Avondale Estates, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Avondale Estates is a city in DeKalb County
, Georgia
, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2010 census.
Avondale Estates was founded in 1924 by George Francis Willis
, 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. Community amenities such as a lake, tennis courts,a clubhouse, parks, and a swimming pool were built for residents.
, and clay-rich soil developed on it. Some of this granite can be seen outcropped along the shore of Lake Avondale.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), of which 0.88% is water.
, which opened its doors Labor Day weekend of 1955. Waffle House operates a museum at the original location today, and a separate restaurant elsewhere in the city.
A selection of art galleries and studios make their home in an area of the city known as the Rail Arts District. The longest running professional theater in Georgia, founded in 1956, is located in Avondale Estates.
The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
has its headquarters in Avondale Estates.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Avondale Estates Post Office.
.
Avondale High School closed at the end of May, 2011, and the students were distributed to neighboring schools. The campus is now used exclusively by the magnet school
DeKalb School of the Arts
.
The elementary school is in the city limits, while the middle school and high school are adjacent to the city limits.
In 2008, local parents began organizing formal efforts through the Avondale Education Association, a local grass-roots non-profit organization, to create a charter school that would achieve the standards required by law, while establishing an elementary school that reflected the values of the community. Their proposal was initially rejected by the Dekalb County School Board, but it was subsequently selected by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission as one of a small number of schools to be chartered directly by the State of Georgia. The school, Museum School of Avondale Estates, opened in 2010, and Avondale Estates therefore lies within its attendance zone.
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2010 census.
Avondale Estates was founded in 1924 by George Francis Willis
George Francis Willis
George Francis Willis was an American millionaire. As an entrepreneur, he founded Avondale Estates, Georgia in 1924....
, who purchased the entire village of Ingleside to create a planned community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
. The city was named after Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, 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. Community amenities such as a lake, tennis courts,a clubhouse, parks, and a swimming pool were built for residents.
Geography
Avondale Estates is located at 33°46′15"N 84°15′54"W (33.770905, -84.264894). The city is entirely underlain by graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, and clay-rich soil developed on it. Some of this granite can be seen outcropped along the shore of Lake Avondale.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), of which 0.88% is water.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, Avondale Estates had a population of 2,960. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 85.56% white, 8.62% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% NPacific Islander, 0.5% reporting some other race and 2.0% reporting two or more races. 2.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.Business and entertainment
The mostly Tudor-style downtown area of Avondale Estates, known as the commercial district, is home to a variety of businesses including antique and consignment stores. Multiple pizzerias and sports bars, and restaurants serving other fare from Mexican cuisine to hot dogs are also within the city limits. The city is the location of the first Waffle HouseWaffle House
Waffle House is a restaurant chain with over 1600 locations found in 25 states in the United States. Most of the locations are in the Southern United States, where the chain remains a regional cultural icon...
, which opened its doors Labor Day weekend of 1955. Waffle House operates a museum at the original location today, and a separate restaurant elsewhere in the city.
A selection of art galleries and studios make their home in an area of the city known as the Rail Arts District. The longest running professional theater in Georgia, founded in 1956, is located in Avondale Estates.
Government and infrastructure
The city is governed by a mayor and a board of commissioners. Avondale Estates also has a city manager and other administrative positions.The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice is a state agency of Georgia, headquartered in Avondale Estates, near Decatur. The agency operates juvenile correctional facilities.In 2009 the U.S...
has its headquarters in Avondale Estates.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Avondale Estates Post Office.
Education
Avondale Estates is served by the DeKalb County School SystemDeKalb County School System
DeKalb County School System is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States...
.
Avondale High School closed at the end of May, 2011, and the students were distributed to neighboring schools. The campus is now used exclusively by the magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
DeKalb School of the Arts
DeKalb School of the Arts
DeKalb School of the Arts is a public performing arts magnet school in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, east of the city of Atlanta.DeKalb School of the Arts is located at 1192 Clarendon Avenue, Avondale Estates, GA 30002,...
.
The elementary school is in the city limits, while the middle school and high school are adjacent to the city limits.
In 2008, local parents began organizing formal efforts through the Avondale Education Association, a local grass-roots non-profit organization, to create a charter school that would achieve the standards required by law, while establishing an elementary school that reflected the values of the community. Their proposal was initially rejected by the Dekalb County School Board, but it was subsequently selected by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission as one of a small number of schools to be chartered directly by the State of Georgia. The school, Museum School of Avondale Estates, opened in 2010, and Avondale Estates therefore lies within its attendance zone.