A Brief History of the Firehouse and CVM (Today's Talk)

History of CVM & Firehouse

The Firestataion:

We stand in the 10^th Ward Firestation #20, at 590 Manford Road Southwest. It is the only community landmark building physically in Capitol View Manor, but it is considered part of the Capitol View Historic Register nomination because it was built to serve the Sylvan Hills community that was in development at the time of its construction in 1926.  The project, championed by then city Alderman Charles M. Ford, was built by the Shaw Construction Company and cost $10,500. The building has a brick façade and utilizes gables that reference the English Vernacular Revival style predominant on Manford, Mellview and Shannon.

The firestation opened in classic Southern style on December 5, 1926., with a barbecue, of course! In attendance were city council members, county commissioners, pastors of 10^th ward churches and mayor-elect, Isacc Newton (I.N.) Ragsdale.

CVM

Capitol View Manor is situated on Land Lot #88 and was originally part of Henry County as Georgia residents expanded westward after the withdrawal (or expulsion) of the Native Americans. The land was located outside of the Confederate defenses during the Civil War.

After the war the Freedman’s Aid Society purchased 450 acres, Land Lot 73 and Land Lot 88. Funds were raised to build Clark College for the freed victims of Southern exploitation. Buildings were situated on Land Lot 73. Land Lot 88 was used to train students in agricultural science and animal husbandry. The crops and animals raised on this property were used to feed the students of the college and sales from the farm underwrote tuitions.

In 1899 the college sold off some property to the Atlanta and West Point Railroad to build a raised rail bed, which you still see today. Some of this property was sold to Capitol View (not Manor) developers to build many of the houses you see facing Metropolitan parkway.

In the 1920s Clark University and Atlanta University planned to merge and the land was sold to a group of investors, who were affiliated with the Georgia Savings Bank and Trust Company (Joseph Boston, George M. Brown and John E. Oliver).

In 1925 the City annexed property south of University Avenue, including Lot 88.

In 1926 the investors hired Olin I. Freeman to design a subdivision named Capitol View Manor. Freeman was a civil engineer by trade, who received training under Orrin F. Kauffman. Kauffman subscribed to Olmsteadian principles of development having worked with Frederick Law Olmstead on the development of Druid Hills. Olmstead’s influence is evident in the curvilinear design of the streets as well as the rolling hills of the park like terrain. Dill Avenue Park, in sight of the firehouse, was in the original design of the subdivision and intended to serve as a roundabout feature.

One of the early housing developers in CVM was Turman-Brown Real Estate, a partnership between S. B. Turman a long time Fulton County developer and George M. Brown, Jr. president of the Georgia Savings Bank & Trust.  The firm had offices in the same bank. Atlanta was currently experiencing a housing shortage and Brown capitalized on this, creating an “Own Your Own Home” campaign in the city. To give their subdivision a competitive edge, they stationed an agent in the subdivision on Sundays to give tours.

The marketing of CVM by its original investors suggests they were targeting an emerging white-collar managerial group. The use of “Manor” distinguished it from Capitol View across the way and gave the impression of exclusivity employed by advertising in that time period.

In 1929 real estate firm and developers Maddox & Tisinger (Paul Maddox & Thomas Tisinger) were the primary sellers in CVM. They offered fa ull service home purchasing package that included financing, home construction and “follow-up purchasing services” in CVM.

In line with purveying a more stately living environment, in 1928 residents petitioned for the name of Dill Avenue to be changed and in 1929 it was changed to Manford. Likewise Shannon was once Capitol View Avenue and also received a name change in 1929.

The predominance of brick houses in the English Vernacular style was another draw for white collar prospects, as well as proximity to the trolley line (right at the corner of Dill and Stewart/Metropolitant) and the newly built Capitol View School designed by A. Ten Eyck Brown, who also designed the MLK, Jr. Federal Building on Forsyth Street.

