Local & Historic Architecture - 2008
Many people are surprised at how many historic buildings are located Downtown, especially in or near Fairlie-Poplar.
Buildings Featured on the 2008 Tour
Atlanta First United Methodist Church
360 Peachtree St.
Web Site
Built in 1903 of Stone Mountain granite, the church was designed with exquisite Tiffany stained glass and hand carved pews, all of which has been lovingly restored to its original grandeur. In addition, the structure houses Atlanta’s only surviving bell from the civil war era.
The Balzer Theater at Herrens
Home of Theatrical Outfit
84 Luckie St.
Web Site
The Balzer Theater at Herren’s, in Downtown Atlanta, is the home of Theatrical Outfit, Atlanta’s third oldest professional theater company. Hailed as “the city’s best small performance space” (Wendell Brock, Atlanta Journal Constitution), it is also the first LEED certified Green Theater in the country. Executive Artistic Director, Tom Key describes Theatrical Outfit’s mission as “Giving dramatic voice to the spiritual themes of the American South.”
The Candler Building
127 Peachtree St.
Web Site
National Park Service Info
The Candler Building was one of Atlanta's most luxurious high-rise buildings of the early 20th century. Great care was taken in the design of the 17-story building as it was meant to be a monument to Asa G. Candler--prominent Atlanta businessman, one-time mayor, and philanthropist who founded the Coca-Cola empire. In 1903, Candler purchased land for his intended office and commercial high-rise. Candler selected architects George E. Murphy and George Stewart, but was involved with many of the construction and design decisions, such as the selection of the snow-white Amicalola marble that sheaths the building's exterior.
Typical of the era, its exterior was visually and structural divided into three parts--a two-story base, a 12-story shaft and a three-story capital with large overhanging cornice. The interior of the Candler Building featured special floors designed for use by doctors, dentists, and surgeons; a banking hall; six passenger elevators; a barbershop; and what were said to be the "finest baths in America," located in the first basement of the building. Duplicate air-cooling and electric systems were installed to reduce the chance of a total systems failure, and a building-wide "vacuum air-cleaning device" was installed. The triangular building had entrances on all three sides; the largest and most elaborate of these was on the Houston Street (now John Wesley Dobbs) side and provided access to the Central Bank and Trust Corporation, which Candler organized in 1906 to occupy the lobby floor of his new skyscraper.
The Glenn Hotel
110 Marietta
Web Site
The Glenn Hotel, the first boutique hotel in Downtown Atlanta, is a meld of Manhattan sophistication, South Beach sex appeal and Atlanta's own southern charm, giving rise to a unique personality.
Additional Historic Buildings
11th Circuit Court of Appeals
56 Forsyth Street
Dating to 1911, this ornate Beaux-Arts courthouse (originally occupied by the U.S. Post Office) takes up a full block.
Citizens & Southern National Bank Building (Bank of America / GSU)
35 Broad Street
Fourteen stories high, this circa-1901 building was the first steel-frame structure to be built in Atlanta.
The Flatiron Building
84 Peachtree Street
Dating to 1897, this is one of the oldest buildings in Downtown and one of the most visible. The building pre-dates the (much larger) Flatiron Building in New York.
The Grant Building
44 Broad Street
Built in 1898, this is a rare 19th century building.
The Hurt Building
50 Hurt Plaza
The circa-1913 Hurt Building occupies an elongated triangular site and offers a beautiful entrance at the corner of Edgewood Ave. and Hurt Place. One of Atlanta’s premiere restaurants, City Grille, is located off the corner entrance.
The Muses Block
52 Peachtree Street
Built in 1921, this seven-story building was commissioned by the George Muse Clothing Company, which until 1992 operated a store there; today the building is apartments. The Muse's Building occupies the site of a Confederate arsenal during the Civil War.
The Rhodes-Haverty Building (Marriott Residence Inn)
134 Peachtree Street
Named after its developers, furniture magnates AG Rhodes and JJ Haverty, the circa 1929 21-story Rhodes-Haverty Building was the tallest structure in Atlanta.
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