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
AtlZoning 2.0: An update on the first comprehensive re-write of Atlanta’s 1982 Zoning Code with Mary Norwood
Thursday, February 16, 7pm
Cathedral of Saint Phillip, Gould Room – FREE
Speaker Series: Dr David Apple, History of Shepard Spinal Center
Thursday, January 19, 7pm
Cathedral of Saint Phillip, Gould Room
David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., served as medical director of Shepherd Center since the hospital’s inception in 1975 until 2005, and now holds the position of medical director emeritus. He will share with us the fascinating history of this incredible medical facility, which is such a vital part of Buckhead.
During the summer of 1996, Dr. Apple served as co-chair of the doping committee for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and as chief medical officer of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. He was the team physician of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks for 30 years.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Shepherd Center and has been the principal investigator on many grants concerned with spinal cord injuries. He and his wife Jane have four children.
2022 Award Winners
Winner of the 2022 Belle Turner Lynch Preservation Award: English and Matt Norman
John Beach, Past President, announced the award to English and Matt Norman, our hosts for this year’s Holiday Party. The Normans spent over 6 years restoring The Meredith House at 417 Hillside Drive, created an outstanding website dedicated to their efforts, and successfully listed the house on the National Register. Matt is an evangelist for local preservation, included giving a Buckhead Heritage Speaker Series lecture last year.
Winner of the 2022 Bob Helget Award for Outstanding Volunteerism: Ivan Allen, IV
Tamara Bazzle, Board Member Emeritus, announced the award to Ivan Allen, IV. Over many months, Ivan’s singular focus was working with neighbors of New Hope AME Church, members of Buckhead Heritage, foundations, and the general public to raise tens of thousands of dollars to complete the fencing surrounding the cemetery, restore existing monuments, and mark a large number of unmarked graves. This was an arduous, complicated, and sensitive effort. Ivan eventually worked with DL Henderson, an expert of African American cemeteries to help the congregation decide how they wanted to honor those buried in unmarked graves. This process is ongoing.
Ivan worked to ensure that Pastor David Richards and the members of New Hope AME Church knew that their wishes were paramount.
Ivan also worked closely with Beth Cook and Mike Ivey from PRUMC, which has a long history of volunteering at New Hope AME Church, in planning a major work day in the spring of 2021. He consulted closely with Ashley Shares of Oakland Cemetery to prioritize the restoration of monuments at New Hope Cemetery, and they had training sessions for volunteers who were interested in learning how to execute some monument restoration themselves.
Walking Tour: Peachtree Heights East Movers, Shakers and Heartbreakers
Saturday, December 3rd at 10am
Buckhead Heritage presents this tour in partnership with Atlanta Preservation Center
Caleb Brown and Richard Waterhouse offer this tour of hidden neighborhood off Peachtree
With approximately 330 homes within this unique neighborhood, houses in Peachtree Heights East include early 20th century American two story four-square, Craftsman Bungalow, Cape Cod, Tudor Revival, and Ranch to 21st century home styles. We will see examples of several of those on the tour. The mile and a half route tour is hilly and the tour will last about an hour and a half. We ask participants to meet at the Duckpond historical marker and stay on the road during the tour.
To register, please contact Executive Director Richard Waterhouse at rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com or (404) 467-9447.
Speaker Series: Gordon Mathis, History of the Chattahoochee Brick Company
Thursday, November 17, 7pm
Cathedral of Saint Phillip, Gould Room – FREE
Gordon Mathis, Galloway School Head of Community Engagement, will talk about the history of the Chattahoochee Brick Company. It was located in North Atlanta, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Founded by Atlanta Mayor James W. English in 1878, the company used extensive convict lease labor. It closed in 2011 and the city of Atlanta has just recently purchased the land.
Mr. Mathis has degrees from the University of the South and Georgia State University. He speaks extensively about art exhibitions at the High Museum of Art.
Harmony Grove Cemetery Clean-up
Sunday, October 23, 2022 10:00am – 12:00pm
If you are interested in participating in this cemetery clean-up, please bring garden items: rake, clippers, gloves, and leaf bags. You may also want to bring some bottled water.
