East Atlanta
Encyclopedia
East Atlanta is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia
in the eastern portion of the city. The term "East Atlanta" is frequently misused to refer to the entire eastern portion of the city located in DeKalb County
, roughly 10% of Atlanta's area annexed in 1909. That area is also sometimes referred to as Atlanta-in-DeKalb, particularly when referring to tax
es and government
services handled by the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. East Atlanta is therefore in fact a neighborhood within "Atlanta in DeKalb".
The urban village
of East Atlanta and its surrounding neighborhoods have seen considerable urban renewal
efforts since the late 1990s. East Atlanta is located within the boundaries of neighborhood planning unit
W (NPU-W).
, Atlanta became a major supply hub of the southern war effort and a major target of the northern war effort. Lemuel P. Grant
designed the city's fortifications to protect his plantation
on the eastside of the city in what is now Grant Park
. General James B. McPherson
placed his Yankee forces on high ground a mile east of Grant's plantation, the area today known as East Atlanta.
A Union cannon was placed at the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road to protect the flank of the front line. The Confederate forces were able to attack from behind, however. The Battle of Atlanta
, which was part of the Atlanta Campaign
and sealed the fate of the Confederacy
, was fought in East Atlanta behind Union lines resulting in more than 12,000 deaths. Today many historic markers dot the neighborhood including two upturned cannons where Confederate General Walker and Union General McPherson were killed.
East Atlanta recovered after the Civil War, quickly becoming a developing unincorporated town. The Marbut and Minor Mercantile Store was soon established at the crossroads of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road. By the late 1890s, the store had grown to encompass five different businesses including a dry goods store, feed and seed, blacksmith, livery stable, and grocery store. Asa Candler, Joel Hurt
, Frederic Patterson, and Aaron Haas, founders of the Metropolitan Streetcar Company, developed the McPherson Park subdivision to provide ridership for their electric streetcar line and housing for new store clerks in the area.
In 1905, lumber and railroad baron William Zuber built a large white columned frame mansion as a wedding present for his new bride on property that fronts Flat Shoals. The house is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The East Atlanta Banking Company entered the East Atlanta community in 1911, moving into its new building at Flat Shoals and Glenwood - shaped like an old fashioned "flat iron". The building is now home to a bar (appropriately named "Flatiron") on the first level and a tattoo shop, 13 Roses, on the top floor. A Post Office, a newspaper, a silent movie theatre and a carriage dealership were also added to the commercial district and Baptist
and Methodist congregations in the area immediately began to grow.
The land to the south of Glenwood Avenue was owned by former Georgia Governor Joseph Emerson Brown
. With Brown's support, a grid of streets was planned around a 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) public green space, a model for the "urban utopian living" that was being touted at the time. After 1915, in a series of votes, East Atlanta residents chose to be annexed into the city limits of Atlanta in order to gain access to fire protection and public education. Water and sewer service also enabled residents to enjoy indoor plumbing.
After World War II
the undeveloped center of the neighborhood was subdivided and developed by the Williams brothers who were born and raised in East Atlanta and had built a lumber and concrete business nearby on Glenwood Avenue. As the residential area grew, nearby businesses prospered. The Madison Theatre talking picture show and a new public library were built with the help of public donations.
During the 1960s, East Atlanta was targeted by civil rights
groups as an example of racial segregation
of housing because members of the white-supremacy group Ku Klux Klan
lived in an adjacent neighborhood. Under the protection of the Fair Housing Act, middle-class black families were assisted in efforts to purchase houses in the area. In response, many white families left the area, selling their homes for as low as $1,500 for a 3-bedroom home. Eventually, East Atlanta real estate
was valued much lower than other areas of the city. The neighborhood's appearance and reputation
suffered as a result.http://eaca.net/index/about_east_atlanta/history
In 1981, the East Atlanta Community Association was founded to bolster a sense of community in the neighborhood. Many improvements have been made in the last 25 years thanks to the efforts of many dedicated residents and businesses.
building which is located at the corner of Flat Shoals and McPherson. That same year, the first phase of a public works
project to enhance the pedestrian
environment in the business district occurred. The result was much wider sidewalk
s and bench
es to sit on. East Atlanta's business district, known locally as 'The Village' or 'East Atlanta Village' (EAV) has since come to rival other areas such as Little Five Points
and the Virginia-Highland
neighborhood as a social and shopping hub. In 2007 and 2008, the East Atlanta Village was voted "Best Neighborhood" in the city by readers of the Atlanta weekly newspaper Creative Loafing
. Due to determined efforts by residents to improve their neighborhood and demand for "affordable" in-town housing, the average price of a house in East Atlanta has risen steadily since the late 1990s.http://atlantahappenings.creativeloafing.com/gbase/BestOf/BestOfAwards?Award=oid%3A394929
Schools
Mohammed Schools
, a private K-12 school in unincorporated
DeKalb County
, The schools are administered by the Atlanta Masjid of Islam. As of 2001 about 300 students attend the schools. The school was founded in 1980. is located within the East Atlanta area.
