, over the objections of many residents of the neighborhood of Historic Brookhaven, which would not lie in the proposed city boundaries. On July 31, 2012, 55% of voters chose to incorporate the city of Brookhaven. In December of that same year, J. Max Davis was elected as the city's first mayor.

Chamblee

Chamblee is a city in northern DeKalb County, northeast of Atlanta. The population was 30,164 as of the 2020 census.

 
City Hall and downtown Chamblee.

History

The area that would later become Chamblee was originally dairy farms. During the late nineteenth century, an intersection of two railroads was constructed in Chamblee; one carried passengers from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, while the other ferried workers and goods back and forth from a factory in Roswell to Atlanta. A settlement known as Roswell Junction emerged at the intersection, and the United States Postal Service decided to establish a post office there. However, feeling the name of the settlement was too similar to nearby Roswell, they randomly selected Chamblee from a list of petitioners for the new post office name. Chamblee was incorporated in 1907.



During World War I and World War II, Chamblee served as the site of U.S. military operations. During World War I, the U.S. operated Camp Gordon, home to 40,000 servicemen. This influx of new people created a building boom in the town. Camp Gordon was closed after the war and then re-opened as Navy Flight Training Center at the advent of World War II.



Immediately after World War II, Chamblee experienced growth in blue-collar industry and residents due to its proximity to the newly opened General Motors plant in neighboring Doraville. Manufacturing plants also located along the newly constructed Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. By the 1980s, much of the city's industrial base had downsized or eroded; in its place sprang up multi-ethnic businesses that catered to the immigrants and refugees moving to Chamblee and Doraville en masse due to the cities' affordable housing. By the time of the 1996 Summer Olympics, Chamblee had emerged as a multi-cultural city inhabited by a large immigrant community.



During the first decade of the 2000s, the city grew as it refined its image, constructing a new city hall in 2002. In 2010, Chamblee annexed an area directly to the northwest that includes Huntley Hills and a resident population of approximately 5,000. It also renamed Peachtree Industrial Boulevard to Peachtree Boulevard, and took steps to revitalize its downtown. 



In 2012 the city had an annexation proposal that was voted down by a small margin. In November 2013 the city had another annexation proposal that was passed by voters. Following the annexation, the city and neighboring Brookhaven had a dispute in 2014 over which city would annex the Century Center development. The courts gave Century Center to Chamblee.



According to 2020 Census data, Chamblee effectively tripled its population since 2010. It started the decade with roughly 9,800 residents and ended it with more than 30,000, mostly due to two annexations. The only city to gain more residents in that time was Atlanta, and only two Georgia cities — Morgan and Pendergrass — grew at faster rates in the 2010s. City leaders have credited Chamblee's location as a transportation hub, with close proximity to two interstates, a MARTA station 

Chamblee MARTA Station.

and the DeKalb–Peachtree Airport, as a key reason for the city's growth. 

PDK

In the early 2020s Chamblee attracted multiple mixed-use developments and office projects.

Clarkston

Clarkston is a city in DeKalb County. The population was 14,756 as of the 2020 census, up from 7,554 in 2010.



History

A post office called Clarkston has been in operation since 1876. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1882 as the "Town of Clarkston", with municipal corporate limits extending in a one-half mile radius from the Georgia Railroad depot. The community was named after W. W. Clark, a railroad official.


Vintage Clarkston.

Refugee resettlement

Georgia is among states that receive the highest amount of refugees for resettlement, and has resettled more than 37,000 refugees since 1993. 


Clarkston receives a large portion of these refugees, but arrivals have gradually declined yearly since 2016.

In television

Clarkston was featured in season one of "Good Girls" Netflix series (the fictional supermarket "Fine & Frugal" was shot in Fresh Food Town in the Tahoe Village plaza). Clarkston is the setting of the episode "Make Ted Great Again" in the second season of Queer Eye in 2018. Clarkston is featured in the episode "It's a Greens Thing" in the first season of Vivan Howard's PBS cooking show Somewhere South in 2020.



Decatur

Decatur is a city and the county seat of DeKalb County, Georgia. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear Decatur as the address.



The city is served by three MARTA rail stations (Decatur, East Lake, and Avondale). The city is located approximately five miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with both the city of Atlanta (the Kirkwood and Lake Claire neighborhoods) and unincorporated DeKalb County. The Druid Hills neighborhood is to the northwest of Decatur. 

