Standing Peachtree
Encyclopedia
Standing Peachtree, also Standing Pitch Tree, was a Creek Indian village and the closest Indian settlement to what is now Downtown
Atlanta, Georgia
. It was located where Peachtree Creek
flows into the Chattahoochee River
, in todays' Paces
neighborhood. It was located on the border of the Cherokee
and Creek nations and an entry point for traders entering the Cherokee nation. It is reference in several documents as far back as 1762.
"Peachtree" is generally regarded to be a corruption of "pitch tree", which would refer to the pine trees in the area from which pitch could be obtained. Standing Peachtree was the end of the Creek Peachtree Trail, which ran from near Toccoa
to just south of what is now Piedmont Hospital
in Buckhead (a marker now stands there at the corner of Peachtree St. and Palisades Rd.) At this junction the path split. One branch went to Standing Peachtree (Pace's Ferry and Moore's Mill roads were built along this path). The other branch ran southwards towards what is now Five Points
in Downtown Atlanta. Thus, much of Atlanta's main street, Peachtree Street
follows the earlier Indian path.
Fort Peachtree was built here in 1812. The Creek ceded the land that is now Metro Atlanta
in 1821 as part of the systematic removal of Indians from Northwest Georgia. Standing Peachtree thus ceased its role as Indian trading post. It was established as the first post office in the newly established De Kalb County, preceding Decatur
(the area would later become part of Fulton County
). Montgomery's Ferry (later DeFoor's Ferry) across the river opened at Standing Peachtree in 1837 and the area soon became better known by that name. The post office closed in 1842.
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
Atlanta, Georgia
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...
. It was located where 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...
flows into 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...
, in todays' 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...
neighborhood. It was located on the border of the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
and Creek nations and an entry point for traders entering the Cherokee nation. It is reference in several documents as far back as 1762.
"Peachtree" is generally regarded to be a corruption of "pitch tree", which would refer to the pine trees in the area from which pitch could be obtained. Standing Peachtree was the end of the Creek Peachtree Trail, which ran from near Toccoa
Toccoa, Georgia
Toccoa is a city in Stephens County, Georgia, United States located approximately from Athens and approximately northeast of Atlanta. The population was 9,323 at the 2000 census...
to just south of what is now Piedmont Hospital
Piedmont Hospital
Piedmont Hospital is a major hospital at 2002 Peachtree Road at Collier Road in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia.-Washington Street location:...
in Buckhead (a marker now stands there at the corner of Peachtree St. and Palisades Rd.) At this junction the path split. One branch went to Standing Peachtree (Pace's Ferry and Moore's Mill roads were built along this path). The other branch ran southwards towards what is now Five Points
Five Points (Atlanta)
Five Points is a district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, the primary reference for the downtown area. The name refers to the convergence of Marietta Street, Edgewood Avenue, Decatur Street, and two legs of Peachtree Street Five Points is a district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, the...
in Downtown Atlanta. Thus, much of Atlanta's main street, Peachtree Street
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...
follows the earlier Indian path.
Fort Peachtree was built here in 1812. The Creek ceded the land that is now 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...
in 1821 as part of the systematic removal of Indians from Northwest Georgia. Standing Peachtree thus ceased its role as Indian trading post. It was established as the first post office in the newly established De Kalb County, preceding 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...
(the area would later become part of 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...
). Montgomery's Ferry (later DeFoor's Ferry) across the river opened at Standing Peachtree in 1837 and the area soon became better known by that name. The post office closed in 1842.