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Saturday, August 29, 2015

787 Windsor and the Railroad Shops in Mechanicsville

It was love at first sight for me. Ric Geyer has bought it and he's going to do all those things we'd want him to do. Lucky us!

I first saw it during last year's Living Walls. It was like stumbling onto a forgotten temple in the forest. I showed Kelly Jordan a picture, he thought circa 1880.

I don't have words for 787 or for the whole railroad shop complex. Maybe I can tease you down there with a few pictures. It's pretty close to Turner Field. The map is at the bottom of this post, go see.


787 Windsor is a tiny part of the railroad shops that divide Mechanicsville from Pittsburgh, the shops that gave both neighborhoods their names.

2015-08-27 Mechanicsville and Pittsburgh Atlanta Neighborhoods NPU map

 20150809_122809 2015-08-09 BERKELE ST Mechanicsville SOUTHERN RAILWAY Atlanta
The south end of the shops is the location for The Walking Dead's Terminus.

IMG_7958 2015-08-09 787 Windsor St SW Atlanta gables bossgable mechanicsville Ric
Between Terminus at the south end and 787 at the north end are these stunning railroad shops.

20150809_123212 2015-08-09 BERKELE ST Mechanicsville SOUTHERN RAILWAY Atlanta

IMG_7963 2015-08-09 787 Windsor St SW Atlanta gables bossgable mechanicsville Ric

IMG_7969 2015-08-09 787 Windsor St SW Atlanta gables bossgable mechanicsville Ric

20150809_123208 2015-08-09 BERKELE ST Mechanicsville SOUTHERN RAILWAY Atlanta

20150809_123545 2015-08-09 BERKELE ST Mechanicsville SOUTHERN RAILWAY Atlanta

20150809_123541 2015-08-09 BERKELE ST Mechanicsville SOUTHERN RAILWAY Atlanta

20150809_123904 2015-08-09 787 Windsor St SW Atlanta gables bossgable mechanicsville Ric
Back to 787 Windsor.


IMG_2181 2014-09-13 Art Party Atlanta Contemporary Art Center ACAC Ric Geyer with my glasses
Here's Ric Geyer (rhymes with "flyer"). 

Go see before the crowds get there.





Thursday, August 20, 2015

Atop the Gothic Tower in Grant Park and Stained Glass Too - Terry's Tiny Video Tour

I met the building manager yesterday, he said, "Want to see?"

It's the Georgia Avenue Church at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Grant Street in Grant Park. Three congregations meet there. It's one of the Architecture Tourist's favorite spaces in Atlanta but I'd never seen upstairs.


The balcony is now an office with this window.

P1010802-2010-04-24-Kairos-Church-Atlanta-Grant-Park-Grant-Street-Facade
The bottom part of the big window shows in the sanctuary, the top part shows in the balcony.

P1010803-2010-04-24-Kairos-Church-Atlanta-Grant-Park-Grant-Street-Facade-Anchor-Window-Detail
It's the Anchor Window. See?

IMG_20150819_150124 2015-08-19 Spiral stair in SE Tower Kairos Church Georgia Avenue 5th Presbyterian Church Grant Park Atlanta
Then he pointed to the dark spiral stair up to the belfry. I never dreamed of this and was excited. I needed hours but had minutes.

From the bell-free belfry I climbed to the roof.  It was crenelated parapet wall battlements or in Terry's terms: "Decorative tower battlements with pointy merlons and embrasures (aka crenels)."

So here:



Thursday, August 13, 2015

Update: Mt. Gilead Camp Ground Is Up For Auction 8-15-15 - Maybe the Last Chance to Save it.

(Thanks to Jamie Cooper there's a panoramic video of Mt. Gilead Camp Ground on 8-13-15.)

From Jeff Harbin:

"Just wanted to let you all know that the Mt. Gilead Camp Ground is up for sale again.

"It looks like they are going to try and auction it off on Saturday:

"I really think this may be the last chance to save it.


Thanks to Jamie Cooper

"The asking price ($247,500) is more reasonable this time. They were asking over a million just a few years ago."

Auction Information: Atlanta, GA Area Sale
Method: H&M Auction 
Auction Date: August 15 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time 
Location: Atlanta Airport Marriott 
                  4711 Best Road
                   Atlanta, Georgia 30337 
                  404-766-7900

FOR SALE | BANK OWNED37.4± Acres Residential Land ATLANTA, GA

I don't know when these pictures were taken, courtesy Jeff Harbin:




Click here to the Property Tax Map, the two adjacent blue parcels "2073" I think.







Friday, August 7, 2015

Terry's Tiny Tour - Classical / Traditional Spring Street in the Drizzle

Here's the deal: This week Maria Saporta wrote:  "It’s hard to believe, but the expansion of the Center for Puppetry Arts is even worse than I had feared..."

When I arrived at Georgia Tech in 1968, Spring Street was a 2-way of car dealerships. Is it less memorable today? Last night I cruised the 15 blocks between Peachtree and Linden to find out.

"Where you headed?" JoAnn asked.

"Spring Street."

"Huh?" was her silent, telling, sarcastic and totally correct response.


However great the puppet expansion might be, it hides a nice old building.

Terry Tiny Tour for folks driving 35-40 mph.

IMG_7900 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour The Temple by Shutze 1589 PEACHTREE ST crop
The Temple is one of our finest buildings (Shutze) and you can kind-of see it from Spring Street so I'm giving it an honorable mention.

20150806_192415 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Peachtree Christian Church by Hopson 1590 PEACHTREE ST
Peachtree Christian Church (Hopson) is the gateway to Spring. It's stunning inside and out but seems lonely.

20150806_192731 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Atlanta skyline view
The skyline view from Peachtree Christian. It's where the eye goes but ...

20150806_193326 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Spring Street School Atlanta 1404 SPRING ST Center for Puppetry Arts Clark Patterson Lee
The most you can see of the old Spring Street Elementary from Spring Street, the 40 mile an hour view.

20150806_193203 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Spring Street School Atlanta 1404 SPRING ST Center for Puppetry Arts
It's still there, but fronted with modernist camo.

20150806_193808 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Spring Street  Atlanta 1385 SPRING ST house ca 1920
This is 1385 Spring, tax records say 1920. This and 1050 Spring are the only "houses" left on Spring Street. They are building this style today in my neighborhood.

IMG_7910 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Spring Hill Funeral Home Atlanta by Shutze 1020 SPRING ST crop
The superb H.M. Patterson & Son - Spring Hill (Shutze). As if teleported from the English countryside.

IMG_7912 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour skyline view from  Spring Hill Funeral Home Atlanta by Shutze  1020 SPRING ST ca 1928
The drizzly skyline view from from Spring Hill feels big city but not big comfort.


"Warm" view with drizzle in 19 seconds from Spring Hill. Caution: metal music.


20150806_194837  2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Atlanta Crum and Forster ca 1927 
Though Crum and Forster (Crook) is only 1/3 of its former self and has trompe l'oeil stick-on windows, it still classes up the place.

One more.

20150806_200948 2015-08-06 Spring Street classical tour Atlanta 563 SPRING ST ca 1926 NASCAR legend Red Vogt Kronberg Wall
563 Spring Street, tax records say 1926. If pay you attention to the traffic, you might miss it.

Yet to be done: Terry's Tiny Mid-Century Modern Tour of Spring Street might be good.