Early History

Prior to European settlement, the Decatur area was largely forested (a remnant of old-growth forest near Decatur is preserved as Fernbank Forest). Decatur was established at the intersection of two Native American trails: the Sandtown, which led east from the Chattahoochee River at Utoy Creek, and the Shallowford, which follows today's Clairmont Road, and eventually crossed near Roswell. A site for the DeKalb County courthouse was designated in 1822 in what would become downtown Decatur; the city of Decatur was incorporated on December 10, 1823. It was named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur.



The first settler in the area were farmers or skilled tradesmen of English, Scottish and Irish descent.

American Civil War

During the American Civil War, Decatur became a strategic site in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. In July 1864, Major-General James McPherson occupied the town to cut off the Confederates' supply line from Augusta.

On July 22, during the Battle of Atlanta, Confederate cavalry under Major-General Joseph Wheeler attacked McPherson's supply wagons and the Union troops left to defend the wagons. 



A historical marker at the old courthouse marks the site of this skirmish.

    We attacked Decatur on the 22d and took the town driving out a Brigade of Infantry and a good deal of Dismounted Cavalry. Our Brigade really took the town, tho' it was supported on both flanks by a Brigade of Cavalry dismounted. The fight lasted about two hours and was very hot for a while. The Yankees had the hills and houses on us and fought very well for a time. Our dash was made to distract attention while Hardee made the real attack on the enemy's flank. We captured over a hundred prisoners and killed and wounded about one hundred and fifty. Our loss about seventy killed and wounded.

    — Captain W. L. Nugent, in a letter to his wife

20th century

In the second half of the twentieth century the metropolitan area of Atlanta expanded into unincorporated DeKalb County, eventually surrounding two sides of the town of Decatur. 



Concurrently many citizens fled the area to more distant suburbs. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed dramatic drops in property values. However, more recently the city has regained economic vigor, partially thanks to several long-term downtown development plans that have come to fruition, making Decatur a trendy small mixed-use district with easy transit to downtown Atlanta.



Over the past twenty years, it has gained a local and national reputation as a progressive city with a high level of citizen involvement.

Doraville

Doraville is a city in DeKalb County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,623.

City Hall

History

Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 1871. From its development until the 1940s, Doraville was a small agricultural community that served the interests of a larger surrounding farming area.


Vintage Doraville.

At the end of World War II, Doraville was on a main railroad line and had a new water system. General Motors selected Doraville for a new assembly plant. Doraville grew in the late 1940s and the 1950s as a result. In the late 1940s, plans for Guilford Village, the first subdivision, were announced by Southern Builders and Engineering Company. The 112-home subdivision at Tilly Mill and Flowers Roads was to cover some 58 acres. In 1950, Doraville's population was 472. By 1964, its population was 6,160 and its land area was 1,722 acres. Part of the population growth during that period was because of the annexation of Northwoods in 1949 and Oakcliff in 1958.


Today and 1970's Doraville.

By the 1980s, Doraville and neighboring Chamblee attracted immigrants relocating to the Atlanta area who settled along Buford Highway. The result is one of the largest Asian communities in the country. Many Latin American countries are also represented. 56% of residents speak a language other than English as a first language.



The Doraville MARTA Station was built in 1992, destroying the few buildings that remained of Doraville's downtown. The GM Doraville Assembly Plant closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2015.

Doraville MARTA.

The Atlanta Rhythm Section, 1970s Southern rock/adult contemporary band, was formed in Doraville at Studio One recording studio. The band's first top 40 hit, "Doraville", peaked at #35 on the Billboard charts in 1974. "Doraville" was an uptempo song from the Third Annual Pipe Dream album which paid tribute to the friendly environment of the Atlanta suburb. The town was described in the 1974 song as "a touch of country in the city". Their 1980 album was titled The Boys from Doraville.


A second TRD Scrolling Nugget. ARS!

Dunwoody

Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County. As a northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008 but its area establishment dates back to the early 1830s. 

 
City Hall and Village.

As of 2020, the city had a population of 51,683.

History

The Dunwoody area was established in the early 1830s and is named for Major Charles Dunwody (1828–1905), an extra "o" added with the incorrect spelling of the name on a banking note. Charles Dunwody originally returned to Roswell after fighting in the Civil War, in which he fought for the Confederates.


