Monday, October 21, 2013

Photoshopping the Neel Reid designed Willis Jones House back to Peachtree

The soon to be moved Randolph-Lucas House is not the first grand house to cruise Peachtree. The Willis Jones house moved north on Peachtree in the late 1960's.

There is much to say about the house and about Neel Reid. I'll just show you a few pictures.

 
Today the Willis B. Jones House in on Paces Ferry just west of and across the street from the governor's mansion.

IMG_5926-2013-10-07 Willis Jones House original location 1753 Peachtree Street by Joseph Neel Reid moved to Paces Ferry
Until the late 1960's the house stood here at 1753 Peachtree Street on this corner across from the Mellow Mushroom.

You should have seen the Wills Jones House THEN (do click this link - really). It has since lost urns but gained dormers. The original was Job number 457, 1922  Hentz, Reid, & Alter. I don't know who designed the rebuild on Paces Ferry.


On Paces Ferry you get a zen view from the car at 45 miles per hour. You can see it better on foot but the Paces Ferry sidewalk is scary.

Mock-Up-IMG_5926-2013-10-07 Willis Jones House original location 1753 Peachtree Street by Joseph Neel Reid moved to Paces Ferry
So I Photoshopped it back.

Hat tip to Boyd Coons, Executive Director Atlanta Preservation Center and William R. Mitchell, author of  J. Neil Reed Architect and Thornton Kennedy columnist for the Northside Neighbor. Read Thornton's article about the move, "Historic rescue required $300, lots of patience".


View Larger Map
Where it was.


View Larger Map
Where it is.

7 comments:

  1. I had no idea this house had once been on Peachtree. It seems such a natural fit in its current location. Looking forward to seeing the Lucas house after the move.

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  2. This was our headquarters from about 1947 to 1966.

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  3. GREAT article! Neel Reid and Philip Trammell Shutze are my absolute hands-down favourite Southern architects of the 20th century. How wonderful that the house was rescued, moved, and finally rebuilt. Thanks Terry!

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  4. Wonder where the urns are? I hope they are somewhere looking great.

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  5. I opened Vol. 1 of Garrett's "Atlanta and Environs" and the very first thing, opposite the title page, is a photograph of this house, identified as the home of the Atlanta Historical Society, purchased from the Dr. Willis B. Jones Estate. The photograph is from 1946 on Peachtree Street, urns intact. The book was published in 1954.

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