There is an effort under way by Buckhead groups tying Buckhead’s history to Buckhead’s need for green spaces.
The Buckhead Heritage Society, coordinating with Livable
Buckhead, is taking an inventory of all of Buckhead’s historical sites and plans to add previously unheralded sites to the list.
“We know there are large gaps, things that have not been officially designated historic but are important to the community,” said Erica Danylchak, Executive Director of the Buckhead Heritage Society. “One of the next steps will be reaching out to the community and various neighborhood associations to find out what’s important and find out what they think should be recognized.”
Denise Starling, Executive Director of Livable Buckhead, said mapping the sites will help with a goal to add more park space to Atlanta City Council District 7, which she said has fewer green spaces than any other part of the city.
“We were looking at how we could leverage heritage tourism as a way we could connect our parks system together,” Starling said.
Buckhead Heritage, in collaboration with Georgia State University student Angelica Dion, in 2010 mapped out the 62 historical markers located in Buckhead. Most of them recognize events during the Civil War.
Danylchak said there are six areas in District 7 that have been designated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Thirteen buildings in the district are … either National Register-listed buildings, Atlanta Landmark Buildings, buildings which have a preservation façade easement, or those identified as eligible for the National Register by the State Historic Preservation Office,” Danylchak said. “There are also five historic cemeteries in District 7.”
Danylchak said the group will dig deeper, talking with residents and looking at old maps of the city to piece together clues about Buckhead’s forgotten past.
“We’re beginning the implementation phase,” Danylchak said. “We’re exploring the best way to move forward with a historical resources master plan for District 7, to identify the correct approach. This is a long-term project. We want to make sure we get it right.”
Wright Mitchell, president of the Buckhead Heritage Society, hopes the project will provide Buckhead residents with a deeper knowledge of their backyard beyond the heavy commercial development of the area.
“The cultural resources will add some flavor to what we’ve been very good at, building shopping malls and restaurants and things of that nature,” Mitchell said. “I think the cultural and historic resources have suffered as a result.”
Danylchak said one person she’d like to ask for help is Don Rooney, curator of Urban and Regional History at the Atlanta History Center.
Rooney said there are multiple directions the mapping effort could take, from focusing on people and places to historic homes and natural features.
“I’m not certain I could abbreviate Buckhead’s story into one theme,” Rooney said. “It’s a community that has evolved and changed over time.”