The Donaldson-Bannister House and Cheek-Spruill House.

One of Dunwoody's most historic buildings dates from 1829. The Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, at the corner of Roberts Drive and Spalding Drive, is still active to this date and is also the home to one of the city's oldest cemeteries, where many of the founding fathers of Dunwoody are buried. The first public school, Dunwoody Elementary, first stood near the center of the city at the intersection of Chamblee-Dunwoody Road and Mount Vernon Road. It was in continuous operation from 1911 to 1986. A fire destroyed the school's cafeteria in 1966, which was on the corner of Womack Road and Chamblee-Dunwoody Road. On that site today, the Dunwoody branch of the Dekalb County Public Library now operates along with the North Dekalb Cultural Arts Center. In 1881, the Roswell Railroad opened and ran along what is now Chamblee-Dunwoody Road north to the Chattahoochee River. It operated for 40 years, and in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt made a campaign whistle stop in Dunwoody along the way to Roswell, Georgia.


Dunwoody Village.

On account of the railroad, Dunwoody developed into a small crossroads community. The community continued to grow and prosper even after the railroad shut down in 1921. Dunwoody remained rural until suburban residential development was initiated in the 1960s. In 1971, the Spruill family sold a large portion of their property for the construction of Perimeter Mall, with the completion of Dunwoody Village occurring the same year.


Tallest Building in Dunwoody Crowne Ravinia.

In early 2006, a study was conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government of the University of Georgia, to determine how feasible it would be to incorporate Dunwoody as a city. Critics claimed that incorporation of Dunwoody, as in the incorporation of Sandy Springs in 2005, would take away a great deal of tax revenue from the rest of the county, leading to shortages of services, tax increases, or both for everyone else in the county, as has happened in Fulton. Citizens for Dunwoody, Inc. was the non-profit advocacy group begun by Senator Dan Weber to promote the effort.


Dunwoody is all about Perimeter Mall now.

The bill for incorporation was withdrawn from the Georgia General Assembly for further study in 2006 and passed only the lower house in 2007. In 2008, the bill of incorporation was re-introduced by Senator Weber, and due to increased pressure, it passed in the senate as well as the house. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed the bill allowing the residents to vote for a city of Dunwoody on March 25. The referendum for cityhood, which took place on July 15, was approved by an overwhelming majority of voters. The Dunwoody City Charter was later ratified by the Georgia General Assembly, and on December 1, 2008, after a three-year movement, Dunwoody officially became a city.

Lithonia

Lithonia is a city in eastern DeKalb County. The city's population was 2,662 at the 2020 census. Lithonia is in the Atlanta metropolitan area.



"Lithonia" means "city/town of stone". Lithonia is in the heart of the Georgian granite-quarrying and viewing region, hence the name of the town, from the Greek lithos, for “stone”. The huge nearby Stone Mountain is composed of granite, while the Lithonia gneiss is a form of metamorphic rock. The Stone Mountain granite is younger, and has intruded the Lithonia gneiss. The area has a history of rock quarries. The mines were served by the Georgia Railroad and Atlanta, Stone Mountain & Lithonia Railway. Some of the rock quarries have been converted to parkland, and the rail lines to rail-trail.



Lithonia is one of the gateways to the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (GNW #83), which is largely contained inside Stonecrest, Georgia. 

History


Railroad tracks in Lithonia, near the Collinsville area.

In 1805, Lithonia began as a small crossroads settlement of farmers. The town grew with the coming of the Atlanta Augusta Railroad in 1845, which allowed the granite quarrying industry in the area to flourish.


The Seminary and vintage Lithonia.

Lithonia is the birthplace of the Lithonia Lighting company, one of North America's largest manufacturers of commercial, institutional, industrial and residential light fixtures, which was founded in the city in 1946 but moved to nearby Conyers in the 1950s.

Pine Lake

Pine Lake is the smallest city in DeKalb County. The population was 752 at the 2020 census.


The lake has a community beach.

