A graduate course for his Masters in education inspired Chris Davis to delve into the history Ormewood Park, his neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta. The native New Yorker had only lived in area a short time when he began the project a few years ago, which resulted in a detailed treatise that was recently posted on the neighborhood website.
In the document, Davis explores the neighborhood's rich history and reveals a few surprises.
“It was amazing, all the things I came across,” said Davis, who teaches seventh grade social studies in Cobb County. “For instance, at the Atlanta History Center I found an old advertisement for the neighborhood when they were trying to get people to live here in the 1920s. The first development was 60 lots with prices from $300 to $800, which are incredible, but the ad specifies that they are in a ‘select white neighborhood.’ I know it’s the South, and segregation was alive, but to see a document for my neighborhood saying that was crazy.”
Davis also uncovered the reason why Ormewood Park has a trolley car for its logo.
“The trolley that ran along Confederate Avenue was a big thing for Ormewood; it made our neighborhood what it is,” said Davis. “It’s our neighborhood symbol now, and you’ll see it on our mailboxes. We have a security force called the Trolley Patrol. I even had a friend who was working in his yard and dug up an old trolley token.”
Though the trolley is long gone, the neighborhood does have two remaining landmarks. The National Guard Armory on Confederate Avenue was once a home for Confederate veterans. And tucked away on the dead-end Alloway Place is the Burns Cottage, a replica of Scottish poet Robert Burns’ homestead that was built by the Burns Club of Atlanta in 1911. The single-story structure is one of the hidden gems of the area that even neighborhood association president Steve Norman didn’t know about when he moved there in 1997.
“Even though the cottage is right down the street from me, I only found out about it through neighbors,” said Norman.
While the neighborhood’s landscape has changed through the years, Davis found that Ormewood’s spirit continues to be strong.
“This is still a very community-focused area,” said Davis. “Coming from New York City, I can tell you that I knew maybe one person’s name in my building. Here, everyone helps out and knows each other. My wife jokes that when I work in the yard, I need to plan an extra hour to talk to the neighbors who stop by. It’s like a 1950s community.”
While it’s not unusual to find neighbors chatting on the sidewalks or gathering at a local church for a potluck, the Internet also plays a huge role in keeping everyone connected. A Google group helps residents learn about what’s happening at the moment.
“A few months ago I was building a cabinet and didn’t have a circular saw,” said Davis. “But through the group, a guy I’d never met before lent me one. I decorated half my yard with stone someone was getting rid of. We even have a blog just for the three streets around my house that helped us plan a block party last year. It keeps us really close.”
Davis’s Ormewood Park history can be viewed at http://sandatlanta.org/ormewood-park.
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