Buckhead Events

Buckhead Heritage sponsors a variety of events throughout the year that relate to the history of Buckhead. Active Members are given priority of attendance, but most events will be open to the public when space is available. Join our E-vent email list by clicking here, and be the first to know what’s coming.

Upcoming Events

July Book Club Meeting: tbd

July, 2020 7 pm – 

Walking Tour of Peachtree Heights East

Richard Waterhouse

June 6, 2020, 10 am Covid-19 allowing (Repeat of our March program attended by 70 people)

Free for current Buckhead Heritage or Atlanta Preservation Center members, $13 for others

Peachtree Heights East was established in 1909 as the first Buckhead neighborhood. The historical figure Eretus Rivers will begin the tour explaining how his life was connected to the neighborhood. Peachtree Heights East residents will lead us on a fascinating tour talking about how prominently the neighborhood figured in the development of Buckhead. Tour is approximately 2 hours, guests will walk about 1 mile on streets during tour.  

Current Buckhead Heritage members can register by contacting Richard Waterhouse at (404) 467-9447 or rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com.

Current APC members and others can register by contacting Atlanta Preservation Center.

(Photo by Ginna Seitz)

Past Events

May Book Club Meeting: The War Outside My Window 

May 13, 2020 7 pm 

The War Outside My Window Editor Janet Elizabeth Croon will join our group

The War Outside My Window: The Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860-1865 will be discussed. LeRoy Wiley Gresham was born in 1847 to an affluent slave-holding family in Macon, Georgia. After a horrific leg injury left him an invalid, the educated, inquisitive, perceptive, and exceptionally witty 12-year-old began keeping a diary in 1860–just as secession and the Civil War began tearing the country and his world apart. He continued to write even as his health deteriorated until both the war and his life ended in 1865. His unique manuscript of the demise of the Old South has been lauded by the Library of Congress as one of its premier holdings. Richard Waterhouse will lead this discussion.

The War Outside My Window offers interesting contrasts to other books about the same Civil War era that were also set in southern Georgia, such as Lamb in My Bosom by Caroline Miller and The War-Time Journal of a Georgia Girl, 1864-1865 by Eliza Frances Andrews. These books highlight differing class views of Georgia farm life and the role of slavery, and present interesting questions about the historical context of the Civil War. We’ll also discuss the medical content of The War Outside My Window and the follow up book by its medical consultant, Dennis A. Rasbach, in I Am Perhaps Dying: The Medical Backstory of Spinal Tuberculosis Hidden in the Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham.

Spring 2020 Mansions, Gardens & Ghosts History Tour

April 26, 3 – 7:30 pm – Event postponed, reschedule date TBD

Atlanta International School (North Fulton High School)

Our fun Spring fundraiser event returns this April with more Atlanta homes and gardens, and Buckhead historical characters (our ghosts) to tell you about local history, along with a casual supper and entertainment.

Buckhead Heritages’s Walking Tour of Peachtree Heights East

Part of Atlanta Preservation Center’s 2020 Phoenix Flies Series

March 14, 2020 2 pm

No registration required and the tour will start at the Peachtree Heights East Historical Marker located on Lakeview Avenue near the Duck Pond.

Peachtree Heights East was established in 1909 as the first Buckhead neighborhood. The historical figure Eretus Rivers will begin the tour explaining how his life was connected to the neighborhood. Peachtree Heights East residents will lead us on a fascinating tour talking about how prominently the neighborhood figured in the development of Buckhead. For further information about the walking tour or to obtain the 2020 Phoenix Flies Booklet, please contact Richard Waterhouse at (404) 467-9447 or rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com.

(Photo by Ginna Seitz)

February Book Club Meeting

February 13, 2020 7 pm

3180 Mathieson Dr

Mary Amazon is a historical fiction novel based on the lives of Atlantans around the time of the Civil War. Janine did extensive research at the Atlanta History Center, Georgia Archives, and other libraries about he people, places and events featured in the book.

The Buckhead Heritage Book Club meetings are free for members to attend, and usually offer a glass of wine and maybe a small snack. They are casual and generally last an hour to an hour and a half. 10 to 20 people usually attend, and the building concierge will direct you to our space once you enter the lobby.

Register Here

Special Events:

2019 Holiday House Gala

December 12th, 2019 7pm

Peachtree Battle Ave 30305

Tickets: Buckhead Heritage members $125, nonmembers $150, Host and Patron spots may be available.

