2021-03

This week, we’re talking about the history of Atlanta’s City Hall...not just the Art Deco masterpiece you can see today, but also the places that no longer exist. Where they were, how we got them and what their fate was. Our current City Hall (the 4th one in history), was built in 1930 and brought forth something called the Atlanta Graft Ring - an epic corruption scandal that brought down a mayor and won the Constitution a Pulitzer Prize. 
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This week, we’re talking about Kirkwood - its earliest settlement history, community landmarks and historic events and people. This Muskogee/Creek land was ceded in 1821 and divided into 5 initial land lots. Early white settlers include James Kirkpatrick and Jesse Clay. Post-Civil War, Kirkwood became home to politicians like John B. Gordon. It tried to incorporate as it's own city in 1899 (not without drama), which didn't pass until 1904, and then was annexed into Atlanta in 1921 (more drama). After 'white flight' of the late 50s/early 60s, Kirkwood becomes an exclusively African American neighborhood by 1967. 
 
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This week we're talking about Henrietta Dozier, the first female architect in Atlanta, and Leila Ross Wilburn, the second. Who doesn't love a story of women acting against the grain that was prescribed to them by their time period, social norms or gender. Both Henrietta and Leila are examples of that, and they both leave legacies that we can physically see today, although not all in Atlanta.
https://www.makdecatur.org/lrw-homes-in-mak
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It’s safe to say that home ownership is one of, if not THE tenet of the American Dream, but did you know that idea didn’t really come around until the 1920s? And to sell Americans on this idea, a Federal program was created, which then supported marketing campaigns in thousands of US cities?
This week we’re talking about the Better Homes Movement - what it was, who started it and then we’re going to get into Better Home Week - a 7 day open house event held all over the country, Atlanta included. Our city was so enthused by the idea, we even spawned our own separate tour and the best part? So many of these model homes are still standing today - and I am going to tell you where to find them.
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