History

Pine Lake was established as a city in December 1937, after a short life as a summer retreat run by the Pine Woods Corporation. The corporation sold lots around a small fishing lake to Atlantans who lived in (then) faraway areas like Buckhead for use as a weekend retreat. The 20' x 100' lots sold for $69, and the advertisement for lots directed people "from Decatur down the Rockbridge Road East." Many homeowners continued to use their property as a weekend getaway long after the city incorporated. 



Prior to development, Pine Lake was a portion of a farm. The lake was formerly a widened region of Snapfinger Creek, and the valley that encompasses much of the town was where corn was grown. The lake was dammed by the Army Corps of Engineers as erosion and flood control, prior to the official FDR lake projects.

Stonecrest

Stonecrest is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The boundaries of the city generally lie in the far southeastern corner of the county, and a smaller portion just north of Interstate 20. The city borders the existing municipality of Lithonia, as well as Rockdale and Henry counties.



The city's population was 59,194 at the 2020 census, which makes it the 15th-largest city in the state as well as the largest city that is entirely within DeKalb County, as Atlanta, the state capital, is located mostly within Fulton County.

History

Residents in the area voted in the November 2016 General Election to approve the city. In March 2017, elections were held to elect representatives for five city council districts as well as mayor. Jason Lary, a former insurance executive, concert promoter, and advocate of incorporation was elected the city's first mayor.



The area is home to the Mall at Stonecrest, for which it is named, and the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve, Flat Rock Archives, and Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (GNW #83).

Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County. The population was 6,703 according in 2020. Stone Mountain is in the eastern part of DeKalb County and is a suburb of Atlanta that encompasses nearly 1.7 square miles. 



It lies near and touches the western base of the geological formation of the same name (GNW #7). 



Locals often call the city "Stone Mountain Village" to distinguish it from the larger unincorporated area traditionally considered Stone Mountain and Stone Mountain Park.

History

Stone Mountain's history began long before European settlers and the Creek Indians before them. Evidence of numerous earlier Native American tribes, including mound builders, has been found in the area. The Treaty of Indian Springs in 1821 opened a large swath of Georgia for settlement by non-Native Americans on former Creek Indian land, including present-day Stone Mountain Village. In 1822, the area that now makes up the city was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County.


Trail Of Tears in Stone Mountain, GA offers visitors a unique and educational experience centered around the historical significance of the Trail of Tears. Guests can explore exhibits, learn about the journey of Native American tribes, and gain a deeper understanding of this important chapter in American history.

Settlement

By the 1820s, Rock Mountain, as it was then called, was "a major travel center", with an inn for travelers. A stagecoach line linking the village with Georgia's capital, Milledgeville, began in 1825. Another stage line ran to Winder and Athens. In 1828 another stage line began trips to Dahlonega, and a fourth connected the community with Macon. "Hundreds of people visited Rock Mountain in the summer [of 1828] and...a house of entertainment was nearby." Rail service did not reach the town, by then New Gibraltar, until 1845.



A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson, called the founder of New Gibraltar and first mayor, around whose house the city limits were drawn, built a hotel along the road in 1836. ("An 1843 amendment to the act of incorporation extended the town limits to 600 yards in every direction from the house of Andrew Johnson." About 1839 Aaron Cloud, who also had a hotel,:  built a wooden observation tower, octagonal like a lighthouse and 150 feet high, along with a restaurant and club, at the mountain's summit. 


A storm destroyed the tower in 1849; in 1851, Thomas Henry built a smaller, 80 feet  tower, with telescopes so it could serve as an observatory.  Visitors to the mountain traveled by rail and road, then hiked up the 1.3-mile mountaintop trail to the top. By 1850, Stone Mountain had become a popular destination for Atlanta urbanites who endured the four-hour round trip by rail just to experience its natural beauty, lodging, and attractions.

Industry

Granite quarrying at the mountain was the area's lifeblood for decades, employing many thousands. The excellent grade of building stone from the mountain was used in many notable structures, including the locks of the Panama Canal, the roof of the bullion depository at Fort Knox, Philadelphia's Liberty National Building, and the steps in the east wing of the U.S. Capitol.



In August 1846, New Gibraltar hosted Georgia's first state fair, then known as the Agriculture Fair and Internal Improvement Jubilee. The fair had just one exhibit—three horses and two cows, both belonging to the event's organizer, John Graves. The next year, the village again hosted the event, which featured caskets, marble, embroidery, brooms, bedspreads, vegetables, blooded stock, wheat, farm tools, and a magnetic telegraph. Stone Mountain hosted the event until 1850, when it moved to Macon.