Buckhead Heritage will celebrate the Holidays this year at one of the earlier homes built on Peachtree Battle Avenue. In the late 1920’s and 30’s this homes owners property included all but a few lots from Peachtree Battle to West Wesley, and from Northside Dr to Habersham Rd. They sold lots in Haynes Manor and Westover, and traded this house for the Buckhead Theater in 1937. This magnificent home has retained many historic architectural details throughout extensive renovations and additions over time, and is filled with art.

Enjoy this fun cocktail buffet with friends, music and valet parking while helping support Buckhead Heritage.

Presenting Sponsor

As of 11/18/19

2019 Holiday House Patrons

Tamara and Ken Bazzle

Ann and John Beach

Sandy and Dave Ferguson

Bonnie and Bob Helget

Antonio and Wright Mitchell

Mary Lu and Wade Mitchell

Linda DeFoor Wickham

2019 Holiday House Host Committee

Anonymous

Betsy and Scott Akers, Jr.

Beckie and John Amos

Shepard B. Ansley

Jane and Mike Armstrong

Virginia Groves Beach

Sheila and Howard Benson

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse C. Crawford

Elizabeth and Mark Feidler

Judy and Duncan Gray

Mary Ann and Hunter Groton

Betty Hanacek

Penny and George Hart

Deborah and Jon Hunter

Abby and John Irby

Kathy and Richard Lee

Belle and Barry Lynch

Blanchette and Frank Maier

Charlotte and Bob Margolin

Christy and Sonny Morris

Ann and Fay Pearce

William E. Pennington

Cherry Peurifoy

Laura and Carter Smith

Lisa and John Snodgrass

Dr. and Mrs. Marion Stafford

Christie and Chad Wright

Speaker Series: The Real Story of how Wieuca Road got its Name, Ken Thomas

Thursday November 7, 2019, St. Philip’s Cathedral, Gould Rm. 7pm

Buckhead Heritage members $10, visitors $15

Wieuca Road – It’s not named for an Indian Princess, or three daughters of anyone. The story of how the road got its name in the early 1900s has long intrigued Atlantans. All previous stories are but myth. 

Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., genealogy columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has unraveled the truth. It involves a love story, a future governor, and shows how the truth can be buried so deep it was almost lost forever. Come hear the amazing unraveling of how this name came to be on the Atlanta map.

Register Here

October Book Club Meeting

October 10, 2019 7 pm

3180 Mathieson Dr

Author Cathy Kaemmerlen will discuss her book, Georgia Place–Names: from Jot-Em-Down to Doctortown about the origins of our place names. Cathy is a professional actress, storyteller, playwright and historical interpreter known for her variety of one-woman shows and characters. A Hambidge Center fellow for over twenty years, she has published five books, including three through The History Press/Arcadia Publishing.

The Buckhead Heritage bookclub meetings are free for members to attend, and usually offer a glass of wine and maybe a small snack. They are casual and generally last an hour to an hour and a half. 10 to 20 people usually attend, and the building concierge will direct you to our space once you enter the lobby.

Register Here

Pancake Supper and Talk, Demos Galaktiadis at White House Restaurant

September 24, 7pm White House, 3172 Peachtree Rd 30305

The White House Restaurant has been a Buckhead institution since 1948, when it opened in the Buckhead triangle, now Loudermilk Park, before moving a block north on Peachtree in 1974. Co-owner Demos Galaktiadis will talk about Buckhead history and stories at the White House over the last almost 50 years he’s been there. Movie stars and musicians, politicians, and everyday Buckhead folks come in daily. From Lester Maddox to President Carter, governors and senators, beautiful actresses and rap stars, the White House is open for business. Demos said Marco Rubio came in last year, and quipped he’d finally made it to the White House. One of his favorite early customers was pastry chef Henri, who came in for coffee and a biscuit in the mornings after baking all night. His granddaughter, who now runs Henri’s Bakery, was at the White House on a recent visit. Pancakes and french toast with bacon and sausage will be served for $15 a person, limited space. September 24, 7pm. 3172 Peachtree Road N.W., Atlanta 30305

Speaker Series: Evolution of Peachtree Road Residences, Rudy Harrell

Thursday September 5, 2019, St. Philip’s Cathedral, Gould Rm. 7pm

Buckhead Heritage members $10, visitors $15

Rudy Harrell, with Dorsey Alston Realtors, has been involved in commercial and residential real estate in Buckhead since the 1970’s. As the owner of a building on “The Golden Mile” along Peachtree in Buckhead, he’s had a front row seat for the changes that have occurred along this corridor. Rudy will talk about the evolution of this area from farmland to stately mansions to its current mix. He will also use our past to pose some questions about potential future development paths in Buckhead. What do we try to preserve moving forward, and what do we want Buckhead’s entry and main artery to look like in the future? This promises to be both entertaining and thought provoking.

