Monastery at Large

From the Notebook

  • “Journal Model Houses; One of Captain Grant’s Cottages” (1898)

    Bruce & Morgan. Cottage for W.D. Grant (1898). Atlanta.
    Bruce & Morgan. Cottage for W.D. Grant (1898). Atlanta.

    The Background

    This is the eighth in a series of articles published by The Atlanta Journal in 1898 featuring illustrations and floor plans of residences designed by Atlanta architects.

    Here, the Journal highlighted a “model cottage” owned by W.D. Grant and designed by Bruce & Morgan. Grant was one of Atlanta’s wealthiest citizens, having amassed a fortune in railroad building before becoming a local real estate tycoon.1

    He was also a longtime client of Bruce & Morgan, and the firm designed multiple projects for Grant’s family and companies, starting with a block of stores in 18822 and culminating in 1899 with one of Atlanta’s first skyscrapers — the 10-story Grant Building3 — which still stands.

    The 2-story cottage shown here was much more modest in scope, but one of 7 apparently identical residences that Grant commissioned the firm to design for various locations around the city, presumably as rental properties.

    The home’s appearance was a simple but attractive expression of the Colonial style, with classical columns, dentilled cornices, a stringcourse between the floors, and a hip roof topped with dormer windows and decorative finials.

    The floor plan was based on a simple 4-square grid and managed to pack in a reception hall, parlor, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, one full bath on the second floor, and a half-bath on the ground floor.

    A few interesting aspects of the plan are the front and back stairs separated by a shared wall, the lavatory tucked beneath the back stairs — also seen in the plan for the James F. Meegan Residence — and the built-in seating and shelves in the reception hall.

    The design fits in well with Bruce & Morgan’s other work: never especially exciting or innovative, but consistently thoughtful and competently executed, particularly given the partners’ lack of formal training.

    Based on the location details provided in the article, none of the 7 cottages from this plan survives.

    Journal Model Houses; One of Captain Grant’s Cottages

    The accompanying illustration and plans show the exterior appearance and reveal the interior arrangement of a model cottage, which is one of a number recently constructed by Captain W.D. Grant. The plans were drawn by Bruce & Morgan. The cost to construct and fit out with mantels, tiling, plumbing, etc., was $3,500.

    Captain Grant built five of the cottages on Piedmont avenue, one on Currier street, and now has another in process of erection on Courtland near Pine.

    The exterior presents a well proportioned and substantial building, which is nevertheless attractive in its architectural effect.

    The first floor has a spacious veranda connected by a vestibule with the reception hall.

    The second story has four bed chambers, dressing rooms, closets and a bath room.

    The fixtures, as well as the architectural style, are of the most improved plain. The plumbing is of the best, while the handsome mantels, tiling and stained glass windows add much to the beauty of the residence. The house provided with both gas and electric lights.

    The plans will be received with favor by those who are contemplating building houses.4

    First and second floor plans of cottage for W.D. Grant

    References

    1. “Funeral of Captain Grant To Occur This Afternoon”. The Atlanta Constitution, November 8, 1901, p. 5. ↩︎
    2. “Architecture.” The Atlanta Constitution, September 23, 1882, p. 9. ↩︎
    3. “Georgia Marble in the Prudential”. The Atlanta Journal, May 10, 1899, p. 10. ↩︎
    4. “Journal Model Houses; One of Captain Grant’s Cottages”. The Atlanta Journal, April 23, 1898, p. 4. ↩︎

  • Atlanta Civic Center (1968)

    Harold Montague of Robert and Company. Atlanta Civic Center (1968, pending demolition). Atlanta.
    Harold Montague of Robert and Company. Atlanta Civic Center (1968, pending demolition). Atlanta.1

    References

    1. Dial, Bill. Atlanta’s Civic Center — New Home for Performing Arts”. The Atlanta Journal, March 9, 1968, p. 2-A. ↩︎

  • “Captain William H. Brotherton’s New Whitehall Street House” (1898)

    Butt & Morris. Apartment house for W.H. Brotherton. Atlanta.
    Butt & Morris. Apartment house for W.H. Brotherton. Atlanta.

    The Background

    This is the seventh in a series of articles published by The Atlanta Journal in 1898 featuring illustrations and floor plans of residences designed by Atlanta architects.

    The article highlights a double apartment house owned by W.H. Brotherton and designed by Butt & Morris.

    Location of W.H. Brotherton’s Double Apartment House

    Tenement houses of this type were ubiquitous in Atlanta at the time, and were the immediate forerunners to the larger “apartment houses” that began appearing in the city at the turn of the 20th century.

