It's a monster. |
Of the original 12 blocks, I'll really only get into detail with one of them. The rest aren't especially noteworthy until (SPOILER ALERT) they're all demolished.
This is the only portion of the 12 blocks showing in the 1871 birds eye view. |
In this 1878 atlas, some houses have been constructed, but much of the southern part of the area is undeveloped. McDonough St became Capitol Ave shortly after. |
The blocks in 1892 |
Charles Thomas Swift |
Charles Thomas Swift House, illustration from Harper's Weekly, 1887 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
The Swift House on the southern corner of the block, 1892 |
The house was briefly a rental property until 1904, when it was purchased by an Austrian immigrant named Ludwig Amster. Amster was a Jewish physician who moved to Atlanta in 1894 and practiced medicine out of his home on Washington Street. He wanted to open a sanitarium...sanatorium?...hospital to treat stomach and intestinal disorders and felt the handsome decor of the 14-room Swift House made it suitable for patients.
Dr. Ludwig Amster in front of Piedmont Sanatorium, ca. 1920. Courtesy of Piedmont Hospital |
Piedmont Sanatorium, ca. 1920 Courtesy of Piedmont Hospital |
Student Nurses, 1915 Courtesy of Piedmont Hospital |
Second block down on the right is the Piedmont block, 1928. |
Close-up of that block. |
View from the back at Crew and Crumley, 1934 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Piedmont Hospital, 1952 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
DEDICATED TO THE OLD PIEDMONT:
No one has asked me to do this,
So don't anyone laugh.
As one of the oldest
Members of Piedmont staff,
I only have this to say--
"Hail and farewell," on
This, our last day.
For the past thirty-four years,
Day and night,
I've been riding this route,
With no relief in sight.
But now, through the supreme effort of--
Staff, nurses, doctors, well-wishers, and friends,
We now have arrived at a climactic end.
The minutes of this meeting
Should be preserved for "Posterity."
So all who follow can read and see,
What a swell project this turned out to be.
I do hope these sentimental little lines,
Will bring home to us that oft repeated rhyme
"There is a strange pathos in doing the simplest things for the last time."
Postcard ca. 1920 |
Postcard ca. 1930 |
The careful attention to greenspace is almost as evident as my sarcasm. |
The other 11 blocks remained mostly residential in the first half of the 20th century, with Georgia Avenue becoming a small shopping district, complete with a movie theater on the corner of Georgia and Crew, and Fritz' Ice Cream shop nearby. Most of Atlanta's wealthiest residents were moving to suburbs, leaving areas like this one open to low and middle income residents. By 1960, about half of those residents remained Jewish, with the other half mostly African American.
With the decline of the area's income level, the property there was deemed less desirable. In 1960, multiple blocks were cleared as part of the Washington-Rawson Urban Renewal project. Several blocks in the neighborhood had already been cleared for highway construction. The initial plans for our blocks included white public housing, but many black residents felt that since so many low income black people had been displaced by the demolition, the new housing project should be for black residents. The land sat vacant for years.
This 1949 aerial photograph shows how dense the area had become. |
Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., wanting to avoid the controversy that would come with either choice, decided that the area would not be developed for housing at all. Instead, he chose the Washington-Rawson area for the development of a new stadium he had been wanting. Allen, elected mayor in 1961, had a vision of bringing professional sports to Atlanta, but was struggling to find a suitable stadium location. He argued the Washington-Rawson location worked because it would help revitalize the decaying downtown area by bringing people in for sporting events. It failed to do that, though, because the area was already completely cut off from downtown by interstates, making it extremely difficult to go back and forth between locations.
Atlanta Stadium Construction, 1965 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
As president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Allen had made several connections in the city's business elite. He called on Citizens & Southern bank president Mills Lane to front the credit for the new stadium construction in exchange for Lane's recommended appointments for a new Stadium Authority (including Lane himself as treasurer and Coca-Cola executive Arthur Montgomery as chairman).
Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. during Atlanta Stadium construction, 1964. Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
The stadium was completed in 1965, a year before the Braves moved in. In the meantime, the Beatles performed their only Atlanta show ever at the stadium on August 18, 1965. Atlanta Time Machine has some great images related to that show here.
Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves was April 12, 1966 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Braves lost 3-2.
Hank Aaron's equipment, Opening Day: April 12, 1966 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
The Braves demanded that the city add 2,500 more parking spaces within 10 years, which the city did, but that was still not enough. Since so many people had to find unofficial parking, the remaining areas of Summerhill were flooded with cars. Many property owners recognized that they could make more money selling parking spots than renting to low-income tenants, so rental properties were razed and replaced by "gypsy" parking lots.
People used to live here. |
I know you have to get up for work in two hours, but THE BRAVES WON!! |
Atlanta Braves mascot Chief Nok-a-Homa, 1966. Yup. Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Big Victor, 1967 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Hank Aaron hitting his record-breaking homer, 1974 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Atlanta Stadium set up for a Falcons game, 1966 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Atlanta Falcons vs. LA Rams, 1966 Courtesy of Atlanta History Center |
Atlanta Chiefs Schedule, 1980 |
In preparation for the upcoming Olympics bid, the Atlanta Olympic Committee began secretly negotiating a new stadium with the Braves that would be used for the Olympic Games (should Atlanta win the bid) and then be turned over to the Braves for a new baseball stadium. As we all know, Atlanta did win the bid in 1990, and these plans were then made known to the public. The Falcons moved to their new home, the Georgia Dome, in 1992.
Since the new stadium was to be erected just south of the existing one, residents of the Peoplestown neighborhood nearby expressed concerns that their neighborhood would experience the same problems that Summerhill did. They organized Atlanta Neighborhoods United for Fairness (A'NUFF) and lobbied for better parking and traffic plans, a ban on gypsy lots, increased neighborhood security, and a cut-off time for fireworks.
These demands were largely not met. There were 8,900 parking spaces now available and a ban on gypsy parking, but the new spaces still weren't enough, and the gypsy parking ban was rarely enforced.
The new Centennial Olympic Stadium plan was conceived by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and the Braves with very little input from city or county officials. Construction commenced in 1995.
After the Olympics, it was converted to the new Braves stadium, Turner Field, with a capacity of almost 50,000. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium's footprint is preserved as a large parking lot for the new stadium. The Braves started their 1997 season at Turner Field with a 20-year lease, and there has been no controversy of any kind since.
These demands were largely not met. There were 8,900 parking spaces now available and a ban on gypsy parking, but the new spaces still weren't enough, and the gypsy parking ban was rarely enforced.
The new Centennial Olympic Stadium plan was conceived by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and the Braves with very little input from city or county officials. Construction commenced in 1995.
Looking south toward Centennial Olympic Stadium construction, 1995 Courtesy of AJC |
Centennial Olympic Stadium had a capacity of 85,000 people and was home to the 1996 Olympics' track and field events as well as Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to the north, Olympic Stadium to the south |
Turner Field today |
1878, 1928, 1949, 2014 |
Until next time...
Lava...haha!
ReplyDeleteTerrific! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGeoffrey, Heard your story on the radio this morning.
ReplyDeleteLove the Blog!
yeah, congrats on the WABE publicity! nice! one day I'll be happy to write up a post on mine and Jean's block (the one with the Dixie bottling (Coke) building and shiny GSU dorms. - emily
ReplyDeleteThanks Emily! I may take you up on that one day when I'm falling behind and can pass the work off on someone else. :)
DeleteI heard about this on the radio this morning too. I love it. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteIt will be a football stadium for Georgia State.
ReplyDeletethis is amazing. Thank you so much for doing all this.
ReplyDeletereally curious how you got all these photographs!
ReplyDelete