Last updated: June 5, 2024
Place
Druid Hills
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Location:
Atlanta, GA
Significance:
Olmsted Designed Suburban Community
MANAGED BY:
Atlanta entrepreneur Joel Hurt, who had already developed transportation, utilities, and real estate in the city acquired a large plot of land for residential use. To gain public support for his proposal, Hurt reached out to Atlanta’s most prominent families, including Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler.
Frederick Law Olmsted first came to Atlanta in the late 1880s, on the invitation of Hurt, where Olmsted listened to his comments on the physical developments of the growing city. In his earliest proposal for Druid Hills, Olmsted stated the land had “roads of moderate grace and curves, avoiding any great disturbance of the natural topography.”
Olmsted agreed to take on Druid Hills and began developing a plan to unify the community by unifying the landscape, transportation, and people. After several visits to Atlanta, financial setbacks halted the project for several years. Before work resumed, Frederick Law Olmsted had retired, and the work was passed on to Olmsted Brothers.
Though development on the 1,300-acre plot of land began after Olmsted’s retirement, his designs are still a prominent part of the community. Olmsted designed a stretch of land following Druid Hills central roadway, Ponce De Leon Avenue, where 6 narrow public spaces were incorporated to separate vehicular traffic from pleasure traffic.
Frederick Law Olmsted and his sons created a magnificent urban neighborhood that became Atlanta’s first suburb. The powerful combination of structure and natural elements created a relaxing effect on the tensions of urban life.
Druid Hills was completed in 1905 and represents a major innovation in suburban design, one that influenced suburbs all over Atlanta.
Source: "Druid Hills," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
Olmsted Online