Fulton County Street Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Fulton County Street Railroad Company of Atlanta, Georgia
was organized in 1883 by:
The first lines authorized were to go from the Union Station
to what is now Midtown Atlanta
along West Peachtree St. and Jackson St.
The primary route became the Nine-Mile Circle
which was intended to develop the newly subdivided neighborhood of Copenhill
, where the Carter Center
now stands.
It was merged into the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway in 1891.
The trolley barns on 5 acres (2 ha) on Virginia Avenue on the east side of the BeltLine (today's Virginia Highland Apartments), remained in service into the 20th century, servicing city buses until 1977. In 1988, the trolley barns were torn down despite the City Council and Virginia Highland Civic Associations's attempts to save them. Although previously assuring local residents that he favored saving the historic structures, Mayor Andrew Young
then vetoed the resolution, and the Council's vote of 11-3 was not enough to override it. Young cited the discovery of asbestos in the buildings and other hazardous materials on the property.
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...
was organized in 1883 by:
- James W. EnglishJames W. EnglishJames Warren English was an American politician, bank president, and a staff officer during the American Civil War. He was a postbellum mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, from 1881 until 1883....
, businessman and once mayor of Atlanta - J. Henry Porter, who was once a city councilman
- William T. Newman, Confederate war hero, U.S. district judge and city attorney; father of writer Frances Newman
- William A. Hemphill, who was once mayor
- Dr. Henry Lumpkin WilsonHenry Lumpkin WilsonDr. Henry Lumpkin Wilson was a prominent Atlanta physician, city councilman, and was active in the city's expansion and development....
, physician and city councilman who was active in the city's expansion and development - Maj. WIlliam D. Luckie, "prominent secret order man" and cashier of the Merchant's Bank
- Robert A. Bacon, secretary of the railroad commission
- David C. Black, and
- Augustus Shaw, "well-known railroad man and veteran of the Confederacy"
The first lines authorized were to go from the Union Station
Atlanta Union Station (1871)
Atlanta's second Union Station was built in 1871 on the site of the the 1853 station, burned in the Battle of Atlanta. It was built in Second Empire style, designed by architect Max Corput...
to what is now Midtown Atlanta
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
along West Peachtree St. and Jackson St.
The primary route became the Nine-Mile Circle
Nine-Mile Circle
The Nine-Mile Circle was a streetcar line of the Atlanta Street Railway, later the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway which went from downtown Atlanta to today's Virginia Highland neighborhood as follows:...
which was intended to develop the newly subdivided neighborhood of Copenhill
Copenhill
Copenhill, Copenhill Park, or Copen Hill was a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia which was located largely where the Carter Center now sits, and which now forms part of the Poncey-Highland neighborhood. It lay:...
, where the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
now stands.
It was merged into the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway in 1891.
The trolley barns on 5 acres (2 ha) on Virginia Avenue on the east side of the BeltLine (today's Virginia Highland Apartments), remained in service into the 20th century, servicing city buses until 1977. In 1988, the trolley barns were torn down despite the City Council and Virginia Highland Civic Associations's attempts to save them. Although previously assuring local residents that he favored saving the historic structures, Mayor Andrew Young
Andrew Young
Andrew Jackson Young is an American politician, diplomat, activist and pastor from Georgia. He has served as Mayor of Atlanta, a Congressman from the 5th district, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations...
then vetoed the resolution, and the Council's vote of 11-3 was not enough to override it. Young cited the discovery of asbestos in the buildings and other hazardous materials on the property.
See also
- Streetcars in AtlantaStreetcars in AtlantaStreetcars operated in Atlanta starting with horsecars in 1871; electric streetcar service started in the 1880s. The last streetcar service ended in 1949; the streetcar system was quickly replaced by a trolleybus system and with buses...
- Timeline of mass transit in AtlantaTimeline of mass transit in AtlantaTimeline of mass transit in Atlanta:*1871 Richard Peters and George Adair run the first streetcars on the Atlanta Street Railway Company*1872 West End & Atlanta Street Railroad Company formed*1878 Adair sells out to Peters...