Ormewood Park

Ormewood Park is a neighborhood located east-southeast within the Downtown Atlanta area of Atlanta, Georgia. Ormewood Park is east of Grant Park, south of Reynoldstown, west of East Atlanta, and north of East Confederate Street.

This area was the territory of the Creek Indian Nation until approximately 1825 when the Treaty of Indian Springs was signed under Governor George Troup. He then began forcing the Creek from their lands and by 1827, they were all gone. Any white settler could enter a land lottery for the cost of $4.00, and 160 or 200-acre (0.81 km²) parcels were awarded. Most of these lots were working farms until the late 19th century. In 1892, some of the farms were further subdivided into building lots of approximately 2 acres (8,100 m²) in size. The Confederate Soldiers' Home was constructed on what is now the area occupied by the complex of Georgia National Guard and other State buildings on East Confederate Avenue.

In the early 20th century, an Atlanta Electric Light Trolley Company official named Aquilla J. Orme approved a plan to extend the trolley line from downtown Atlanta to the Old Soldiers Home on East Confederate. The trolley service made this area more accessible to city workers and a number of Victorian homes were constructed. The railcars ran from Confederate Avenue north along Underwood and Delaware Avenue, and then at a diagonal until the intersection of Ormewood and Moreland Avenues; Its path can still be seen by examining the acute wall angles of the commercial buildings at the northeast corner Woodland and Delaware. The new retail development at the Ormewood and Moreland intersection makes use of this old path by providing rear access along the old right-of-way and bridge.

After World War I there was a construction boom during which Craftsman style homes, shotgun style homes and small brick bungalows were constructed. There are even prefabricated and catalog homes from this era that survive to this day. In 1922, the City of Atlanta annexed the area and construction of Anne E. West Elementary School, located in the heart of Ormewood Park, began around that time. Annie E. West’s classic building got a new life, new name, and new mission this century: it is home for the middle school campus of the Neighborhood Charter School, which serves both the Grant Park and Ormewood Park neighborhoods.

Another period of growth took place after World War II. The wood sided cottages that are scattered between the older Victorian and Craftsman homes are typical of this era. During the late 1950s and early 1960s a number of brick ranch style homes appeared and many of these still retain their original particular charm.

Ormewood Park’s population and diversity is currently growing as Atlantans follow the trend of moving from the suburbs back to the city. The neighborhood has experienced a notable increase in renovations and new housing stock as the surrounding areas have improved and supporting retail and commercial centers have been developed. In 2003, the northwest corner of the neighborhood was redeveloped as Glenwood Park, with townhomes, single-family homes, and retail establishments.

External links

• South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development (SAND)