Stone Mountain in 1908

American Civil War

Though DeKalb County voted against secession from the United States, it was not spared the devastation of the Civil War. Stone Mountain Village went unscathed until the Battle of Atlanta, when it was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864. Several antebellum homes were spared as they were used as hospitals. The railroad depot's roof burned, but the building stood, owing to its 2-foot-thick granite walls.



From the village's destruction in July 1864 until November, Union forces scavenged Stone Mountain and the surrounding area, taking corn, wheat, cotton, cattle, and other goods. On November 15, 1864, between 12,000 and 15,000 Union troops marched through Stone Mountain and further destroyed the rail lines. The rails were rendered useless by heating them over burning railroad ties, then twisting them around trees. The term Sherman's neckties was coined for this form of destruction.

Sherman Necktie Monument Stone Mountain.

Rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan

The year 1915 was when the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization, was reborn. Members assembled at Stone Mountain with permission of quarry owner Samuel Venable, an active member. 



Their activities, including annual cross-burnings, continued for over 40 years, but Stone Mountain's association with the Klan began to erode when the State of Georgia began to acquire the mountain and surrounding property in 1958. In 1960, Governor Ernest Vandiver condemned the property the state had purchased in order to void the perpetual easements Venable had granted the Klan. This ended any official link between Stone Mountain and the Klan.

Civil rights movement


Freedom Bell on Main Street

During the civil rights movement's March on Washington, on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. referred to Stone Mountain in his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech when he proclaimed, "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!" Charles Burris, the Village's first African-American mayor, dedicated the Freedom Bell on Main Street in King's honor on February 26, 2000. At an annual ceremony held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the bell is rung to commemorate King's legacy.

Cemetery

The Stone Mountain Cemetery, established around 1850, is a microcosm of the village's past. It is the final resting place for roughly 200 unknown Confederate soldiers. 



71 known Confederate soldiers are buried there, along with James Sprayberry, a Union soldier. Another notable site is the grave of George Pressley Trout, who is buried there with his wife and his horse. James B. Rivers, the village's first African American police chief, is at rest there on a hillside facing the mountain. The cemetery is still in use.

In film

The Stone Mountain area has been a beneficiary of Georgia's flourishing film industry. Film crews and production personnel have become common sights in Stone Mountain Village. Due to the demand for filming in the historic downtown area, requests for filming in the village are handled by the downtown development authority. The proceeds help fund festivals and other public events for the community.


Most of the shops and buildings on Main Street were built right after the turn of the 20th century and maintain many of the original facades. This has provided an appropriate backdrop for a number of filming projects, ranging from period pieces to those requiring a quaint village setting.


Parts of motion pictures like Footloose (2011) and Need for Speed (2014) were filmed in the village. The growing number of television show credits include The Vampire Diaries, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, MacGyver, and the Netflix science fiction/horror series Stranger Things.

Tucker

Tucker is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, located near Atlanta and was originally settled in the 1820s, and later developed as a railroad community in 1892. According to the 2016 United States Census Bureau annual estimate of resident population, it has a population of 35,322. 



In a November 2015 referendum, by a 3:1 margin (73.94%), voters approved incorporating Tucker into a city. In March 2016, Tucker residents elected the city's first mayor and city council.

History

The 1821 Georgia Land Lottery opened portions of state land for settlement between the Flint and Ocmulgee rivers, including present-day DeKalb County. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation ceded the land to the United States in January of that year, and drawings for lots measuring 202.5 acres each began in May in Milledgeville, the state capital until 1868. The land grant fee was $19.00. The area that would become Tucker was in Militia District 572 in then Henry County. The state created DeKalb County on December 9, 1822, and District 572 became DeKalb's 18th District, or the Brownings District, reportedly named for Andrew Browning.


Browning Courthouse on the move and in front of old Tucker Elementary School currently.

Among the thirty cemeteries within a 4-mile radius of Main Street, approximately 30 graves belong to individuals born in the 18th century, four of whom are Revolutionary War soldiers. Twelve graves belong to Confederate soldiers.

Old Fellowship Cemetery with Revolutionary soldier graves.

