Pace's Ferry
Encyclopedia
Through much of the 19th century, Pace's Ferry was an important ferry
across the Chattahoochee River
near Atlanta. Started in the early 1830s near Peachtree Creek
, it was run by Hardy Pace, one of the city's founders. It was an important transportation link to northwest
ern Georgia
, especially prior to the construction of the State Road (the Western & Atlantic Railroad) to Chattanooga.
In Vinings (formerly Paces), Pace's Mill was a gristmill
begun by Hardy Pace, founded to diversify his holdings after the railroad was built. The short Paces Mill Road still exists today. Just across the river is Paces
, the northwestern-most neighborhood of Atlanta.
During the Atlanta Campaign
of the American Civil War
, the Battle of Pace's Ferry
was fought July 5, 1864.
as a stage coach bringing people from Decatur
to Vinings, where they could continue on to gold country
. The road went southeast from the river to Irbyville (later Irby, now Buckhead), then following what is now called "Old Decatur Road", then Cheshire Bridge Road, through what is now Emory University
on Clifton Road, along Haygood Drive then North Decatur Road until that hits Clairmont Road
, which was then known as the Shallowford Road.
In modern times, Paces Ferry Road (dropping the apostrophe) is still an important east/west route across northern Atlanta. West Paces Ferry Road runs from the center of Buckhead Village as far west as a dead-end in Paces, while Paces Ferry Road splits off to the northwest at Nancy Creek
and runs across the river to Vinings in Cobb County, where it is the address for the world headquarters of The Home Depot
. Beginning at Atlanta Road and going east, it crosses I-285 at mile 18, and heads into historic Vinings where it crosses the Chattahoochee River. This river crossing is very near the old ferry location, just down from the 1904 bridge that replaced the ferry. That first wooden bridge had been used for pedestrians since being replaced by a concrete one in the early 1970s.
At the river, Paces Ferry Road enters Fulton County
and the Atlanta city limits
and continues to its terminus at the western end of Atlanta's Buckhead
area. Here, West Paces Ferry Road continues under I-75 at mile 255, and heads east through some of Atlanta's oldest and wealthiest Buckhead neighborhoods. It serves as the address of the Georgia Governor's Mansion
as well many of Atlanta's other stately older mansions and estates. Unlike many of metro Atlanta
's newer suburbs, the area along this street has maintained most of its forest cover, also making it a pleasant and scenic drive. It emerges from this canopy at the center of Buckhead, meeting Peachtree Road
at the southern end of Roswell
Road.
After passing Georgia 9 and U.S. 19 (both routed on Peachtree to the south and Roswell to the north), it becomes East Paces Ferry Road. It stops at Piedmont Road (Georgia 237), then continues very slightly northward on the other side as a residential street. The tolled section of the Georgia 400 expressway, finished in 1993, made this a dead-end road in the early 1990s. It resumes on the other side of the tollway, along the southeastern edge of Lenox Square
, the city's first indoor shopping mall. The road then ends east-northeast of Lenox Road at Roxboro Road, but is named Railroad Avenue for these last three blocks past Lenox Road and the Lenox
MARTA
station, immediately northeast of where the north and northeast lines split.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
across the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
near Atlanta. Started in the early 1830s near Peachtree Creek
Peachtree Creek
Peachtree Creek is a major stream in Atlanta. It flows for almost due west into the Chattahoochee River just south of Vinings. Like other "Peachtree" names in the area, the name is most likely a corruption of "pitch tree", from the area's many pines and their sticky sap.Peachtree Creek is an...
, it was run by Hardy Pace, one of the city's founders. It was an important transportation link to northwest
Northwest Georgia
Northwest Georgia includes the counties of:*Dade County*Walker County*Catoosa County*Whitfield County*Murray County*Gordon County*Chattooga County*Floyd County*Bartow County*Paulding County*Polk County*Haralson County...
ern 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...
, especially prior to the construction of the State Road (the Western & Atlantic Railroad) to Chattanooga.
In Vinings (formerly Paces), Pace's Mill was a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
begun by Hardy Pace, founded to diversify his holdings after the railroad was built. The short Paces Mill Road still exists today. Just across the river is Paces
Paces (Atlanta)
Paces is a neighborhood of Atlanta. It is part of the Buckhead district and located in the far northwest corner of the city. Paces is bounded on the northwest by the Chattahoochee River, which is also the Cobb/Fulton county line...
, the northwestern-most neighborhood of Atlanta.
During 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...
of the American Civil War
American 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...