In 1930, Joseph Boston, the primary investor of the group currently paying the mortgage to Clark University, died. At this point the note had not been repaid. By 1933 the investors defaulted on the loan and $71,000 was still indebted to Clark University. There was a clause in the contract that allowed for what was essentially a short sale, and the investment group sold the property on the steps of the courthouse. Clark University recouped only $10,000.

The Depression gave rise to entrepreneurial solutions in the real estate industry. Maddox designed homes that would “help pay for themselves.” These homes had a semi-duplex configuration. They can be seen at the following addresses:  594 Shannon Drive, 574 Shannon Drive, 573 Shannon Drive and 569 Manford Road. Maddox published an article in the National Real Estate Journal in 1930 detailing the designs.

Despite these attempts to up sales, the Depression did have a big impact on the community and by 1935 there were only 58 homes in CVM.

In 1937 the residents petitioned for a park and a portion of the Deckner property was purchased to build a park which at that time had tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a playground. The park was named for the mother of State Senator Everett Millican, Emma Millican, who lived in Capitol View Manor until her death.

During WWII Atlanta was a center for war-time industry, rationing and of course had Ft. McPherson nearby. Another developer, Hillside Homes, began construction on Erin Avenue, in a style now known as the American Small House. Residents of CVM objected to the “poorer quality” and smallness of the houses that they perceived to diminish the value of their neighborhood. These homes were designed to house war workers. As a compromise, Hillside agreed to put in sidewalks and paved driveways, vary the color of the roofs and use several different front elevations. Among other restrictions on these houses was a covenant forbidding the sale or lease of these houses to African Americans until January 1, 1975.

The post war years saw another real estate boom and by 1950 90% of the lots in CVM had been built out. The ranch houses you see in the neighborhood were built primarily between 1950 and 1961, and, according to our State Historic Preservation Office, are ideal, intact examples of early ranch house development in Georgia.

Bootleggers

Prohibition and the Road South

Federal Prohibition began January 16, 1920, however the State of Georgia enacted prohibition legislation as early as 1908 (There is a great article about this in the New Georgia Encyclopedia: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-828) and lingered after Federal repeal in 1933.

The origin of the word "bootlegger" hails from Kansas during the early days of prohibition when the footcovering of choice was the Western boot, which could easily accommodate one or two quart bottles of whiskey. "Bootleggers" were those who literally sold the bottle or a drink out of their boot leg.

Remembering that Stewart Avenue was THE south road prior to the construction of I-75, it is only reasonable that the road played an interesting role as a bootlegger's alley. I found some stories in the Atlanta Constitution archives, which you might find interesting.

May 6, 1920 - Alligator and Booze Captured in Same Car

Bootlegger Glen Clayton carrying 10 gallons of whisky and a two-foot alligator in a car "judged by its contents" to hail from "a wet country (sic)" was captured by Fulton County policemen. Clayton was released on a $500 bond and the alligator went home with one of the officers where it became "a plaything for all the boys in that ward." I have two questions: What ward and what happened to the alligator after that? The article is silent on the disposition of the captured liquor.

March 26, 1922 - Machine, Loaded with Red Liquor Taken by Police

Reporting a capture of 108 quarts of "bonded rye and Scotch whiskey" on Stewart Avenue, the officers involved stated that this was the first raid involving bonded whiskey. According to InternetWines.com: "Bonded Whiskey is 100 proof Bourbon from a single distillery that was produced in a single "season" and then aged for at least four years in a government-supervised "bonded" warehouse. Distillers originally did this in order to avoid having to pay the excise tax until the whiskey was aged and ready for market." Doing the math, it stands to reason that having paid the tax previously, the owner of said distillery was at quite a disadvantage with prohibition and seeking to recoup his (or her?) losses.

July 4, 1923 - Alleged Whiskey Cars are Seized, Drivers Jailed

A police chase on Stewart Avenue forced Lloyd Rice to run his auto into a telephone pole. Mr. Rice, age 21 and whose address was noted on Pulliam Street, was apprehended and faced charges of violating prohibition law. Two passengers riding with Mr. Rice fled the scene and escaped arrest.

