HomePeople and PlacesHistory Along Flat Shoals...

History Along Flat Shoals Considered


By Henry Bryant
Hopefully, this is the first of several articles in the coming months that delve into bits of neighborhood history that have not been published in a while. This information came from files that recently surfaced at the East Atlanta Library. The old library building at 457 Flat Shoals Avenue, just south of the current branch on the corner at McPherson Avenue, remains one of the important contributing structures in the proposed East Atlanta Historic District now under consideration.
A 1946 Bond Issue in Atlanta funded the building of the Uncle Remus Library in West End and the East Atlanta Library on the east side, as well as a Negro Branch Library on West Hunter Street. Separate library facilities were provided in an era of racial segregation. The 30-minute ceremony for the new East Atlanta Library was held on Dec. 5, 1949. It, like most other libraries in the city, was for white citizens only.
The construction cost for the structure was $36,734 with $2,838 going to the architects Clement and Ford for design work. Furniture and draperies cost $4,000 and the landscaping cost $637. The total budget for the facility was $44,204. There was no air conditioning in the original structure; it was added in the summer of 1955.
The original red brick East Atlanta Library was designed with a recessed and columned portico with double front doors and two 18-pane windows that reached to the floor. Directly opposite the doors on the inside was a wood veneer circulation desk. On either side of the brick floored front porch were two matching reading rooms.  The one on the south side eventually was for youth, and one on the north side eventually was for adults. Facing the street were two stunning bow windows with three 19-pane windows in each that complimented the windows on the porch. Directly inside the bow windows were informal seating areas, and on the walls, shelves surrounded library tables and chairs.  Lighting was from streamlined pendulum fixtures hanging from the ceiling looking like flying saucers. By the time the library dedication was held, the library construction costs had risen to $48,996.51. About 8,000 volumes were scheduled to fill the shelves and leave room for more.
Other construction implemented during this expansion of the system included renovation of the main Carnegie Library located downtown on a site where the current Central Library would be built 40 or so years later. Also included was the Peachtree branch, which was located in its own building on the site where the High Museum would be built. The Library system at this time was owned and managed by the city of Atlanta and was not a part of Fulton County government. The East Atlanta Library was, and is, in Dekalb County. At the time of the dedication, William Hartsfield was mayor and attended the ceremony.
The bronze dedication plaque honored Alderman (City Councilman) E.A. Gilliam, who spearheaded allocation of funding to build the East Atlanta branch meant to serve the citizens of southeast Atlanta. A bronze plaque was placed on the wall during the dedication and stayed there until it was moved to the plaza area of a new library building when it opened in 2005 down the street at 400 Flat Shoals. The plaque reads: “This building is dedicated to Edwin Ames Gilliam and the people of East Atlanta who through their combined efforts made it a reality.”
By 1965, the library would hold 15,500 books crowded into 3,450 square feet. It was one of the busiest branches in the city. Students from four area high schools used it for research and recreational reading, as well as general use by a burgeoning population nearby. It was reported that the library was severely understaffed, with a 55-hour week schedule worked by 3.5 librarians and aides. Currently, the library is open 43 hours each week.
In 1974, an addition was made to the original East Atlanta Library structure. A lot of that addition was to the rear of the building and consisted of two alcoves on the rear of the reading rooms. On one side, it accommodated an expanded adult fiction collection, and on the other, a juvenile fiction section. Added to the front and southern side of the building was a 75-seat meeting room, updated restrooms, a small kitchen, and a large closet for audio visual equipment. The façade of the original part of the building remains unchanged today. That holds true for the 1974 addition as well.
In the middle of construction on the addition, the Diamond Construction Company defaulted. There were unpaid bills, lawsuits from suppliers, charges of racism, insolvency, and a levy from the IRS. The city finally terminated the contract and hired new builders to rebuild and finish this new section that had never really gotten off the ground. Maynard Jackson was the mayor at this time. Fulton County had still not entered the owner/manager picture yet for the library system.
In the early 1980s, ownership and management of the Atlanta Library system was transferred to Fulton County. The state of Georgia supplies funds for libraries to the counties and not to the cities. Unfortunately, three of the Atlanta libraries were located in Dekalb County. Briefly, the East Atlanta Library was scheduled to be closed. A small group of East Atlantans rallied the support from the neighborhood organizations in the libraries’ service areas. It took a lot to reorganize and redirect the plan that was in place, but with the help of state representatives and a statewide referendum, the East Atlanta library was saved. The small group of organizers eventually became the Friends of East Atlanta Library. Immediately after saving the branch from closing, they went to work making sure that maintenance on the library was not ignored or postponed. They then sought funding for building a new library. It took another 20 years, but it eventually happened. Karen Handel was the chairwoman of the Fulton County Commission and the Atlanta Fulton Library Board at that time, and she presided over the dedication of the new library when it moved down the street. In a land swap, the old building became owned first by East Atlanta businessman Jim Buzbee, and then by the Neighborhood Partnership. It is currently rented out by them for commercial purposes.

