Washington-Rawson
Encyclopedia
Washington-Rawson was a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia
. It included the area that is now the large parking lot north of Turner Field
, until 1997 the site of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. It also included the intersection of the two streets for which it was named; that intersection's location is now the site of the I-20-Downtown Connector
interchange. The neighborhood was bordered by Downtown on the northwest and Summerhill
on the east.
, Ponce de Leon Circle (now Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown
) and Inman Park
. Mansions included those of governor and senator Joseph E. Brown
, his brother, attorney Julius L. Brown
, restaurant owner Henry R. Durand
, and fertilizer magnate and Standard Club
co-founder Isaac Schoen.
from 1911 confirm that the area was a center of Jewish community in Atlanta at the time:
The neighborhood was also home to the Convent of the Immaculate Conception, and to Piedmont Sanitorium, which would become the original Piedmont Hospital
.
and Druid Hills
and the southside soon became unfashionable. The Standard Club moved to Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown in 1929. By the 1950s the neighborhood had fallen on hard times and was targeted for "agressive" urban renewal. It was at this time that the term "Washington-Rawson" was used for the area. Prior to that, most references to the area were references to indvidual streets, intersections or directionals (e.g. south side).
Some sources state the leveling of the neighborhood for the stadium was part of Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. "vision was to build an entertainment facility that would bring black and white Atlantans together", "cradled as it was between the commercial business community and the black neighborhood of Summerhill." Other sources note that the original 1940s plan was to route the Downtown Connector freeway on the west side of downtown; the later plan to route it east of downtown was an effort to remove low-income black neighborhood and provide a buffer between the central business district and what remained of the black Summerhill, Mechanicsville
and Peoplestown
neighborhoods.
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 included the area that is now the large parking lot north of Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
, until 1997 the site of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. It also included the intersection of the two streets for which it was named; that intersection's location is now the site of the I-20-Downtown Connector
Downtown Connector
In Atlanta, Georgia, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, the Downtown Connector runs generally due north, meeting the east-west Interstate 20 in the middle....
interchange. The neighborhood was bordered by Downtown on the northwest and Summerhill
Summerhill (Atlanta)
Summerhill is a neighborhood directly south of Downtown Atlanta between the Atlanta Zoo and Turner Field. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Grant Park, Mechanicsville, and Peoplestown. Summerhill is one of 26 Atlanta neighborhoods making up the Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit system...
on the east.
Fine residential district
The neighborhood was wealthy at the turn of the twentieth century. Encyclopaedia Brittanica of 1910 listed Washington Street as one of the finest residential areas of the city, along with Peachtree StreetPeachtree 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...
, Ponce de Leon Circle (now Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown
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...
) and Inman Park
Inman Park
Inman Park was planned in the late 1880s by Joel Hurt, a civil engineer and real-estate developer who intended to create a rural oasis connected to the city by the first of Atlanta's electric streetcar lines. The East Atlanta Land Company acquired and developed more than 130 acres east of the city...
. Mansions included those of governor and senator Joseph E. 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...
, his brother, attorney Julius L. Brown
Julius L. Brown
Julius L. Brown was a prominent Atlanta, Georgia attorney, co-incorporator of the Metropolitan Street Railroad, and brother of Georgia governor and senator Joseph E. Brown. His residence was in the Washington-Rawson neighborhood, now demolished.-References:*...
, restaurant owner Henry R. Durand
Henry R. Durand
Henry R. Durand was an Atlanta was president and general manager of the H. R. Durand Restaurant Company., which ran the then-famous Durand's restaurant at Atlanta's Union Station...
, and fertilizer magnate and Standard Club
Standard Club
The Standard Club is a Jewish country club originally located in Atlanta, Georgia which later moved to suburban areas in Metro Atlanta.-History:...
co-founder Isaac Schoen.
Center of Jewish community
Sanborn fire mapsSanborn Maps
Sanborn Maps is an American publisher of historical and current maps of U.S. cities and towns that were initially created to estimate fire insurance liabilities. The company's maps are frequently used for preservation and restoration efforts....
from 1911 confirm that the area was a center of Jewish community in Atlanta at the time:
- the reform Hebrew Benevolent Congregation synagogueThe Temple (Atlanta, Georgia)The Temple in Atlanta, Georgia is the center of Jewish culture in Atlanta. The oldest Jewish congregation in Atlanta, the Hebrew Benevolent Society, was established in 1860...
(1902) was located at S. Pryor and Richardson streets (it would move to Ansley ParkAnsley ParkAnsley Park is an affluent residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. One of the first suburban neighborhoods in the city designed for automobiles, it features wide, winding roads rather than the grid pattern typical of older streetcar...
in 1931) - Beth Israel Synagogue (orthodox)
- the Standard ClubStandard ClubThe Standard Club is a Jewish country club originally located in Atlanta, Georgia which later moved to suburban areas in Metro Atlanta.-History:...
, a Jewish gentlemen's club, now located in Johns CreekJohns Creek, GeorgiaJohns Creek is a suburban city in Fulton County, Georgia, USA, which incorporated December 1, 2006. It is named for a tributary that runs through the area. The city was created out of the northeastern part of unincorporated Fulton County...
in the northern suburbs - the Hebrew (or Jewish) Orphans' Home was at the south end at 478 Washington St. SE (SE corner of Love St.)
The neighborhood was also home to the Convent of the Immaculate Conception, and to Piedmont Sanitorium, which would become the original 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:...
.
Decline and razing
With the advent of the electric streetcar in the 1890s and then the automobile, wealthy Atlantans flocked to new, leafy neighborhoods like Ansley ParkAnsley Park
Ansley Park is an affluent residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. One of the first suburban neighborhoods in the city designed for automobiles, it features wide, winding roads rather than the grid pattern typical of older streetcar...
and Druid Hills
Druid Hills
Druid Hills can refer to some places in the United States:*Druid Hills, Georgia, a neighborhood and census designated place in DeKalb County, partly in the City of Atlanta and partly unincorporated**Druid Hills High School, in DeKalb County...
and the southside soon became unfashionable. The Standard Club moved to Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown in 1929. By the 1950s the neighborhood had fallen on hard times and was targeted for "agressive" urban renewal. It was at this time that the term "Washington-Rawson" was used for the area. Prior to that, most references to the area were references to indvidual streets, intersections or directionals (e.g. south side).
Some sources state the leveling of the neighborhood for the stadium was part of Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. "vision was to build an entertainment facility that would bring black and white Atlantans together", "cradled as it was between the commercial business community and the black neighborhood of Summerhill." Other sources note that the original 1940s plan was to route the Downtown Connector freeway on the west side of downtown; the later plan to route it east of downtown was an effort to remove low-income black neighborhood and provide a buffer between the central business district and what remained of the black Summerhill, Mechanicsville
Mechanicsville (Atlanta)
Mechanicsville is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. It sits in the shadow of both downtown Atlanta and Turner Field. The neighborhood is bounded by:* I-20 on the north, across which is Castleberry Hill and Downtown Atlanta...
and Peoplestown
Peoplestown
Peoplestown is a Victorian streetcar-era neighborhood just south of Turner Field and central Atlanta. It is bounded by:* Ormond Street and the Summerhill neighborhood on the north,* Hill Street and the Grant Park neighborhood on the east,...
neighborhoods.