Buckhead Heritage’s work toward the rehabilitation of Harmony Grove Cemetery, located at the southwest corner of West Paces Ferry and Chatham roads, was awarded the 2009 Preservation Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. For more Information on this cemetery, please go to our website by clicking here.
Mount Olive Cemetery Wreath Laying Ceremony
Sunday, October 9, 5:00 pm
Buckhead Home
Free
Frankie Allen Park, 100 Bagley St NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Join Buckhead Heritage at Mt. Olive Cemetery for a Wreath Laying Ceremony, accompanied by a new poem about Black Buckhead from Atlanta’s poet laureate Pearl Cleage, and a performance from OKCello.
Remarks will be by:
- Camille Russell Love, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
- Pastor David F. Richards III of New Hope AME Church
- Atlanta City Council member Howard Shook
- Charlotte Margolin, Buckhead Heritage Board President,
- Elon Butts Osby, Granddaughter of William and Ida Bagley.
This ceremony is the closing event of ELEVATE: OPEN SPACES which has been taking place on weekends from September 16 through October 9 in some of Atlanta’s most interesting and beautiful places, from parks and patios to galleries, museums, and performance venues in communities across Atlanta.
Mount Olive Cemetery is one of the last remnants of Buckhead’s African American heritage. Mount Olive Methodist Episcopal Church (founded 1870) was located where the office building is now. The church’s congregation was made up of former slaves. Over several decades a community of over 400 residents grew around it and thrived. In 2020, Atlanta City Council passed a resolution making Buckhead Heritage caretaker of the cemetery.
Book Club Meeting: A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
Wednesday, September 21, 6:30pm
Buckhead Home
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John and Ann Beach will discuss Tom Wolfe’s A Man in Full as it approaches its 25th anniversary. How has Wolfe’s quintessential Atlanta book set in Buckhead fared over the years, and is it more or less relevant today? Who were our real-life neighbors the author modeled characters like Charles Croker and Roger Too White after in the book? How did Wolfe choose to portray Buckhead homes, streets and people? Knowing now what the author wrote, would he be welcomed back to Buckhead again?
Walking Tour: Peachtree Heights East Movers, Shakers and Heartbreakers
Saturday, September 10th at 10am
Buckhead Heritage presents this tour in partnership with Atlanta Preservation Center
Caleb Brown and Richard Waterhouse will offer a fascinating tour of this hidden neighborhood near Peachtree Road and Lindbergh.
With approximately 330 homes within this unique neighborhood, houses in Peachtree Heights East include early 20th century American two story four-square, Craftsman Bungalow, Cape Cod, Tudor Revival, and Ranch to 21st century home styles. We will see examples of several of those on the tour. The mile and a half route tour is hilly and the tour will last about an hour and a half. We ask participants to meet at the Duckpond historical marker and stay on the road during the tour.
Speaker Series: Dr. Matthew Norman, “One Developer’s Trash is Our Treasure: Matt Norman and the Kenneth and Hazel Meredith House”
Thursday, August 18, 7pm
Cathedral of Saint Phillip, Gould Room – FREE
Dr. Matthew Norman will talk about his painstaking preservation and restoration of the Meredith House. Designed by architect James C. Wise and built in 1938, the two-story brick home occupies a wooded 3.5-acre property. It is located in the Chastain Park neighborhood and includes a garage/servants’ quarters, an original stone barbecue pit and patio, and substantial remnants of William L. Monroe’s landscape. Dr. Norman will share the history of the house, the process of having it listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and offer insight into local residential preservation.
Speaker Series: Elon Osby, History of Bagley Park and Mount Olive Cemetery
Thursday, July 21, 7pm
Catherdral of Saint Phillip, Gould Room – FREE
Elon Osby, Buckhead Heritage Board Member, will talk about Bagley Park and Mount Olive Cemetery which is where Franklin Allen Park is located today.
