It’s that time of year again when Labor Day has passed, college football has kicked off and Atlantans have begun to crave the return of autumn. Atlantans are blessed with 4 distinct seasons and we wholeheartedly get into each one of them. One visit to Atlanta, and you immediately notice that our city is greener than most. And by green, we mean lots of trees and grass. On a typical weekend in September, we Atlantans emerge from our air-conditioned August cocoons en masse to go out and enjoy the glories of an Atlanta autumn. Whether we are at a college football game, heading up Highway 400 for a weekend mountain trip, or just sitting outside with our morning coffee a little longer than normal, we are all thankful for the return of cooler temperatures and the imminent demise of the insects that spent August making their last ditch effort of making us miserable every time we went outside.
Atlanta is Home to Many Beautiful Parks
Atlanta is home to many beautiful parks and the city is teeming with new outdoor projects to draw nature-loving Atlantans into even more parts of our beautiful city. Throughout this autumn, the Beacham blog will feature some of Atlanta’s most notable parks. This week we want to talk about Piedmont Park.
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is Atlanta’s version of Central Park. If you look at a map of Atlanta outlined by its perimeter I-285, you would find Piedmont Park almost directly in the center of Atlanta. In 1834, the land that is now Piedmont Park was a forest. Samuel and Sarah Walker purchased the land for less than $500. In typical pioneer fashion, they cleared the land, farmed it, and raised a family. Their oldest son lived on the land building his own house upon coming of age bought the farm from his father and lived in his own log cabin built on the property. The family offered to sell the park to the city of Atlanta in 1887 and 1894, but at the time it was considered too far from Atlanta. The city eventually purchased the park in 1904 and simultaneously extended its city limits north to encompass the park. In 1909, the city hired Olmstead Brothers to landscape the park. Although their master plan was not executed due to budget restrictions, the future landscaping of the park had a strong influence on the Olmstead Brother’s master plan.
Over the next ten years, tennis courts were added, a bathhouse was built to accompany Lake Clara Meer and an 11.5-acre lake, and a bridge to the park was added to give those living close by easy access to the park.
Since The Beginning
From its infancy, Piedmont Park has been the host of some of Atlanta’s best-loved festivals and expeditions. In 1887 the Piedmont Exposition was held there followed by the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 and the annual Dogwood Festival established in 1936. The Arts Festival, an annual fall event was held at the park for many years and Gay Pride has held celebrations there as well. The park is a great place for a concert. It hosts the Atlanta Jazz Festival during Memorial Day Weekend and Music Midtown in September. In the 70’s the park was the backdrop for concerts, many of which were free and open to the public. Can you imagine sitting on the grass listening to a free Allman Brothers concert in the 70s at the height of their popularity? The Marshall Tucker Band and other legendary bands also played in the park during this time. In the 1980’s the park suffered a bit of decline and in 1989 the Piedmont Park Conservancy was founded to restore and protect the park.
Always Something to do at Piedmont Park
Today the park is a great place to exercise, play a game of ultimate Frisbee or soccer, have a picnic, attend a festival, or just take a leisurely stroll around the lake. With the spectacular backdrop of the Atlanta skyline contrasted by the quiet of the gently rolling grassy hills and well-maintained but naturally landscaped paths, the park offers Atlantans a place to get away from it all in the middle of the city. Piedmont Park also hosts fitness programs and a green market on most Saturdays.
Much of the information about the history of the park for this post was taken from the Piedmont Park Conservancy.
Atlanta is a great place to live. If you are thinking about relocating to Atlanta, please contact us at 404-261-6300. The certified relocation specialists at Beacham & Company, REALTORS® can give you expert advice on your relocation to Atlanta.