    Like the so-called “luxury” apartments of today, these homes were designed for image-conscious people of limited means who aspired to the appearance of wealth — that could easily describe half of Atlanta. No one was fooled by the conceit, of course, and despite a few “elegant” flourishes, the structures inevitably looked like crass, downscale imitations of costlier designs.

    Only a ground-floor plan was published with the article, but it reveals a fairly straightforward design, with each unit containing a parlor, library, dining room, and kitchen on the first level, and a separate reception hall and stair hall.

    The plan included a “complete bath-room on each floor”, along with a small butler’s pantry and rear service stairs — the people who lived in such homes could usually only afford one or two servants.

    Built of pressed brick with granite trim, the appearance of the duplex was akin to Butt & Morris’s only significant work remaining in Atlanta: the George A. Floding Residence in Inman Park, built in 1907.1 2 Both designs are similarly atrocious.

    Butt & Morris. George A. Floding Residence (1907). Inman Park, Atlanta.
    Butt & Morris. George A. Floding Residence (1907). Inman Park, Atlanta.

    Based on a vague location described in the building permit and the details provided in this article, it appears the Brotherton apartments were located at 382 and 384 Whitehall Street, on the southeast corner of Whitehall and Hood Street.3

    The structure predictably became a boarding house in fairly short order,4 and was demolished in July 1927,5 replaced by — wait for it — a gas station.6

    Butt & Morris. Apartment house for W.H. Brotherton. Atlanta.

    Captain William H. Brotherton’s New Whitehall Street House

    The above cut is an exact likeness of the new apartment house built by Mr. W. H. Brotherton on Whitehall street, between Windsor and Smith streets, upon which the finishing touches are now being applied.

    The dwelling is a beauty in its style of architecture and is palatial in its appointments. It was built at a cost of $9,000.

    It is a tenement house, consisting of ten rooms and spacious hall on each side. Besides the main rooms there are bath, linen and dressing rooms.

    The exterior is built of pressed brick, with granite trimmings. The roof is of the very best slate. The verandas are very long, with a width of about 20 feet. Immense columns, built of pressed brick with granite capitols, support the roofs of the verandas. The ceiling of the verandas are of stamped iron, while the floors are of tile. The verandas are also fitted with beautiful iron balustrades.

    The main front entrance is through an open vestibule, artistically panneled [sic] in oak. This leads into a large reception hall. The reception room, stair hall, reception hall and dining room are finished with 4 1/2-inch panneled [sic] wainscoting, with other decorations of modern design. These apartments, together with front and back parlors, make five apartments in all. They are conveniently connected with sliding doors. The passage from the dining room into the large, well arranged kitchen is through double swing doors. The back hall is conveniently reached from the front stair hall, kitchen or rear portches [sic]. The halls, pantries and bathrooms are wainscoted. The flooring is of the best grade.

    The second floor consists of five large, well light [sic] chambers, with closets in easy reach. All the rooms but the kitchen are fitted with beautiful oak mantels with large plate glass. The hearths are built of tile. The plumbing fixtures are elegant in every respect. There is a complete bath-room on each floor, with all the modern appliances.

    The plastering is three-coat finished in sand, and all the walls are beautifully tinted in delicate colors. The glass is first quality.7

    Ground floor plan of apartment house for W.H. Brotherton

    References

    1. Application for Building Permit, September 20, 1907 ↩︎
    2. “Social Items”. The Atlanta Constitution, October 6, 1907, p. 4. ↩︎
    3. Insurance maps, Atlanta, Georgia, 1911 / published by the Sanborn Map Company ↩︎
    4. “Wanted — Boarders”. The Atlanta Journal, December 29, 1912, p. 11. ↩︎
    5. “Building Materials”. The Atlanta Constitution, July 3, 1927, p. 1C. ↩︎
    6. “Commercial Locations Still in Active Demand, Ewing Agency Reports”. The Atlanta Journal, July 24, 1927, p. 8D. ↩︎
    7. “Captain William H. Brotherton’s New Whitehall Street House”. The Atlanta Journal, March 19, 1898, p. 6. ↩︎

  • Piedmont Natives: Gulf Fritillary

    Gulf fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae)
    Gulf fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae)

    Here’s a fine fall friend I recently met on the Atlanta BeltLine. Hooray for public arboretums!

  • “Journal Model Houses; Residence of Mr. George Wade” (1898)

    C. Walter Smith. George Wade Residence (1898). West End, Atlanta.
    C. Walter Smith. George Wade Residence (1898). West End, Atlanta.

    The Background

    This is the sixth in a series of articles published by The Atlanta Journal in 1898 featuring illustrations and floor plans of residences designed by Atlanta architects.