August Book Club Meeting

August 22, 2019 7 pm

3180 Mathieson Dr

Author Grace Hawthorne will discuss her latest book, Crossing the Moss Line,  a “Gullah/Geechee tale of choices, consequences and wicked Southern humor”,

This is Hawthorne’s third book. She has written everything from ad copy for septic tanks to lyrics for Sesame Street and the libretto for an opera.

She is a Peachtree Hills resident.

The Buckhead Heritage bookclub meetings are free for members to attend, and usually offer a glass of wine and maybe a small snack. They are casual and generally last an hour to an hour and a half. 10 to 20 people usually attend, and the building concierge will direct you to our space once you enter the lobby.

Richard Waterhouse on Oakland Cemetery

August 7, 2019, Lenbrook

Richard Waterhouse, Oakland Cemetery’s Buckhead History. Richard, a longtime volunteer and lecturer, who has written a book about Oakland, will be speaking about Buckhead residents now living at Oakland. His talk will include such notables as Bobby Jones, Dr Robert Hope, and Margaret Mitchell. Please call Richard at 404-467-9447 for more information.

Speaker Series: East Lake Where Bobby Learned to Play – Linton Hopkins

Thursday July 11, 2019, St. Philip’s Cathedral, Gould Rm. 7pm

Buckhead Heritage members $10, visitors $15

Linton Hopkins, now a retired Physician, began writing down the stories about legends like Bobby Jones he’d heard at East Lake Club over the past 30 years. Tom Cousins told him “If you write it, I’ll sell It”. That book sold out, and this is the sequel. Alexa Stirling, U.S. Women’s Amateur golf champion in 1916, ’19 and ’20,  also made a “ghost” appearance to tell her story. Alexa was born in the 1890s and would now be over 120 years young, but her standin was very entertaining.

June Book Club Meeting

June 13, 2019 7 pm

3180 Mathieson Dr

Author Hannah Palmer will discuss her path to writing a book about Atlanta Airport. Hannah, both a writer and urban designer, realized that all 3 of the houses she grew up in on the southside of Atlanta have been demolished to make way for airport expansion. She explores our airports impact on south Atlanta, and the region. Buckhead Heritage bookclub is free for members, but requires registration below.

Mansions, Gardens, and Ghosts: Buckhead History and Secrets Tour

April 28, 2019 3pm-7:30pm

Atlanta International School

Guests will gather for drinks before embarking on a history-themed bus tour that will lead them on an adventure-filled afternoon through Buckhead.
Buckhead Historians will emcee guests riding in comfortable 26 passenger busses on a tour through a Buckhead not typically seen or experienced. En route, guests will hear little known stories and fun facts about Buckhead, and notable Buckhead historical figures in period costume will entertain and inform participants at various spots along the way, while refreshments will be served en route. Mystery stops  included.
At the end of the tour, guests will return to the festivities at the historic Philp Shutze designed Atlanta International School for a casual dinner and a rousing closing celebration. Guests will compete for prizes in a Buckhead Secret History competition, cheered on by the Buckhead historical figures they met on their tour.

This event SOLD OUT.

Phoenix Flies New Hope Church Event

March 23, 2019

New Hope Church, 3012 Arden Road  11:30 – 4pm Short presentations and guided tours at 12 and 2pm

Buckhead Heritage participated in the citywide Phoenix Flies program organized by the Atlanta Preservation Center with tours of the history of New Hope Church dating back to the late 1800’s. The congregation hosted a BBQ and fish fry for visitors. There was no charge for this event, although donations to the church were welcomed. 

