Neighborhood Planning Unit X

Neighborhood Planning Unit X

HISTORY OF THE NPU-X AREA

NPU-X is located in the southwest section of Atlanta and contains five identifiable neighborhoods, Capitol View, Capitol View Manor, Hammond Park, Perkerson Park, and Sylvan Hills. Land use is predominantly residential though industrial development borders the Central of Georgia Railroad as well as the interstate highways surrounding the NPU. Metropolitan Parkway (formerly Stewart Avenue) has attracted a diverse group of commercial establishments ranging from dealerships and roadside motels to shopping centers and fast food restaurants. In the midst of this development are modest homes sited on nicely wooded lots. One particular source of pride for area residents is the excellent view of downtown Atlanta created by the terrain. Many elderly citizens live in NPU-X, and unlike most Atlantans, they were born there as well. The area has a Long history of settlement.

As early as the 1820s settlers came to the land south of what is now downtown Atlanta. Charner Humphries arrived with his wife and seven children from South Carolina in 1830. Humphries constructed a large homestead on a bank of the South River near the present intersection of Metropolitan Parkway and Perkerson Road. In 1835, he purchased some land in what later became West End and constructed the first known public house in the area. White Hall Tavern (Inn) was the name given to the structure as it was the only painted building in the county. The tavern fostered a sense of community and shared purpose among settlers. It also served as one of the first polling places in DeKalb County.

Thomas J. Perkerson settled in Land Lots 103 and 104 (Perkerson Park and Sylvan Hills) with his family in the mid 1830·s. His home stood for well over a hundred years before its demolition for construction of a grocery store. Perkerson was the sheriff of Fulton County as well as one of its most notable citizens. His land was subdivided into Perkerson Park and Sylvan Hills in 1944 after the death of Lizzie Perkerson Butler, who was the last family member to live in the old house.

Mount Zion Methodist Church (2480 Metropolitan Parkway), founded 1828 by Reverend James Mangum and a group of interested laymen, has long served the residents of this area. Many early settlers are buried in its small graveyard. The church was originally housed in a log structure which was replaced in 1830 by a weatherboard building. The church was severely damaged during the Civil War and was not rebuilt until 1938, when the present structure was completed.

THE GROWTH OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITIES

In 1861, Jeremiah Gilbert, whose house still stands at 2238 Perkerson Road, purchased 500 acres in Land Lots 91, 92 and 102 (both sides of Metropolitan Parkway from Pegg Road to the Langford Parkway (formerly Lakewood Expressway/Freeway) and the east side of Metropolitan Parkway from Pegg Road to Cleveland Avenue). His first home was burned by Sherman's troops as they marched through Atlanta in 1864. Gilbert. a Confederate soldier, returned from the war and built the present house with field stones and clay, using timber from his land to construct the necessary woodwork. The Gilbert family remained in the area for many years. The last occupant of the house was Gussie Gilbert Taylor, who died in 1968. The City of Atlanta now owns and is renovating the Gilbert House.

The Deckner family has lived on Metropolitan Parkway since the end of the Civil War. Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Frederick Deckner moved south with his family after his son, Charles, returned from war duty in Georgia with reports of the good climate and almost year-round farming. The elder Deckner. a native of Germany, purchased 100 acres of land and built a house on the present site of the Atlanta Area Technical School. Charles Deckner later built a small home for his bride that still stands behind the family house at 1500 Metropolitan Parkway. The larger house was built a few years after the small one to accommodate Deckner's growing family. Remarkably, descendants of Frederick Deckner still live on Metropolitan Parkway.

Andrew P. Stewart, tax collector of Fulton County for 26 years, was another large landowner. According to historian Franklin Garrett, "he accumulated much valuable real estate and was well-known for his quiet deeds of charity."··It was Stewart's land that was developed into Capitol View by William D. Beatties in 1910.

Capitol View was annexed to Atlanta in 1913. Capitol View Manor was developed in the 1920s on John Shannon's property. Paul Maddox was responsible for the development with its curvilinear street layout and pleasant varied appearance.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

The Central of Georgia Railroad (formerly the Macon and Western) on the western edge of NPU-X, has attracted a good deal of industry to the area. Cluett, Peabody, and Company (l928) and The National Biscuit Company (1941) opened plants near the rail lines to take advantage of the transportation access. Many other companies have chosen the same location, including Sherwin Williams, Canada Dry and J. H. Filbert, Inc

Stewart Lakewood Mall (opened in 1952) is the major retail center. Commercial development has engulfed Metropolitan Parkway, except for a four block section from C1aire Drive north to the Atlanta and West Point railroad. Langford Parkway, built in 1966, bisects NPU-X. Interstate 85 crosses Metropolitan Parkway just below the South River. The South Expressway is the eastern border of the NPU. These barriers have created a new framework for growth. When the land was sparsely populated, development followed the decisions of individual landowners. Future growth will be greatly determined by the fixed network of highways, railroads, and arterial roads.

About our association

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Who Makes Up the NPU-X?

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What is it?

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Where, When and Why

• WHERE - NPU-X is located in southwest Atlanta and includes 5 communities around Atlanta Area Tech (click "Map of NPU-X link below).
• WHEN - We meet at the Stewart-Lakewood Library every month on the second Monday. At meetings citizens recommend an action, policy or comprehensive plan to the City or any City agency on any matter affecting the livability of the neighborhood.
• WHY - that's easy - we want to be the best neighborhoods to live in that we can make them be.

Links

Map of NPU-X
District 12 Parks
Stewart-Lakewood Library
Carver Homes Library
Cleveland Avenue Library
HotLanta's Special Events