, the Battle of Pace's Ferry
Battle of Pace's Ferry
The Battle of Pace's Ferry was an engagement fought on July 5, 1864, near Pace's Ferry, Atlanta, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. Union troops of Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard seized a key pontoon bridge over the Chattahoochee River, enabling Federal troops to continue...
was fought July 5, 1864.
Paces Ferry Road
The original Pace's Ferry Road was begun during the Georgia Gold RushGeorgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1828 in the present day Lumpkin County near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt. By the early 1840s, gold became harder to find...
as a stage coach bringing people from Decatur
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
to Vinings, where they could continue on to gold country
Georgia Gold Belt
The largest quantities of gold found in the eastern United States were found in the Georgia Gold Belt, which extends from eastern Alabama to Rabun County, Georgia. The biggest concentration of gold was found in White, Lumpkin, and northern Cherokee counties in Georgia. The gold in the Georgia Gold...
. The road went southeast from the river to Irbyville (later Irby, now Buckhead), then following what is now called "Old Decatur Road", then Cheshire Bridge Road, through what is now Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
on Clifton Road, along Haygood Drive then North Decatur Road until that hits Clairmont Road
Clairmont Road
Clairmont Road is a thoroughfare in the state of Georgia in the United States that connects the city Decatur to the city of Chamblee in metropolitan Atlanta, in a north/south direction. In the city of Decatur, where Clairmont originates at a "T"-intersection with Ponce de Leon Avenue, it is called...
, which was then known as the Shallowford Road.
In modern times, Paces Ferry Road (dropping the apostrophe) is still an important east/west route across northern Atlanta. West Paces Ferry Road runs from the center of Buckhead Village as far west as a dead-end in Paces, while Paces Ferry Road splits off to the northwest at Nancy Creek
Nancy Creek (Atlanta)
Nancy Creek is a stream in northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It begins in far northern DeKalb County, just north of Chamblee, and flows southwestward into Fulton County, through the far southeast corner of Sandy Springs, then through the Buckhead area of Atlanta. It empties into...
and runs across the river to Vinings in Cobb County, where it is the address for the world headquarters of The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
. Beginning at Atlanta Road and going east, it crosses I-285 at mile 18, and heads into historic Vinings where it crosses the Chattahoochee River. This river crossing is very near the old ferry location, just down from the 1904 bridge that replaced the ferry. That first wooden bridge had been used for pedestrians since being replaced by a concrete one in the early 1970s.
At the river, Paces Ferry Road enters Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
and the Atlanta city limits
City limits
The terms city limits and city boundary refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limits is sometimes called the city proper. The terms town limits/boundary and village limits/boundary mean the same as city limits/boundary, but apply to towns and villages...
and continues to its terminus at the western end of Atlanta's Buckhead
Buckhead (Atlanta)
Buckhead is the uptown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown and Midtown...
area. Here, West Paces Ferry Road continues under I-75 at mile 255, and heads east through some of Atlanta's oldest and wealthiest Buckhead neighborhoods. It serves as the address of the Georgia Governor's Mansion
Georgia Governor's Mansion
The Governor's Mansion is the official home of the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. The mansion is located at 391 West Paces Ferry Road NW, in the affluent Buckhead district of Atlanta.-Construction:...
as well many of Atlanta's other stately older mansions and estates. Unlike many of metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
's newer suburbs, the area along this street has maintained most of its forest cover, also making it a pleasant and scenic drive. It emerges from this canopy at the center of Buckhead, meeting Peachtree Road
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
at the southern end of Roswell
Roswell, Georgia
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
Road.
After passing Georgia 9 and U.S. 19 (both routed on Peachtree to the south and Roswell to the north), it becomes East Paces Ferry Road. It stops at Piedmont Road (Georgia 237), then continues very slightly northward on the other side as a residential street. The tolled section of the Georgia 400 expressway, finished in 1993, made this a dead-end road in the early 1990s. It resumes on the other side of the tollway, along the southeastern edge of Lenox Square
Lenox Square
Lenox Square is an upscale enclosed super regional shopping mall located in the Buckhead District of Atlanta, Georgia. Lenox Square comprises more than of retail space, with 250 stores on four levels, including a large food court. The mall is home to three anchor stores: Macy's, Bloomingdale's,...
, the city's first indoor shopping mall. The road then ends east-northeast of Lenox Road at Roxboro Road, but is named Railroad Avenue for these last three blocks past Lenox Road and the Lenox
Lenox (MARTA station)
Lenox is an underground metro station on the Gold Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. It provides access to Lenox Mall, Phipps Plaza,and Buckhead Business District...
MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
station, immediately northeast of where the north and northeast lines split.