March Book Club Meeting

March 21, 2019 7:00 pm

For the Kingdom and the Power: The Big Money Swindle That Spread Hate Across America written by Dale W. Laackman. The author traveled to Atlanta to discuss the careers of Bessie Tyler and her business partner, Edward Y. Clarke, who are the focus of the book.  It is the story how two brilliant and talented Atlantans could change the face of America purely in the name of greed.  They were amoral con artists of the first degree.  We can learn from their actions to assure it cannot happen again.  Bessie Tyler became very wealthy and built a Buckhead home now on the National Register, where Buckhead Heritage held their Holiday Party. This book club gathering was free to members. The author graciously donated books for the first 15 members that registered for this event. 

Patron’s Event

February 28, 2019, 6 to 8:30 pm

Private residence on Andrews Drive

This is a Patrons level only cocktail buffet at a gorgeous Buckhead designers private home on Andrews Dr.  Enjoy music, drinks and a buffet catered by Soiree as you mingle with friends. A brief preservation talk will be included, and there is no charge for this event. 

Buckhead Historic Treasures

Garden Hills, Peachtree Heights East & Peachtree Hills

February 19, 2019 6:30pm

Buckhead Heritage will discuss their ongoing project to collect and archive Buckhead historic resources and their current entries for these three neighborhoods. We will talk about history of these areas, discuss what is and is not currently in our archives, and our plans for additions in 2019. Over 650 Historic Places throughout Buckhead, mapped by neighborhood and street, grouped into 24 themes like Architecture, Social, Military are currently on our website. Future updates will include expanded online features and additional survey entries. Persons interested in local history and learning more about Buckhead neighborhoods are invited to this free program at Garden Hills Elementary School, 285 Sheridan Drive, Atlanta, Ga 30305. There is limited disabled access. For further information about the gathering, please contact Executive Director Richard Waterhouse at (404) 467-9447 or rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com.

Mount Olive Cemetery Clean Up, January 21, 2019

On Martin Luther King. Jr. Day (1/21/19), Buckhead Heritage and over 60 Atlanta International School supporters will clean up Mount Olive Cemetery. 

January Book Club Meeting

January 24, 2019 7:00 pm

The next book club will review Prohibition in Atlanta: Temperance, Tiger Kings & White Lightning written by Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle. The group will gather at the Mathieson Exchange Lofts in Buckhead. The authors will discuss Georgia’s protracted and intense battle, that changed the industrial and social landscape of Atlanta and unleashed a flood of Illegal liquor that continually flowed in the wettest city in the South. Book club events are free, please register below.

Buckhead Heritage book club events are hosted at our office (Mathieson Lofts, 3180 Mathieson Dr, Atlanta 30305) or at a Buckhead historical site related to the book. We read and discuss books relevant to our area history, and there is no charge for our members.

2018 Holiday Party

Thursday December 13th, 2018

A rare opportunity to see this historic Buckhead home while gathered with friends at the 2018 Buckhead Heritage Society Annual Holiday Party.  Guests will gather to celebrate the holidays with an evening of drinks, music and dining starting at 7 p.m.

The Eaton home on Howell Mill Road, built in 1921, was originally known as the Mary Elizabeth Tyler house. It is a Classical Revival-style residence that features a two-story pediment portico supported by massive Corinthian columns. The central entrance is bordered by sidelights and capped by a fanlight. A one-story porch stretches the length of the primary façade and wraps around both sides of the home. Rear additions were made to the residence in 1977 and 2000. The House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MAYOR SAM MASSELL

Thursday, November 1, 2018, 7:00 p.m.

Buckhead Historian Thornton Kennedy will interview Sam Massell on Thursday, November 1st, 7 p.m. at the Atlanta International School Early Education Center. Thornton will lead Sam  in discussing his rich life and how important Buckhead has been to him all these years Highlights from Mayor Massell’s career include:

While Mayor, he and his administration are credited  with establishing MARTA, with developing the city’s first enclosed arena, the Omni Coliseum, and with  the building of “Five Points” Woodruff Park, all with no call on ad valorem taxes

Spending twenty years as a Realtor, becoming Vice President of Allan-Grayson Realty Company, then one of the largest commercial brokerage firms in Atlanta

OCTOBER BOOK CLUB GATHERING FOR MEMBERS ONLY, October 4, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

The third free book club gathering for members-only was held Thursday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. The book discussed was Play it Again, Sam: The Notable Life of Sam Massell, Atlanta’s First Minority Mayor, by Charles McNair.

