Sylvan Hills, Atlanta
Sylvan Hills is a neighborhood in southwest Atlanta, Georgia.
Boundaries
The neighborhood is bordered on the north by Deckner Avenue, on the south by Langford Parkway (Hwy 166), to the east by Metropolitan Avenue and on the west by Murphy Avenue.
History
The area that is now Sylvan Hills was once part of the Perkerson and Gilbert holdings that are believed to date to 1831.
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.
Housing development began in Sylvan Hills about 1920 during post-WWI growth. The boom tapered off during the Depression then started up again after WWII and lasted until the neighborhood was completely built out.
At one time, there was a center of shops, including a movie theater, at Dill Avenue and Sylvan Road. Shops along the railroad tracks attracted personnel from nearby Fort McPherson.
Places of interest
Perkerson Park
Perkerson Park is approximately fifty acres in size and is located in the northeast portion of the neighborhood at the corner of Deckner Avenue and Beatie Avenue Southwest.
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson, while technically in East Point, Georgia, is a U.S. Military installation situated just west of Murphy Street, which is the western border of the community. It was closed when BRAC went into effect, and there are currently many organizations that are planning the future for Fort Mac.
Economy
The Crossroads Shopping Center, better known by its former name, the Stewart-Lakewood Center, is located in Sylvan Hills.
Education
Elementary schools
Perkerson Elementary School
2895 Lakewood Ave SW
Atlanta, GA 30315-5809
Middle schools
Sylvan Hills Middle School
1461 Sylvan Rd SW
Atlanta, GA 30310-4124
External links
- The Sylvan Hills Neighborhood Association
- Google Map link to the neighborhood
- An out-of-date link to the City's page on Perkerson Park
- An article on the neighborhood from Creative Loafing
- The Wikipedia article on the Belt Line Project which will extend down to Sylvan Hills
- The official page for the Belt Line
Coordinates: 33°42′19″N 84°25′05″W / 33.70521°N 84.41809°W