Bagley Park, was named after one of its well-known and respected residents, William Bagley, who was considered the “mayor” of Bagley Park. He was also the grandfather of Elon’s. Mount Olive Methodist Episcopal Church (founded 1870) was located where the LandPlus building is currently located. The church’s congregation was made up of former slaves and domestic workers to Buckhead’s wealthy residents, and over the next few decades, Bagley Park was a thriving community of over 400 residents. The only part of this thriving community left is Mount Olive Cemetery. Elon will share memories of Bagley Park and Mount Olive Cemetery and explain what happened to the neighborhood and community in the late 1940s—early 1950s.
Walking Tour: Peachtree Heights East Movers, Shakers and Heartbreakers
Saturday, July 2, 10am
Buckhead Heritage presents this tour in partnership with Atlanta Preservation Center
Caleb Brown and Richard Waterhouse will offer a fascinating tour of this hidden neighborhood near Peachtree Road and Lindbergh.
With approximately 330 homes within this unique neighborhood, houses in Peachtree Heights East include early 20th century American two story four-square, Craftsman Bungalow, Cape Cod, Tudor Revival, and Ranch to 21st century home styles. We will see examples of several of those on the tour. The mile and a half route tour is hilly and the tour will last about an hour and a half. We ask participants to meet at the Duckpond historical marker and stay on the road during the tour.
To register, please contact Executive Director Richard Waterhouse at rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com or (404) 467-9447.
Speaker Series: Edward Hatfield, New Georgia Encyclopedia Buckhead Entries
June 16, 7pm
St Philip Cathedral Gould Room
2744 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30305
Edward Hatfield, The University of Georgia, New Georgia Encyclopedia, Managing Editor, will talk about the purpose of the New Georgia Encyclopedia. He will lead participatory discussion of what the group might include in a Buckhead entry – how would it address the area’s development, built environment, history, and local landmarks?
He has a Ph.D. History, Emory University, a M.A. History, University of Georgia, and a B.A. History, Centre College.
June 12, 2022 Garden Party
3:00 – 6:30 pm at the Swann Garden
Buckhead Heritage so appreciates you support of our 2022 Garden Party at the charming garden of Debbie and Don Swann. We had 84 participants and raised over $16,000.00 Special thanks to our Sponsors listed below and the Programs and Events Committee, under the leadership of Fay Pearce.
Presenting Sponsor
Arrow Exterminators
Patrons
Ann and John Beach
Sherri and Jesse Crawford
Elizabeth and Mark Feidler
Sandy and Dave Ferguson
Mrs. Frank H. Maier, Jr.
Charlotte and Bob Margolin
Antonia and Wright Mitchell
Mary Lu and Wade Mitchell
Ann and Fay Pearce
Host Committee
Beckie and John Amos
Tamara and Ken Bazzle
Margo and Bill Boden
Amanda and Greg Gregory
Penny and George Hart
Alfred Kennedy and Bill Kenny
Lee Morris and Marilyn Morgan
Clair M. Muller
Mary and Felton Norwood
Blair and James Robbins
Linda Defoor Wickham
Pamela Isdell
Book Club Gathering: Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta
Wednesday May 11, 7pm
Mathieson Lofts
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Please join author Amanda Plumb to discuss her book Unique Eats and Eateriies of Atlanta. Amanda loves food almost as much as she loves her adopted hometown of Atlanta. For several years, along with fellow members of the Buford Highway Supper Club, she explored the international dining options along that congested thoroughfare. In 2017, she co-founded Chow Club Atlanta, a monthly underground restaurant showcasing the talents of local home cooks with international roots. Chow Club Atlanta has been featured in the Atlanta Magazine, the AJC, Creative Loafing, and other media.
Buckhead Heritage’s Walking Tour of Peachtree Heights East
May 7, 2022 10 – 11:30 am
Requires Registration – Free for Buckhead Heritage Members
Tour will start at the Peachtree Heights East Historical Marker located on Lakeview Avenue near the Duck Pond.