March 14, 1928 - Big Haul of Fine Liquor is Caught by County Men

(I am just going to quote this one verbatim, as to paraphrase it would do it an injustice.)

"More than 200 quarts of fine bonded whiskies, done up in 35 sacks wet with sea water and grimy with beach sand, were confiscated by county officers Tuesday afternoon when they overhauled a light touring car entering Atlanta on Stewart Avenue. The automobile first came to the attention of Officers Vernon Hornsby and Frank Donehoo when one of two men in the machine, sighting the official party, swung from the running board and climbed into a heavy touring car that came alongside. Following the machine, they overhauled it on the outskirts of the city, arresting A. B. Bryant, who was being held late Tuesday afternoon on a charge of transporting whiskey. Bryant, who furnished a Macon address, told officers the cargo came through from a Florida port, but that he had been hired by a stranger to drive the automobile into the city."

June 29, 1933 - 200 Gallons Seized in Stewart Avenue Raid

A raid at 1272 Stewart Avenue (which could be argued sits in the CVM community) and owned at that time by Billy Bryant, captured 127 gallon cans, 10 gallon jugs, 284 pint bottles, and 364 half-pint bottles of whisky that had been cured on premises in charred barrels.

Well, all of this just goes to show that our area has a long history of contraband, characters and curiosities.

Sylvan Hills Subdivision

In April of 1922 J.R. Smith & M.S. Rankin published an article in the Atlanta Constitution about their new subdivision to be developed on 100 acres in south west Atlanta called Sylvan Hills. The property was located on what was then South Ashby Road, soon to be renamed Sylvan Road. The land was advertised to be nearly as level as a floor and situated in a forest of poplar, oak and hickory. The conveniences they associated with this new subdivision included: proximity to schools and churches, paved streets, paved sidewalks, water and sewer, two nearby trolley lines and its location within the city limits. The subdivision was to have few restrictions, however those restrictions included the following: "A 25 foot building line [setback] must be maintained; It is to be used exclusively for white people; [and] None of the properties can be used for stores or other commercial purposes." The property was subdivided into 50 x 150 ft lots and prices for these ranged from $775 to $1350.

By mid 1923 sales of lots and building of homes were well underway. Here is some of the wonderful verbiage associated with the promotion of Sylvan Hills Subdivision: "This splendid tract of gently rolling woodland is most appropriately named because over its entire extent the gracefully undulating knolls are covered with majestic forest trees, shading the hills and vales during the summer season, and furnishing much protection from winter blasts." Wow, trees as an asset, not an obstacle to be removed.

In May of 1924, H. A. Spencer of Norfolk, Virginia, announced the implementation of a "Cross-Town Bus" system that would run from Morningside to Sylvan Hills. The fare for riding the ten modern motor buses was 10 cents. Spencer is credited in the article as being the originator of the cross town bus system.

Home Beautiful Show Atlanta

Among the open houses for the 1925 Home Beautiful Show was a house located in Sylvan Hills on Melrose Drive (shown above). The house listed for $7,000 and was built by Wagar and Company.

By July of 1925, 135 lots had been sold in Sylvan Hills. The subdivision was touted as: "one of the showplaces of the southside metropolitan section....just a comfortable distance from industrial centers." Its proximity to the city was also listed as an advantage, being reached easily via Sylvan Road, to Dill Avenue and then along Lee - all of which were paved roads, a huge amenity at the time. Road and infrastructure improvements were being made on Woodburne Drive, Harte Drive and Mickleberry Street to accommodate the demand for lots.

"The Sun Rises in Morningside and Sets in Sylvan Hills."

This hales from one of my favorite articles, primarily because I had gone searching to document the assertion that there were ties between Capitol View Manor and Morningside, and found instead much more to establish a tie between Sylvan Hills and Morningside. (Before anyone in CVM gets their knickers in twist, we do share a connection with both Morningside and Sylvan Hills in the form of real estate agents Maddox & Tisinger, who sold properties in all three neighborhoods, its just that we don't get mentioned like Sylvan does...often....and waxing poetically.) This particular article talks about James Jackson, a well known builder at the time. Jackson was building homes both in Morningside and in Sylvan Hills. Probably the most interesting part of this article is a discussion of the superior craftsman skills necessary to build a modern home using modern materials, and how that raises cost of construction.