    The article highlights the George Wade Residence, designed by C. Walter Smith, who served for many years as a draughtsman and later chief assistant to G.L. Norrman,1 2 before successfully establishing his own firm in 1896.3

    The Wade home’s floor plan hints at how much Smith was responsible for designing Norrman’s residences — I suspect it was quite a bit.

    There isn’t much to criticize about the plan: Smith crafted a solid layout with 4 rooms on each floor clustered around a central stair hall. Each of the bedrooms included a closet, and the second floor contained a standard “trunk room” and dressing room, as seen in previous plans in this series.

    Two oddities were the tiny den tacked on the back of the reception hall, and the massive dining room with an interior wall that awkwardly jutted out into the stairs hall.

    Location of the George Wade Residence

    As noted in the article, the Wade House was designed in the nebulous “colonial” style of the 1890s, which, in this case, consisted primarily of dentilled cornices and decorative garlands on the friezes and porch pediment.

    Festive garland ornamentation was Smith’s trademark element — you can find it in nearly all of his surviving buildings, as well as many of G.L. Norrman’s works from Smith’s time in his employment.

    Also note the tapered chimneys, which were incorporated in numerous Norrman projects from the late 1880s to mid-1890s, again indicating the level of Smith’s involvement in Norrman’s firm.

    Still, Norrman must have guided those designs with a fairly heavy hand, because Smith’s solo work lacked the panache of his mentor, and you can clearly see the limits of his ability in the Wade House illustration (pictured above).

    Whereas Norrman consistently produced refined and cohesive compositions, Smith’s buildings often appeared boxy and plain with clumsy touches of embellishment — the Wade design is a prime example.

    Located at 341 Gordon Street (later 249, then 1097 Gordon Street SW) in Atlanta’s West End, the home was occupied by the Wade family for only 3 years. Wade moved to Cedartown, Georgia, circa 1899,4 where he established a knitting mill that manufactured ladies’ underwear.5

    Smith subsequently designed Wade’s home in Cedartown6 7 — which still stands, along with an additional knitting mill,8 which does not.

    Former George Wade Residence circa 1914
    Former George Wade Residence circa 19149

    The former Wade home was occupied for many years by Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Beauprie. Mr. Beauprie died in the home in January 1922,10 while his wife, Carrie E. Beauprie, died in the home over 10 years later, in June 1932.11

    The exact date of the home’s demolition is unclear, but in 1957, a newspaper classified ad said of the property: “Owner Leaving State SACRIFICE FOR QUICK SALE”, noting its commercial zoning and a location “Right in the path of progress.”12 By 1960, the site was occupied by — what else? — a gas station.13

    C. Walter Smith. George Wade Residence (1898). West End, Atlanta.

    Journal Model Houses; Residence of Mr. George Wade

    The above cut shows a perspective view of Mr. George Wade’s house on Gordon street, at the corner of Lawton, in West End. It was built 18 months ago from the plans of Mr. Walter Smith of Atlanta, and is one of the prettiest and most comfortable homes in the city. Every inch of space is utilized, and the house is rich in closets and all kinds of conveniences.

    The design of the modern colonial type and the picture shows how it is worked out. The construction is very thorough. The walls are double and the floors are double, with tarred felt between. The interior finish downstairs is antique oak with the exception of the parlor, the sitting room and the den. The parlor is in white enamel, the den in red oak, and the sitting room in curly pine.

    Ground floor plan of George Wade Residence

    There is a very attractive arrangement of the entrance, reception hall, stair hall and parlor. The reception hall, parlor and sitting room can be thrown together or completely separated by the sliding doors.

    The second floor is natural pine, cabinet finish. The floors are waxed and polished. The windows are fitted with inside blinds and the house is equipped with electric bells, gas lighting and door openers. There are cabinet mantels in every room and in the hall and the stair hall is separated from the reception hall by pretty grill work, and the stairs are finished in antique oak. The foundation is a solid wall, and there is a good brick basement with a furnace room.