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
operates the East Atlanta Branch.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in the eastern portion of the city. The term "East Atlanta" is frequently misused to refer to the entire eastern portion of the city located in DeKalb County
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...
, roughly 10% of Atlanta's area annexed in 1909. That area is also sometimes referred to as Atlanta-in-DeKalb, particularly when referring to tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
services handled by the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. East Atlanta is therefore in fact a neighborhood within "Atlanta in DeKalb".
The urban village
Urban village
An urban village is an urban planning and urban design concept. It refers to an urban form typically characterized by:* Medium density development* Mixed use zoning* The provision of good public transit...
of East Atlanta and its surrounding neighborhoods have seen considerable urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
efforts since the late 1990s. East Atlanta is located within the boundaries of neighborhood planning unit
Neighborhood planning unit
The Neighborhood Planning Unit is a neighborhood-scale governmental structure used in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.The system was established in 1974 by Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Holbrook Jackson...
W (NPU-W).
History
During the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Atlanta became a major supply hub of the southern war effort and a major target of the northern war effort. Lemuel P. Grant
Lemuel P. Grant
Lemuel Pratt Grant was an American engineer and businessman.He was Atlanta's quintessential railroad man as well as a major landowner and civic leader....
designed the city's fortifications to protect his plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
on the eastside of the city in what is now Grant Park
Grant Park (Atlanta)
Grant Park refers to the oldest city park in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, as well as the Victorian neighborhood surrounding it.-Park:Grant Park is the fourth-largest in the city, behind Chastain Park, Freedom Park and Piedmont Park...
. General James B. McPherson
James B. McPherson
James Birdseye McPherson was a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
placed his Yankee forces on high ground a mile east of Grant's plantation, the area today known as East Atlanta.
A Union cannon was placed at the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road to protect the flank of the front line. The Confederate forces were able to attack from behind, however. The Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
, which was part of the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
and sealed the fate of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, was fought in East Atlanta behind Union lines resulting in more than 12,000 deaths. Today many historic markers dot the neighborhood including two upturned cannons where Confederate General Walker and Union General McPherson were killed.
East Atlanta recovered after the Civil War, quickly becoming a developing unincorporated town. The Marbut and Minor Mercantile Store was soon established at the crossroads of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road. By the late 1890s, the store had grown to encompass five different businesses including a dry goods store, feed and seed, blacksmith, livery stable, and grocery store. Asa Candler, Joel Hurt
Joel Hurt
Joel Hurt was an important businessman and developer in Atlanta active in the late 19th century through the early 20th century.Born in Hurtsboro, Alabama Joel Hurt (1850–1926) was an important businessman and developer in Atlanta active in the late 19th century through the early 20th...
, Frederic Patterson, and Aaron Haas, founders of the Metropolitan Streetcar Company, developed the McPherson Park subdivision to provide ridership for their electric streetcar line and housing for new store clerks in the area.
In 1905, lumber and railroad baron William Zuber built a large white columned frame mansion as a wedding present for his new bride on property that fronts Flat Shoals. The house is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The East Atlanta Banking Company entered the East Atlanta community in 1911, moving into its new building at Flat Shoals and Glenwood - shaped like an old fashioned "flat iron". The building is now home to a bar (appropriately named "Flatiron") on the first level and a tattoo shop, 13 Roses, on the top floor. A Post Office, a newspaper, a silent movie theatre and a carriage dealership were also added to the commercial district and Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
and Methodist congregations in the area immediately began to grow.
The land to the south of Glenwood Avenue was owned by former Georgia Governor Joseph Emerson Brown
Joseph E. Brown
Joseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
. With Brown's support, a grid of streets was planned around a 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) public green space, a model for the "urban utopian living" that was being touted at the time. After 1915, in a series of votes, East Atlanta residents chose to be annexed into the city limits of Atlanta in order to gain access to fire protection and public education. Water and sewer service also enabled residents to enjoy indoor plumbing.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the undeveloped center of the neighborhood was subdivided and developed by the Williams brothers who were born and raised in East Atlanta and had built a lumber and concrete business nearby on Glenwood Avenue. As the residential area grew, nearby businesses prospered. The Madison Theatre talking picture show and a new public library were built with the help of public donations.