Sam Massell, a great supporter of Buckhead Heritage and an Emeritus Board Member, has lived an extraordinary life. McNair notes Massell has “excelled in four careers, including twenty-two years in elected offices, thirteen years in the tourism industry, and is now in his thirtieth year of association management”.

He was Atlanta’s first Jewish mayor in 1970 and changed the landscape of the city by creating Atlanta’s Urban Design Commission, establishing MARTA, and appointing the first woman to the City Council.

Buckhead Heritage Society Patrons Tour of Governors Mansion

9.20.2018 | GA Governors Mansion

CIVIL WAR MONUMENTS LECTURE, September 9, 2018, at 3:00 p.m.

Robert Price, longtime volunteer and Trustee at Oakland Cemetery, will talk about his many years of researching, documenting, and photographing Civil War monuments in the United States. He has over 110,000 digital images in his collection. Bob has a lifetime interest in the Civil War and feels that his photos will serve as resources for the public and for historians who study the meaning and the perception of these monuments in an ever changing society.  His talk will begin promptly in the Bobby Jones Room, Bell Tower, Oakland Cemetery at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 9 with a tour of the Civil War sites in Oakland after the presentation. Refreshments will be served between the presentation and the tour. Non-members: $20.00 & Members: $10.00.

Please note the stairs to the upstairs Bobby Jones Room in the Bell Tower, are very steep and not accessible for a wheel chair or walker.

THE LIMELIGHT-HOTLANTA-OH MY!

Sanctuary Night Club, Wednesday, August 22, 2018, 7 p.m.

Buckhead Heritage’s much-anticipated Limelight program is coming August 22nd.  We’ll welcome former Limelight staff members:

·  Duncan Black, Bouncer

·  Guy D’Alema, Public Relations and House Photographer

·  Brian Rouleau, General Manager

We’ll hear stories from this amazing club and era in Buckhead’s history, and Guy will be projecting photos from his recent book LIMELIGHT … in a sixtieth of a second. Rumor has it  that many of our Buckhead Heritage Board Members still have their Limelightoutfits, and everyone brave enough is encouraged to dress the part. If we show a picture of you during the program and you’re willing to claim it, you might even get a free drink. Of course, there’ll be a chance to show off your old disco moves, too. But no dancing on the speakers!

The Sanctuary is located at 3209 Paces Ferry Place, Atlanta, Georgia  30305.

JULY BOOK CLUB GATHERING FOR MEMBERS ONLY, July 19, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

Buckhead Heritage Executive Director Richard Waterhouse will lead the second free book club series for members-only on Thursday, July 19 at 7:00 p.m. The book being discussed will be City on the Verge: Atlanta and the Fight for America’s Urban Future by Mark Pendergrast.

Pendergrast, a native Atlanta who now lives in Vermont, writes about the importance of the beltline and how “it will complete a twenty-two mile loop encircling downtown, transforming a massive ring of mostly defunct railways into a series of stunning parks connected by trails and streetcars.” The book was selected because Buckhead will be an important  part of the beltline.

Waterhouse, who lived on the beltline and walked many parts of it, will lead a discussion about whether the concept of the beltline has worked and whether the ambitious project can be completed by 2030.

Grave Landscapes: The Nineteenth-Century Rural Cemetery Movements

Buckhead Heritage is honored to have former Executive Director Erica Danylchak to talk about the book she co-authored with the late James R. Cothran called “Grave Landscapes: The Nineteenth-Century Rural Cemetery Movements”.

The lecture will be at St. Philips Cathedral, Gould Room,  2744 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA on Thursday, June 14th at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $10.00 for members and $20.00 for non-members.

Erica will discuss the inspiration for rural cemeteries, their physical evolution, the nature of the landscapes they inspired, and the value of these cemeteries in the 21st century.

Buckhead’s Hidden Secrets 3rd Annual Scavenger Hunt

5.5.2018 | Atlanta International School (aka North Fulton)

David Cruz Lecture on Native Americans
4.15.2018 | Lovett School Auditoreum

Book Club Meeting on Leo Frank
4.12.2018

Phoenix Flies Tour and Talk
3.27.2018 | Harmony Grove Cemetery

Menaboni Lecture
3.1.2018 | Goodrum House and Spotswood Hall

Click here for past years events