Another builder who left his mark on Sylvan Hills is R.M. Cole. The promotional article for Cole published in 1925 talks about how his houses were the prettiest in Sylvan Hills. An interesting commonality that he shares with Mr. Jackson, above, is the emphasis on his expensive and highly skilled workman. Cole's homes were reckoned to be high class for the area and comment is made on the quality of housing as a whole within the subdivision, a standard which Mr. Cole sought to meet and exceed.

In 1926, Maddox & Tisinger become the real estate agents for Sylvan Hills. Paul Maddox anticipates that all lots will be sold soon, because people are "returning from Florida." (I thought that was pretty interesting and have earmarked it for further study....when I have a minute.) In addition, the development of new industrial sites was also driving the need for homes on the south west side.

By mid 1927, the Sylvan Hills Improvement Club has been established and was meeting on Deckner Avenue. One of the priority projects for the club that year was to secure land for a park to serve the residents of the growing Sylvan Hills subdivision. The property that was secured belonged to the Perkerson family and comprised 370 acres. At the time, only two buildings existed on the property that were deemed "of importance", the Perkerson home and a county school. The property was purchased and developed into a city park, with the contingency that the Perkerson home remain in ownership of the family during the remainder of their lives. City notables in favor of the project included: Mayor James L. Key, Alderman Charles M. Ford, Judge T.O. Hathcock, Frank Callaway, T.B. Hopkins, and T.H. Goodwin.

About Metropolitan Parkway/Stewart Avenue

Until 1997, the corridor that connects the neighborhoods of Adair Park, Pittsburgh, Capitol View, Capitol View Manor and Sylvan Hills on the southwest side of Atlanta and was once THE road south out of Atlanta was called Stewart Avenue. The road was named for Andrew Perry Stewart, who served for over twenty years as the (Fulton) County Tax Collector and was a resident of Capitol View.

Stewart was born in Jackson, Butts County, Georgia on December 14, 1848. His father, Frederick Stewart, served with 6th Georgia Artillery Battalion during the Civil War. A.P. Stewart came to Atlanta shortly after the close of the war, working first for Richardson's then for a hardware concern owned by L. B. Langford. Stewart purchased the hardware business on Whitehall Street upon Langford's retirement and ran that business until 1888, when he sold it to a Mr. Conklin. In 1889, Stewart ran and was elected as county tax collector, a position he held for many years. He was also active politically and served as a representative of the Fifth Ward. Stewart was also a Mason and an Oddfellow, and participated in a variety of civic activities.

Metropolitan Parkway/Stewart Avenue was also formerly: Vine Street, Humphries Street, Kreig Street, New Whitehall Road, and Ocmulgee. Stewart is part of the old Dixie Highway, which runs from Miami to Detroit. Per the Atlanta Constitution, the Dixie Highway was the brainchild of Clark Howell, editor of the paper.

In 1997, Stewart Avenue was renamed Metropolitan Parkway in honor of the college along its corridor. City Council cited that it would give the street, known for prostitutes, strip clubs and drug dealers a clean slate. We all know how well that worked out.

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Notes:

Men of Mark in Georgia, Vol. VI. William J. Northern, LLD, Editor, A.B. Caldwell, Publisher, Atlanta, GA, 1912. p.201-202

"Andrew P. Stewart." The Atlanta Constitution, November 27, 1910, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945). p. C8

"Andrew P. Stewart." The Atlanta Constitution, October 23, 1912, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945). p. C5

"Dixie Highway Trailblazers Visit Scenes of Effort 20 Years Ago." The Atlanta Constitution, February 21, 1936. ProQuest Historical Newspapers Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945). p. 11

