Ponce de Leon Court Historic District

The Ponce de Leon Court Historic District [" [http://www.decatur-ga.com/cgs_citysvcs_dev_historicdistrict.aspx] " "City of Decatur Website: Historic Districts" "Retrieved: 18 August 2008.] consists of a single cul-de-sac located immediately east of downtown Decatur, Georgia. The street is accessed off of East Ponce de Leon Avenue, a historic road that runs east from Atlanta, Georgia through Decatur. Historic Decatur Cemetery is located to the north, and affluent Glynnwood Estates, developed in 1927, and Glenwnood Academy border Ponce de Leon Court on the east.

Ponce de Leon Court was designated as a local historic district by the city of Decatur, but is not on the National Register of Historic Places. The single-street district includes approximately 26 parcels, and was based on a subdivision plat developed by John L. Womack in the 1920’s. Womack reportedly wanted homes on this street to remind him of the tropics, so he planted both palm trees and banana trees. The palm trees remain, but the banana trees have died. [" [http://glencreek.org/history.htm] " "Atlanta Journal Constitution, 23 FEB 1995" "Retrieved: 18 August 2008.] The Womack family still owned property on the court when it was designated a historic district.

The closely spaced homes on the narrow street are within walking distance of downtown Decatur, and were constructed in an era when developments did not plan adequately for the automobile. The sense of scale and detail created a strong sense of community, and resulted in this street being recognized as a unique asset in Decatur. Ponce de Leon Court primarily includes 1920's era American Craftsman bungalows, but also has a few historic multi-family homes. Both the single- and multi-family structures, as well as historic palm trees, have remained largely intact from the era when they were built.

The street consists entirely of homes. There are no churches or businesses.

References

* Clark, Caroline McKinney. "The story of Decatur, 1823-1899". Dekalb Historical Society (1996).
* Meeting Minutes, Decatur City Commission, February 21, 2006.
* Price, Vivian. "Historic DeKalb County: An Illustrated History" (Georgia Heritage Series). Historical Publishing Network (2007).

Notes

External links

* [http://godekalb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1942&Itemid=2805 godekalb.com article]