Ormewood Park is a neighborhood on the
east side of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Georgia
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* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
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Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
History
This area was the territory of the Creek Indian Nation until approximately 1825 when the Treaty of Indian Springs was signed under Governor George Troup. He then began forcing the Creek from their lands and by 1827, they were all gone. Any white settler could enter a land lottery for the cost of $4.00, and 160 or parcels were awarded. Most of these lots were working farms until the late 19th century. In 1892, some of the farms were further subdivided into building lots of approximately in size. The
Confederate Soldiers' Home
The first Atlanta Confederate Soldiers' Home (also called the Old Soldiers' Home) was built in 1890 with the support of Henry W. Grady at a cost of $45,000. Grady proposed the idea first in 1889, and began to raise funds through "subscriptions". ...
was constructed on what is now the area occupied by the complex of
Georgia National Guard
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S. state of Georgia, and consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard. (The Georgia State Defense Force is the third military unit of the Georgia Depar ...
and other State buildings on United Avenue.
A trolley line extension was constructed in 1891 by the Metropolitan Street Railroad Company running north–south along Underwood Avenue, from Confederate Avenue (renamed United Avenue in 2018) and the Confederate Soldiers' Home, turning east on Delaware Avenue and then connecting to the line that ran along Moreland Avenue, eventually ending in downtown. The line was originally run with steam operated “dummy” trains and was upgraded to electric trolleys in 1894. Its path can still be seen by examining the acute wall angles of the commercial buildings at the northeast corner Woodland and Delaware. The new retail development at the Ormewood and Moreland intersection makes use of this old path by providing rear access along the old right-of-way and bridge.
Ormewood Park was initially developed in 1892, when a 100-acre plot was subdivided by Samuel W. Goode and Company and put on the market for sale.
After World War I there was a construction boom. There are even prefabricated and catalog homes from this era that survive to this day. In 1922, the City of Atlanta annexed the area and construction of Anne E. West Elementary School, located in the heart of Ormewood Park, began around that time. Anne E. West's classic building got a new life, new name, and new mission this century: it is home for the middle school campus of the
Neighborhood Charter School
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. The system has an active enrollment of 54,956 students, attending a t ...
, which serves both the
Grant Park and Ormewood Park neighborhoods.
Another period of growth took place after World War II. The wood-sided cottages scattered between the older Victorian and Craftsman homes are typical of this era. During the late 1950s and early 1960s a number of brick ranch-style homes appeared.
The neighborhood experienced a period of decline until the 1990s, when it began to gentrify. In the 2000s, Ormewood Park experienced a notable increase in renovations and new housing stock as the surrounding areas improved and supporting retail and commercial centers were developed. In 2003, the northwest corner of the neighborhood was redeveloped as
Glenwood Park
Glenwood Park is a mixed-use neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, located just west of North Ormewood Park. The neighborhood is an example of New Urbanism, promoting a sense of community with walkable streets and cl ...
, with townhomes, single-family homes, and
big box retail establishments.
In 2016, the Ormewood Park Civic association, led by Festival founder Hannah Thompson, created the first Ormewood Park Makers Festival, which was attended by almost three thousand people. The festival celebrates local craftsman, live music, workshops and more, and includes a historic trolley tour of the neighborhood. Website www.ormewoodpark.org
Geography
Ormewood Park is east of
Grant Park (separated by the Atlanta Beltline), south of Glenwood Avenue, west of
East Atlanta
East Atlanta is a neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, United States The name East Atlanta Village primarily refers to the neighborhood's commercial district.
Geography
East Atlanta lies entirely within DeKalb County and is bounde ...
, and north of United Avenue.
References
External links
South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development (SAND)
{{Coord, 33.734, -84.355, region:US-GA, display=title
Neighborhoods in Atlanta