During the 1960s, East Atlanta was targeted by civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
groups as an example of racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of housing because members of the white-supremacy group Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
lived in an adjacent neighborhood. Under the protection of the Fair Housing Act, middle-class black families were assisted in efforts to purchase houses in the area. In response, many white families left the area, selling their homes for as low as $1,500 for a 3-bedroom home. Eventually, East Atlanta real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
was valued much lower than other areas of the city. The neighborhood's appearance and reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
suffered as a result.http://eaca.net/index/about_east_atlanta/history
In 1981, the East Atlanta Community Association was founded to bolster a sense of community in the neighborhood. Many improvements have been made in the last 25 years thanks to the efforts of many dedicated residents and businesses.
Present
In 2005 East Atlanta acquired a new libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
building which is located at the corner of Flat Shoals and McPherson. That same year, the first phase of a public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
project to enhance the pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
environment in the business district occurred. The result was much wider sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
s and bench
Bench (furniture)
A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
es to sit on. East Atlanta's business district, known locally as 'The Village' or 'East Atlanta Village' (EAV) has since come to rival other areas such as Little Five Points
Little Five Points
Little Five Points is a district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 2½ miles east of downtown. It was established in the early 1900s as the commercial district for the adjacent Inman Park and Candler Park neighborhoods to the west and east...
and the Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of a busy commercial district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous...
neighborhood as a social and shopping hub. In 2007 and 2008, the East Atlanta Village was voted "Best Neighborhood" in the city by readers of the Atlanta weekly newspaper Creative Loafing
Creative Loafing
CL Inc. is the Tampa, Florida-based publisher of three city newsweeklies and their associated websites. Each of the papers focuses on local news, politics, arts and entertainment, and restaurants...
. Due to determined efforts by residents to improve their neighborhood and demand for "affordable" in-town housing, the average price of a house in East Atlanta has risen steadily since the late 1990s.http://atlantahappenings.creativeloafing.com/gbase/BestOf/BestOfAwards?Award=oid%3A394929
Events
East Atlanta hosts a number of popular annual events, including:- East Atlanta Strut - East Atlanta's free annual one day neighborhood festival, always on the third Saturday in September featuring a parade, 5k fun run, food, live music, art, and events. All proceeds benefit local charities http://www.eastatlantastrut.com/
- Corndogorama - Music festival and Corndog eating contest held the last weekend in June http://www.corndogorama.com/
- B*ATL - Neighboorhood festival commemorating the anniversary of the Civil War's Battle of AtlantaBattle of AtlantaThe Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
, which was fought on July 22, 1864 on land that is now part of East Atlanta. Events include a period costume gala dinner and house tour; a 5K fun run; van and walking tours of neighborhood historic sites including Oakland CemeteryOakland CemeteryOakland Cemetery is the oldest cemetery, as well as one of the largest green spaces, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded as "Atlanta Cemetery" in 1850 on six acres of land southeast of the city, it was renamed in 1872 to reflect the large number of oak and magnolia trees growing in the area...
; Civil War Battle re-enactment featuring soldiers, live artillery, and civilian re-enactors; and historic music concerts. http://www.batlevent.org/main.html - East Atlanta Beer Festival - Annual one day beer festival held the last weekend in May. All proceeds benefit local charities http://www.eabfonline.com
- EAV Farmers Market - A local non-profit farmers market each Thursday evening (4 to dark) from May through November http://www.farmeav.com/
- Drive-Invasion - Annual festival held on Labor Day Weekend at the Starlight Six Drive-in, Atlanta's last drive-in movie theater. Featuring live bands; custom hot-rod show; and classic drive-in movies all night http://www.drive-invasion.com/
Education
East Atlanta is in the Atlanta Public Schools System but many charter school alternatives are available.Schools
Mohammed Schools
Mohammed Schools (Georgia)
Mohammed Schools of Atlanta is a 3K-12 Islamic private school system in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, near Atlanta. The schools are administered by the Atlanta Masjid of Islam. As of 2001 about 300 students attend the schools. It is located within the East Atlanta area...
, a private K-12 school in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
DeKalb County
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...
, The schools are administered by the Atlanta Masjid of Islam. As of 2001 about 300 students attend the schools. The school was founded in 1980. is located within the East Atlanta area.
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is a network of public libraries serving the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, both in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is currently administered by Fulton County...
operates the East Atlanta Branch.