Recent

AdvertisementAd for A-1 Roofing. Phone: 404-627-6909 / 404-787-7001. Website: www.a1roof-remodeling.comAd: ScreenFixing, We're here because you broke something. Phone: 404-969-6FIX, 1267 Glenwood Ave SE, Atlanta Ga 30316, http://screenfixing.com
AdvertisementAd for CR Mortgage Solutions, phone: 404-222-0456, web: www.crmortgagesolutions.com

More from Author

June 2023 Print Issue

Open the issue in a new window

Introducing: The Pooch Press

By Robert M. Sarwark Calling all pets of Grant Park, the SAND...

Grant Park Sign Topper Update

By Phil Kelly In the fall of 2021, the Grant Park Neighborhood...

Zuber-Jarrell House Receives a Preservation Award from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation 

oto by Elena Kaplan Homeowners & Representatives from the GA Trust,the ...

Read Now

June 2023 Print Issue

Open the issue in a new window

Introducing: The Pooch Press

By Robert M. Sarwark Calling all pets of Grant Park, the SAND neighborhoods, and East Atlanta! We want YOU for a new feature in this newspaper. The Pooch Press invites all notable dogs, cats, and any other non-human friends and associates to submit their stories, skills, and photos for publication...

Grant Park Sign Topper Update

By Phil Kelly In the fall of 2021, the Grant Park Neighborhood Association's Homes & History Committee asked the Transportation Committee if we could take on the work of the Sign Topper update project. Since then, we worked hard to understand the City process for the project and...

Zuber-Jarrell House Receives a Preservation Award from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation 

oto by Elena Kaplan Homeowners & Representatives from the GA Trust,the Jarrell Family, and ZJH Tradesmen. Left to Right: Front Row: Tiffany Alewine, Brandy Morrison, Mark McDonald, Jennifer Murray, Marc Dobiecki, Rob Wanderman, Back Row: Alan Keck, Douglas Frey, Norris Broyles, Rebecca Jarrell, Dick Jarrell, Robbye...

Grant Park Pool Opens for Summer

By The Friends of Grant Park Pool Splash into your pool! The Grant Park pool is one of 12 public outdoor pools provided by the City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation. As of late April, the city plans for the pool to be open five days a week...

May and June Happenings at Oakland

By Angie Wynne Oakland’s late-spring calendar is filled with family-friendly opportunities to experience the cemetery in unique and educational ways. May is National Preservation Month, and to celebrate, Historic Oakland Foundation’s preservation team will lead two “Behind-The-Stones” preservation tours. Tickets for these tours tend to go quickly, so...

CALENDAR – April/May 2023

COMMUNITY MEETINGS GPNA (Grant Park Neighborhood Association) 3rd Tuesday, 7:30pm-9:00pm. Check www.grantpark.org for details. SAND (South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development) – 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:30pm, Ormewood Church Fellowship Hall, corner of Woodland & Delaware Avenues. EACA (East Atlanta Community Association): 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm. www.eaca.net for details. EABA (East Atlanta Business Association) General Meeting,...

EACA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Call to order / Meeting recording started 7:00 pm. Approved without dissent, March 14, 2023 meeting minutes. Approved without dissent, March 2023 treasurer report. Public Safety Update – Zone 6 Representative and Myron Polster: FBI now says robberies are not a violent crime for statistical reporting purposes, and now Zone 6...

SAND Meeting Minutes – Thursday, April 13, 2023

Submitted by Kate Champion The developers of Halidom Eatery at 1341 Moreland Avenue presented architectural drawings of their proposed food hall. They expect the facility, with its art deco/South Beach vibe, to house about 11 eateries and invited those with concepts to contact them. They hope to also...

GPNA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Register in advance for the meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctd-GurzgjGdBhY9lxJr2uJh7N2LKfiNZO. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Call to Order–7:30pm. President’s Introduction: We will be moving voting items to the top of each meeting moving forward. There are no items today. Public Official Update: Jonathan Harris - Community...

Thanks, EACA Topper Volunteers

By Henry Bryant What would any community be without volunteers to cover the gaps when public funds don’t quite stretch? When the East Atlanta Community Association (EACA) decided to take part in a Neighborhood Planning Unit-W (NPU-W) grant, the allotted money was not enough to print and install...

Red’s Farm Update

By Paul Bolster District One Council Member Jason Winston told The Porch Press the City of Atlanta is interested in acquiring Red’s Farm to preserve open space in Ormewood Park. Winston said the city, Red’s family, and the Conservation Fund are in active negotiations regarding the acquisition. He says, “The...