Atlanta, Georgia, architectural drawings
Collection
Identifier: DM015
This collection is open for research.
13 Folder(s) (13 oversized folders in flat files)
This collection of architectural drawings highlights the historical development of Atlanta, Georgia. The plans include those for the Sears, Roebuck and Company distribution center and retail store (now The Ponce City Market), featuring floor plans, plot plans, and alterations and additions.
Additionally, the collection contains plans for buildings commissioned by the City of Atlanta, such as a historic fire station, an addition to the Municipal Auditorium, alterations to the Bobby Jones Golf Course clubhouse, the addition of a gate to Oakland Cemetery, and the 1924 alterations to Saint Joseph’s Hospital (formerly known as Saint Joseph’s Infirmary).
These architectural drawings not only highlight the city’s growth but also underscore Atlanta’s significant role in architectural history. The collection offers a glimpse into how the city has evolved through its buildings, from industrial landmarks to civic and cultural spaces.
Bobby Jones Golf Course was built as a public golf course by the City of Atlanta in 1933. The clubhouse was completed in 1941, with renovations occurring from 1954 to 1955.
Fire Station No. 28 was built on April 9, 1954, at 2040 Main Street on Church Street NW. In 2013, the station relocated to Hollywood Road and Felker Ward Drive NW. The drawings in this collection include the initial plot and floor plans for the original station.
The Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, originally known as the ‘Auditorium and Armory,’ was constructed with funds raised by a committee of Atlanta citizens in 1909. It was later sold to the City of Atlanta. In 1940, the building was damaged by fire, and reconstruction began in 1941, reopening in 1943. This collection includes drawings for the front entrance addition made during this period.
In 1850, the City of Atlanta purchased six acres of farmland for use as a public burial ground, known as the Oakland Cemetery. By 1872, the burial grounds had grown to encompass 88 acres, largely to accommodate the increased deaths during the Civil War. In the mid-1950s, the City of Atlanta commissioned the city’s building division to install a new gate.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a chain of department stores founded in 1893 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. It started as a mail-order company and became the largest retailer in the United States by the mid-20th century. The drawings in this collection represent the 1926 southeast distribution center located at 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, Georgia. The building was used as both a retail store and a catalog-order fulfillment center, with direct access to the railroad.
Saint Joseph’s Hospital, originally founded as 'Atlanta Hospital' in 1880 by Sister Cecilia Carroll of the Sisters of Mercy, became the city’s first permanent hospital after the Civil War. It was initially housed in a two-story brick building at the corner of Baker and Collins (later Courtland) Streets. In 1885, the hospital was renamed St. Joseph's Infirmary and moved to a new three-story building on Collins Street between Baker and Harris Streets. In 1978, the hospital relocated to a new facility near Peachtree Dunwoody Road and was renamed Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. This collection includes drawings of alterations and additions made to the earlier building in 1924.
This collection is arranged alphabetically.
Materials were given to Archives and Special Collections by Blake Burton in 2014.
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, Library, Georgia Institute of Technology Repository