    The plumbing is the best and thoroughly ventilated. The workmanship throughout is first class and the house is a gem. It cost when built $5,240, and can be duplicated for about $5,000. The painting is in the prevailing colonial colors.14

    Second floor plan of George Wade Residence

    References

    1. “A Card”. The Atlanta Constitution, March 1, 1893, p. 10. ↩︎
    2. Atlanta City Directory Co.’s Greater Atlanta (Georgia) city directory (1894) ↩︎
    3. “Out For Himself.” The Atlanta Constitution, April 19, 1896, p. 20. ↩︎
    4. “Loitering In The Lobbies”. The Atlanta Journal, February 6, 1899, p. 10. ↩︎
    5. “The Wahneta Mills.” The Macon Telegraph, January 2, 1899, p. 8. ↩︎
    6. The Cedartown Standard (Cedartown, Georgia), August 30, 1900, p. 2. ↩︎
    7. “Improvements At Cedartown”. The Atlanta Constitution, September 15, 1900, p. 4. ↩︎
    8. The Cedartown Standard (Cedartown, Georgia), August 16, 1900, p. 3. ↩︎
    9. “Scenes and Streets of Homes in West End”. The Atlanta Journal, August 23, 1914, p. 8H. ↩︎
    10. “Mr. W.R. Beauprie, Well Known in Atlanta, To Be Buried Sunday”. The Atlanta Constitution, January 14, 1922, p. 10. ↩︎
    11. “Fall Injuries Fatal To Mrs. C.E. Beauprie”. The Atlanta Constitution, June 5, 1932, p. 10A. ↩︎
    12. “Business Property 165”. The Atlanta Constitution, June 21, 1957, p. 27. ↩︎
    13. “100 Extra Gold Bond Stamps!” (advertisement). The Atlanta Constitution, June 16, 1960, p. 29. ↩︎
    14. “Journal Model Houses; Residence of Mr. George Wade”. The Atlanta Journal, February 12, 1898, p. 10. ↩︎

  • 191 Peachtree (1990) – Atlanta

    Johnson/Burgee Architects and Kendall/Heaton Associates Inc. 191 Peachtree (1990). Atlanta.
    Johnson/Burgee Architects and Kendall/Heaton Associates Inc. 191 Peachtree (1990). Atlanta.1 2 3

    References

    1. Walker, Tom. “‘Skyscraper era’ returns in Atlanta”. The Atlanta Constitution, May 6, 1988, p. 1C. ↩︎
    2. “How much difference a tower makes”. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, January 11, 1991, p. F-2. ↩︎
    3. One Ninety One Peachtree Tower – Kendall Heaton ↩︎

  • E.C. Merry Residence (1893)

    G.L. Norrman.E.C. Merry Residence (1893). West End, Atlanta.
    G.L. Norrman. E.C. Merry Residence (1893). West End, Atlanta.

    The Background

    The following article, published in The Atlanta Journal in 1898, includes illustrations and floor plans of the E.C. Merry House, built in 1893 and designed by G.L. Norrman.

    Located at 144 Lee Street (later 510 Lee Street SW), the 5-year-old home in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood was owned by Ovid Stewart at the time the article was written.

    Location of E.C Merry Residence

    In 1890, the home’s original owner, E.C. Merry, became the principal of the West End Academy,1 located one block away. Humphries & Norrman designed the school’s original structure in 1883, but for whatever reason, Bruce & Morgan were selected to design its expansion in 1890.2

    Norrman was primarily an architect of large residences, and it appears he gave up smaller projects entirely by the late 1890s, so it’s a genuine treat to have an illustration and floor plan for this charming 8-room cottage.

    There are a few interesting aspects here:

    • The plan is described as “simplicity itself”, and that’s no exaggeration: No bathroom was included, and it’s unclear if the home was even wired for electricity — with a total cost of $1,770, it probably wasn’t.
    • The Journal’s description describes the home’s “quaint, homelike Quaker suit”, and it appears the home was at least partially inspired by the vernacular architecture of colonial New England, much like Norrman’s design for the C.D. Hurt Residence the same year. I prefer this interpretation.
    • Norrman packed in several signature touches here: tapered chimneys, an eyebrow dormer on the front, Tuscan columns on the porch, and a balustrade and finials on the roof.

    The home still belonged to Ovid Stewart when it was “badly burned” by a fire in February 1909,3 4 although it was swiftly repaired.5 6 Within a year, the property was occupied by Mrs. Stewart’s brother and sister-in-law, L.B. Langford and E.E. Langford,7 who spent $1,350 in additions8 — nearly as much as the home originally cost.

    The Stewarts divorced in 1912,9 and after the death of Mrs. Langford in April 1914,10 11 followed by her husband in September 1916,12 13 the home became a rental property.14

    Based on city directories, the structure survived another 42 years, meeting the same fate as thousands of other historic properties in Atlanta when the home was apparently demolished circa 1958 for the construction of the East-West Expressway (now I-20).15

    Today, the site is occupied by the eastbound ramp from Lee Street. Progress!

    G.L. Norrman. E.C. Merry Residence (1893). West End, Atlanta.