"Many Streets Get New Names." The Atlanta Constitution, October 17, 1903, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945). p. 7

"New Name Gives Stewart Avenue a Clean Slate." The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, August 21, 1997. p. D2

Capitol View War Housing

July 26, 1942, the realty firm of Haas & Dodd announced that they were selling houses for war workers on a 35 acre tract of land adjacent to Perkerson Park and near the Sylvan Hills subdivision. At this time, the new subdivision was called Fairmount Forest. The tract was located at the corner of Deckner and Stewart Avenue and was once part of the Perkerson properties. Fifty houses were planned for this subdivision and at the time of the announcement, twenty-four houses had been constructed. These were located on Belmont Avenue, south of Deckner and sold for less than $4,o00 for a five-room house and less than $5,000 for a six-room house.

Haas & Dodd noted that the houses were designed by "one of Atlanta's leading architects" to be in harmony with the existing houses in the community and that no two houses would look the same. The article cites that the subdivision and housing was authorized by the government for defense workers, which are described as: "a member of the armed forces, a person engaged in a plant producing war materials, either by direct contract or by subcontract, or an employee of a branch of the United States government engaged in war activity.

In a subsequent article in November of that year, the name of the subdivision had changed to Fairmount Park and we learn that the developer was Fairmount Development Company, though still being sold by Haas & Dodd. The 35 acre tract was subdivided into 125 lots. The lot sizes were considerably larger than those previously subdivided in Capitol view, the frontage being no less than 71 feet and the houses situated on the lots so that at least 25 feet stood between each house. The house set backs were determined by a desire to "preserve and balance the yard space."

By this time, the 50 houses had been completed, 32 of which had been sold, all to war workers. The completed houses were located on Belmont Avenue and Athens Avenue. The site was noted to be convenient to the Chevrolet Plant, Fort McPherson, the Candler Warehouse, the airport, and other war industry locations. The builder for this project was W. R. Jordan. The article repeated the previous assertion that the homes were designed by a leading Atlanta architect, unfortunately no name was ever mentioned.

NOTE: There is a picture associated with the 2nd article cited below, however AJC retains the rights to it and I can not publish on the page. However it is interesting in that the houses are very visible as there are no trees.

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"To Build 50 Homes in New Subdivision for War Workers." The Atlanta Constitution, July 26, 1942, pg. 8D, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Atlanta Constitution (1868-1939).

"Fairmont Park Subdivision is Growing Fast." The Atlanta Constitution, November 8, 1942, pg. 7D, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Atlanta Constitution (1868-1939).

Sylvan Hills - 1911

Hi Sylvan Hills folks, didn't want to leave y'all out of the mix!

Here is the portion of the map that corresponds to most of Sylvan. I have been trying to find out more about why it is shown as Forrest Park, with no success yet. But maybe one of your neighbors know?

Also, thought you might like to see a closeup, (lower right). Looks like Southern Cotton Oil Co. had a location by the tracks. Will be digging up more info on them when I get a chance to.

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1911 Fulton County Map (portion of), produced by Hudgins Company, courtesy of the Georgia Archives

CVM - Erin Avenue

In 1944 Hillside Homes, Inc., began development of a War Housing Project on Erin Avenue in Capitol View Manor. The development was opposed by the existing residents of CVM, who cited sub-standard construction and a deleterious impact on their property values as cause.

Hillside Homes meanwhile was having additional trouble gaining support from the City, having lost a court battle to them over the provision of water and sewer infrastructure. An agreement was finally reached with the Fourth Ward Civic League, the City, and the neighborhood allowing construction on the contingency that Hillside Homes provide sidewalks and paving, and that the houses were differentiated by roof color and varying the front elevations of the proposed 35 homes.

Which houses are they? I have not confirmed this by documentation yet, however, this link may provide a clue:

http://homesales.ajchomefinder.com/homesales/subdivision/30310/hillside_homes_inc

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"Greenlight is Expected for Erin Avenue Housing Project", The Atlanta Constitution, June 11, 1944, page 4B. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945).