On the day of the move, Fred Miles worked half a day at his downtown job with Georgia Power, then rode the streetcar to meet his family in Buckhead. The family brought their possessions, including chickens, in a wagon pulled by a mule. They also brought their cow Betsy and her calf who walked behind the wagon. Betsy “had no time to chew her cud and meditate that day” as the family continued down Roswell Road.
Read morePat Conroy wrote most of The Great Santini in Norman Berg cottage
On the property of Life Center Ministries is a historic home that originally belonged to the Ware family. You can best see the small home by pulling into the church parking lot. The property was purchased by publisher Norman Berg in 1938 to use for hunting. He was the Southeast representative for MacMillan Publishers. He later sold all but five acres, remodeled the barn, and made that his home. He used the old Ware home as a guest house, letting authors stay there when a quiet place in the country would help them with their writing.
Read moreJordon family on Spalding Drive
The 1924 home of Elon and Lizzie Jordon sat on Spalding Drive just west of where Georgia 400 is today. When traveling on Spalding Drive from Roberts Drive towards Roswell Road the home was on the right side of the road. Larry Jordon, grandson of Elon and Lizzie shared this history several years ago.
Read moreIdalakers, Summer home of William and Ida King Akers
William Akers and Ida King Akers built a country home along Spalding Drive in what was considered Dunwoody around 1935. The name Idalakers evolved from Ida Akers name and from the idea of many “idle acres” surrounding the home. The property included forty-five acres on a hill with lovely views of hills and valleys all around.
Read moreKenstone Cottage: One of the Summer Homes of Sandy Springs
Update: Katherine Geffcken was recently interviewed by Victoria Lemos on her December 3, 2021 podcast, Archive Atlanta. The summer home in Dunwoody which I write about below is briefly mentioned and it is nice to hear Ms. Geffcken talk about growing up in Atlanta and her experience at Girls High School, Agnes Scott College, and Bryn Mawr College.
A home on West Peachtree Road and a summer cottage off Spalding Drive may sound strange today, but it was not unusual in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The historic house at 8059 Kenstone Court was just such a cottage and there were several others in the area along Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Spalding Drive.
Katherine Geffcken, one of Dr. William and Elizabeth Geffcken’s daughters, shared her memories of the home and area when she visited her former home.
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