Archive Atlanta

16/12/2025

The Atlanta Burns Club formed in 1896 and in January of 1907, purchased 10 acres along Confederate Avenue. By 1910, they sold a piece to fund the landscaping of the remaining land, and start construction of the cottage.

Architect Thomas H. Morgan obtained special plans directly from Scotland to recreate the home that Robert Burns lived in - the only exact replica in the United States.

Overall construction was led by member and Scotsman RM McWhiter. They also created Alloway and Ayr Place, which are still roads in Ormewood Park today. In the part of the home that would have been a barn in Scotland, the group created a meeting space for their club.

By January of 1911, the cottage was ready and open. You can listen to Episode 115 for more about the Burns Club and Scottish history in Atlanta!

15/12/2025

The Capitol View Masonic Lodge was completed in 1922 for $80,000. The brick and limestone building was designed by Pringle & Smith and had a lodge, club rooms, a free night school and spaces for four stores on ground level.

14/12/2025

Happy Hanukkah 🕎

The first permanent synagogue in Atlanta was built around 1875ish, a Moorish-style structure at the corner of Forsyth and Garnett.

Rabbi David Marx came to Atlanta in 1895, when the city had less than 1,000 practicing the Jewish faith. Marx would see The Temple into their second synagogue, built in 1902 in the Washington-Rawson neighborhood.

In 1931, Philip T. Shutze designed the synagogue’s third and current home, which stands at 1589 Peachtree Street.

13/12/2025

TLC’s second album, CrazySexyCool, was one of the first CDs I had, as the transition from cassettes was happening 👵🏼

So of course I had to watch the TLC documentary on Netflix and that’s where I learned that Tionne Watkins (T-Boz) moved to Atlanta when she was 9 years old, and the family lived in this house on Delowe Drive.

09/12/2025

With news of closing its doors next month, I remembered that I’ve been trying to research the building for a while now, and it’s not easy. There is a possibility it’s had at three different addresses over time, but I can confidently guess it was built in the 1920s.

For decades it was a grocery store, Rogers Stores Grocery in the 1930s and Harrison Market by the 1950s.

By the mid-60s, it was a thrift store and then in 1971, became home to The Patch - an organization founded by Esther Lefever that was initially as a day-care center but expanded into a community-based organization helping residents find jobs, providing financial advice, and serving as a focus for cultural events. In 1983, Esther opened Cabbagetown Pottery here.

In 2000, Agave opened.

08/12/2025

Elizabeth Terrace apartments, built in 1915. The first units rented for $32.50-$40.

05/12/2025

✨NEW EPISODE✨

https://linktr.ee/ArchiveAtlanta

Tami Roche was named Miss Burlesque in 1966 and her career took off, performing across the country and with Ann Corio on Broadway, before moving to Atlanta in 1969 to headline at the Body Shoppe for a few weeks.

Weeks turned into years and she made her way to the Domino Lounge, where she developed her famous champagne glass bath act. She even had Russ Meyer, famous sexplotation film director, write a script for her!

We talked about her early childhood, her entry into burlesque, how she chose her stage name, how she got the title Tassel Twirling Tami, her move to Atlanta, marriage to the club owner, his sudden death and the battle to keep and run four clubs as a woman in the 1970s. And best of all the origin story of her famous bathtub act.

03/12/2025

HOW TO RESEARCH CLASS

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-research-tickets-1967601945385

Have you always wondered how to research houses/buildings and places in Atlanta?

I’m excited to announce that me and are bringing back our two-hour class to teach just that!

“How To Research” will be January 18th at 1pm, hosted at Ormewood Church. We will discuss the basics of starting research, how to decipher the resources, which sites are needed (free and subscription), several case studies, and, if time allows, take requests from participants.

02/12/2025

By the turn of the 20th century, the name “Buttermilk Bottom” was used to describe the area bordered by Piedmont Avenue on the West, North Avenue on the North, Boulevard along the East and Forrest (today Ralph McGill) on the South. This African American community dealt with constant flooding issues, as well as racial terror.

The City of Atlanta established an Urban Renewal Department in 1957 and by 1959, created the Housing and Slum Clearance Code. This new department identified five urban renewal areas, one being the 160 acre Buttermilk Bottoms tract, with 1,543 houses targeted for demolition.

By December of 1963, the City of Atlanta formed the Citizens Auditorium Advisory Committee, who’s stated purpose was to advise on architect, engineer and design and recommend a “proper” site of the new municipal auditorium. They chose the 70-acre tract on the fringe of the Buttermilk Bottom site.

Opened to the public in March of 1968, amidst weather delays, labor strikes and supply issues, it cost $4 million to build. It was designed by architect Harold Montague of Robert and Company.

01/12/2025

In 1924, Kentucky man A.F. Ames developed several homes in the fashionable Virginia Highland neighborhood, in the English stucco style. His goal was a home “built that all the luxuries that were formerly reserved for people of wealth can be enjoyed by the man of only moderate-sized bank account”.

This was first owned by P.J. Duhme and later John and Floye Ward. John was in the telegraph industry and manager of the American District Telegraph Co. In 1974, the house was featured on the third annual Virginia Highland Tour of Homes.

28/11/2025

17/11/2025

has two bas relief panels by C. Paul Jennewein, who was born in Germany, came to the US in 1907, and apprenticed in NYC.

The left panel depicts a country family with a cow and dog and behind are scenes of outdoor life in Georgia – farming, golfing, hunting and riding.

The right panel depicts commerce and city life. Two men in the foreground review construction plans and behind them are commerce scenes from around the State - transportation, logging, textile and quarrying industries.