Buckhead Heritage Executive Director Richard Waterhouse and Caleb Brown will offer a fascinating tour of this hidden neighborhood near Peachtree Road and Lindbergh Drive. With approximately 330 homes within this unique neighborhood, houses in Peachtree Heights East range from early 20th century American two story four-square, Craftsman Bungalow, Cape Cod, Tudor Revival, Mission Revival, and Ranch to 21st century home styles. We will see examples of several of those on the tour. The mile and a half tour route is very hilly and the tour will last about an hour and a half. We ask participants to stay on the road during the tour. This tour is being given in partnership with Atlanta Preservation Center. To register please contact rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com. This tour may fill, so please register early!
Speakers Series April 2022: The Texas by Hal Raper
April 26, 7 pm
Atlanta History Center 130 W Paces Ferry Rd, Atlanta GA 30305
Hal Raper, a train docent at the Atlanta History Center, will talk about a Buckhead Treasure, the Civil war locomotive TEXAS. Hal will share with Buckhead Heritage the history of the engine, Its role in the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase, how it came to Buckhead, and a bit about how it operates. Our members will know why the steam engine goes CHOO, CHOO, CHOO, CHOO and if time permits how to make it chug down the tracks.
Piney Grove Cemetery Cleanup Project
April 9, 2022 11am
834 Canterbury Rd, Atlanta Ga 30324, Off Lenox Road
Piney Grove Cemetery off Lenox Road is an historic African American grave site established in the 1820s. The Piney Grove Baptist Church, which once stood in front of the cemetery, dated back to 1827. It suffered structural damage and was demolished in 1996. Buckhead Heritage has supported an active group of descendants and others interested in the restoration of this historical site. The group is restoring this final resting place for the more than 300 souls buried there, some of which were slaves, allowing them to rest with dignity. Their ultimate goal is designation as a historic place by the National Register of Historic Places. The cemetery is located at 834 Canterbury Rd, Atlanta Ga 30324 off Lenox Rd. The group maintains a Facebook page for cemetery news, and to help with the project please contact Audrey Collins for more information at 404-906-9465 or audrey.collins@comcast.net.
Spring 2022 Patrons Party
Sunday April 3, 3 – 5:30 pm
This is a private Buckhead Heritage Patrons only event to thank our members at the $250 and higher Patrons levels for their continued support. There is no cost for the event, and we will be touring a private museum not open to the public, while enjoying food and drinks. Members at this level will receive mailed info and email reminders for the event time and location. Please contact Richard Waterhouse at the office with questions.
New Hope AME Church Cemetery Clean Up
Saturday, April 2, 9 – 12 noon
3012 Arden Rd, Atlanta 30305
New Hope AME Church will be hosting its Spring cemetery clean-up day on Saturday, April 2, 2022. from 9 a.m.to 12 noon, For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Richard Waterhouse at (404) 467-9447 or rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com. The clean-up day is in conjunction with Peachtree Road United Methodist Church’s Great Day of Service.
Speaker Series: Ancestry and Lineage Societies, Ken Thomas and Christy Morris
Thursday March 24, 7pm
Peachtree Hills Place Auditorium
(2253 Virginia Place at Peachtree Hills Ave, Atlanta, GA 30305)
Ken Thomas, AJC Genealogy Columnist, will talk about researching your genealogy and how to us DNA kit information.
I’ve got my DNA results on-line, what’s next?!!” Ken’s program is interactive with the guests asking him questions. He will be showing a DNA test results page from Family Tree DNA. He walks you through the process and shows how known/unknown relatives show up on a personal page, and the percentages of ethnicity results on a world map.
Ken and Christy Morris will also discuss lineage societies like DAR and the genealogy research needed for these groups.
March Book Club: Hidden History of Old Atlanta by Mark Pifer
March 16, 2022 7 pm Free
Mathieson Exchange Lofts
The next book club discussion will be Hidden History of Old Atlanta by Mark Pifer. We have asked the author to join us. Old Atlanta may conjure images of southern belles and Civil War ruination, but the full story stretches back millennia, even before the first known residents arrived five thousand years ago. From centuries of Native American settlements that ended with the removal of the Creeks to the rough-and-ready pioneer days, the area was rich in history long before it was called Atlanta. Author Mark Pifer unfolds a complex saga, including forgotten details from the struggles of African Americans and new immigrants, while noting modern locations bursting with tales that predate the City in the Forest’s rise amid the treetops.