American Civil War

In spite of DeKalb County delegates voting against secession from the United States, Georgia joined the Confederacy and seceded from the Union in 1861. The full reality of that decision marched into Tucker in July 1864. Union soldiers camped at Henderson's Mill, used the Brownings Courthouse, one of the few buildings in the area they did not burn, dismantled the railroad to Stone Mountain, and formed the left wing of Sherman's advance to Atlanta.


Map of Tucker area during the U.S. Civil War

Railroad


19th century geological survey showing railroad in Tucker

In 1886 the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway received a charter to build a new rail line between Monroe, North Carolina, and Atlanta. Prior to the project's completion, the company leased the road to the Seaboard Air Line Railroad system, a collection of regional railroads headquartered in North Carolina eager to extend its reach to Atlanta.


Tucker, at 1,117 feet above sea level, is the highest point of elevation on the railroad line between Atlanta and Richmond, Virginia.

Seaboard built depots at a number of small villages, often little more than a crossroads, and named them for railroad company officials. The depot at Jug Tavern, for example, was named for Seaboard's general manager, John H. Winder. The stop at Bryan was named in honor of the system's general superintendent, Lilburn Meyers. Although the origin of the name is unknown, it is possible that the next stop, in the Brownings District, may have been named for Rufus S. Tucker, a director and major shareholder in several Seaboard system railroads. At the DeKalb County Centennial Celebration in 1922, Charles Murphey Candler stated that Tucker a “prosperous and promising village on the Seaboard Air Line Railway... was named in honor of Capt. Tucker, an official of the Seaboard Air Railway.” Some residents attribute the name to a local family with the surname Tucker.


At the Old No. 7 Bar next to depot, you have to take a shot when a train passes.

The first train steamed into the new Tucker station on Sunday, April 24, 1892. Originating in Elberton with a final destination of the Atlanta suburb of Inman Park — a four-hour trip — the Seaboard train consisted of two cars carrying 150 passengers and a baggage car. Two months later the US Postal Service appointed Alpheus G. Chewning first Postmaster of the Tucker Post office. Rural Free Delivery began on March 2, 1903. On Saturday, July 1, 1967, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line to form Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. In 1983 The line became Seaboard System and merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio, Baltimore & Ohio and the Western Maryland in 1986 Chessie System to form current railroad operator, CSXT. Although no longer a train stop for passengers, the Tucker depot is currently a CSX field office for track repair and signal maintenance.

20th century

Following World War II, Tucker began a steady transition from an agricultural community to a mixed industrial, retail, and residential area. The strength of a county-wide water system extending into Tucker by the 1950s, and the post war establishment of nearby employers in other areas of the county brought new residents to Tucker from across the nation. Descendants of early settlers subdivided and sold family land for neighborhoods and shopping plazas (Cofers). 



Local community leaders opened Tucker Federal Savings and Loan, created a youth football league, and by the 1960s newspapers identified Tucker as “DeKalb’s Area of Golden Opportunity.” 

 
TRD played the first football game at Fitzgerald Field 1966. A young Nakobe Dean #17.


Sisters cheered for Tucker Lions. Parade down main Street.

The post–World War II baby boom drove the growth of DeKalb County schools and with the affordability of the car, the expansion of the highway system, and inexpensive fuel, Tucker became an ideal location to call home.

Culture and contemporary life

Tucker primarily consists of 1960s and 1970s-era ranch and split-level homes, and 1970s and 1980s-era multi-story homes. The latter two often feature daylight basements. Various neighborhoods are typically groups by geographic association with elementary schools and other centers of community life such as parks.

Rehobath Cemetery is where pop is buried.

Several churches including Rehoboth Baptist, established in 1854, and First Baptist of Tucker, established in 1893. In the 1970s, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built a Tucker Church.


Tucker mainly know for Matthews Cafeteria and Cofer Brothers Building Supply. Cofer Brothers truck in Smokey and the Bandit Movie.

Outdoor events

Outdoor events held on Main Street are a central part of the community for numerous residents and organizations. 

Independence Day.

The Tucker Day celebration, first held in the 1950s, is an annual event typically including a parade, that runs the length of Main Street with food vendors, artist, musicians, and merchants.

Whew, DeKalb County! Today's Georgia Natural Wonder Gals are wearing Emeralds for the Emerald Rock Garden.