Buckhead Heritage’s Walking Tour of Peachtree Heights East
Phoenix Flies Event with Atlanta Preservation Center
March 12, 2022 10 – 11:30 am
Free Event – Requires Registration
Tour will start at the Peachtree Heights East Historical Marker located on Lakeview Avenue near the Duck Pond.
Buckhead Heritage Executive Director Richard Waterhouse and Caleb Brown will offer a fascinating tour of this hidden neighborhood near Peachtree Road and Lindbergh Drive. With approximately 330 homes within this unique neighborhood, houses in Peachtree Heights East range from early 20th century American two story four-square, Craftsman Bungalow, Cape Cod, Tudor Revival, Mission Revival, and Ranch to 21st century home styles. We will see examples of several of those on the tour. The mile and a half tour route is very hilly and the tour will last about an hour and a half. We ask participants to stay on the road during the tour. This tour is being given in partnership with Atlanta Preservation Center. To register please contact rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com. This tour may fill, so please register early!
Alexa Foreman has used her skills as a researcher and producer primarily at Turner Classic Movies for over 25 years – starting with the launch of the network in 1994. While there, she was an integral part of TCM, which specialized in airing uncut and commercial free classic movies – the channel earning a Peabody in the process. She worked with Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz on a daily basis, and when someone couldn’t find some information or needed to know how many Oscar nominations a film had earned, or how many husbands Elizabeth Taylor had, she was the go-to-gal.
Her latest research project: All That Heaven Allows, a biography of Rock Hudson, was published by HarperCollins in December 2018, and is in production for a major motion picture. The biography was chosen by Sight and Sound as one of its top ten for 2019.
Currently she is back at TCM as a freelance researcher, and has written, directed and produced a documentary entitled Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor, which concerns actress Mary Astor and her 1936 fight to gain custody of her daughter. The documentary premiered at the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles in April 2018. It has since been screened at the Hollywood Heritage Museum, and been accepted as an Official Selection at both the Dallas Film Festival and the Sedona Film Festival. Scandal had its television premiere on January 6, 2020 on TCM, and is now licensed to the channel.
James Ottley is the author of two volumes on Atlanta history, titled Atlanta History for Cocktail Parties volumes 1 and II. In this online presentation James will recount interesting stories he’s unearthed while researching his books.
Buckhead Heritage’s Walking Tour of Peachtree Heights East
January 15, 2022 10 – 11:30 am
Limited, Free to Buckhead Heritage Members, No onsite registration
Tour will start at the Peachtree Heights East Historical Marker located on Lakeview Avenue near the Duck Pond.
Buckhead Heritage Executive Director Richard Waterhouse and Caleb Brown will offer a fascinating tour of this hidden neighborhood near Peachtree Road and Lindbergh Drive. With approximately 330 homes within this unique neighborhood, houses in Peachtree Heights East range from early 20th century American two story four-square, Craftsman Bungalow, Cape Cod, Tudor Revival, Mission Revival, and Ranch to 21st century home styles. We will see examples of several of those on the tour. The mile and a half tour route is very hilly and the tour will last about an hour and a half. We ask participants to stay on the road during the tour. This tour is being given in partnership with Atlanta Preservation Center. Buckhead Heritage members contact rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com to register, others please register online at AtlantaPreservationCenter. These tours may sell out, please register early!
(Photo by Ginna Seitz)
January Book Club: Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: A Saga of Race and Family by Gary M. Pomerantz.
January 12, 2022 7 pm Free
Mathieson Exchange Lofts
The next book club discussion will be Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: A Saga of Race and Family by Gary M. Pomerantz. According to David Levering Lewis, this is “a fascinating tale of two cities told through the rise of two of Atlanta’s most illustrious political families…highly significant in what it reveals about ambition, hard work, success, and race relations.”
Buckhead Heritage Society
3180 Mathieson Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30305
404.467.9447
info@buckheadheritage.com
© 2018 Buckhead Heritage Society