    Journal’s Model Houses; Home of Mr. Ovid Stewart

    The accompanying cuts give the perspective and floor plan of Mr. Ovid Stewart’s pretty cottage on Lee street at the corner of Oak, in West End. It was built by Mr. E.C. Merry in 1893 from the plan of Mr. G.L. Norrman at a cost of $1,770, but could be duplicated now for about $1,400. It is a fine example of the grace and beauty to be found in a simple design when the skill of the architect is bestowed upon it. The plan is simplicity itself, and in a form to be the least expensive in proportion to results attained.

    The floor plan shows the arrangement. This can be varied slightly without material difference in the cost, but care will have to be taken in changing it, for one of the chief beauties in the plan is in the adjustment of proportionate dimensions.

    The construction is thorough and the cottage is exceedingly comfortable. It rests on a solid wall and has double walls and floors. It is painted gray, with white trimmings, which gives it a quaint, homelike Quaker suit.16

    References

    1. “To Teach In West End.” The Atlanta Constitution, August 9, 1890, p. 8. ↩︎
    2. “The New Academy Building.” The Atlanta Constitution, November 2, 1890, p. 24. ↩︎
    3. “Twelve Fires Within A Day”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 2, 1909, p. 5. ↩︎
    4. “Nine Fire Calls Answered Monday”. The Atlanta Semi-Weekly Journal, February 2, 1909, p. 1. ↩︎
    5. “Personal Mention”. The Atlanta Journal, February 14, 1909, p. H5. ↩︎
    6. “Building Permits”. The Atlanta Journal, February 19, 1909, p. 14. ↩︎
    7. “Mortuary”. The Atlanta Constitution, August 15, 1910, p. 5. ↩︎
    8. “Building Permits”. The Atlanta Journal, September 15, 1910, p. 13. ↩︎
    9. “Notice Notice Notice”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 9, 1912, p. 13. ↩︎
    10. “Deaths and Funerals”. The Atlanta Journal, April 17, 1914, p. 2. ↩︎
    11. “Mortuary”. The Atlanta Constitution, April 18, 1914, p. 2. ↩︎
    12. “Deaths and Funerals”. The Atlanta Constitution, September 1, 1916, p. 2. ↩︎
    13. “Mortuary”. The Atlanta Constitution, September 2, 1916, p. 2. ↩︎
    14. “For Rent–Houses”. The Atlanta Journal, November 20, 1916, p. 17. ↩︎
    15. “Here’s Route Of New East-West Expressway”. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, March 23, 1958, p. 1-E. ↩︎
    16. “Journal Model House; Home of Mr. Ovid Stewart” The Atlanta Journal, February 5, 1898, p. 9. ↩︎

  • Roswell Presbyterian Church (1840) – Roswell, Georgia

    Willis Ball. Roswell Presbyterian Church (1840). Roswell, Georgia.
    Willis Ball. Roswell Presbyterian Church (1840). Roswell, Georgia.1

    References

    1. National Register of Historic Places Inventory — Nomination Form: Roswell Historic District ↩︎

  • Paul Romare Residence (1892)

    G.L. Norrman. Paul Romare Residence (1892, demolished before 1926). Atlanta.
    G.L. Norrman. Paul Romare Residence (1892, demolished before 1926). Atlanta.1

    The Background

    The following article, published by The Atlanta Journal in 1898, includes an illustration and floor plans of the Paul Romare Residence, built in 1892 and designed by G.L. Norrman.2 3

    Like Norrman, Paul Romare (1828-1904,4 pictured here5)was also a Swedish immigrant.

    Although Romare was 20 years older than Norrman,6 it appears the two men were close friends, as Norrman planned at least four projects for the Romare family over 21 years and also served as an honorary escort at Romare’s funeral.7 8

    Romare and Norrman’s Connection

    Romare began working at the Atlanta National Bank circa 1865 and steadily rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming the bank’s president in 1903.9 10 Like Norrman, he was also prominent in Atlanta society, and both men were members of the Capital City Club.11

    Only 41 Atlantans in the 1890s were from Scandinavia,12 so Norrman and Romare likely bonded over their common heritage, if nothing else. However, the two men’s lives had many striking parallels.

    Like Norrman, Romare was born and raised in southern Sweden, and both men became sailors: Romare left home at age 14 to serve as a cabin boy on a merchant ship captained by his father.

    As a young man, Norrman reportedly left the Swedish Navy shortly after he quarreled with an officer. When Romare was 18, he abandoned ship after a fight with the captain, hiding in a friend’s closet in New York to evade the captain’s search.

    Romare eventually immigrated to the United States through Charleston, South Carolina. From 1850 to 1864, he lived and worked in the Upcountry, including the towns of Gaffney and Chester, both a short distance from Spartanburg, where Norrman began his practice a decade later.

    Romare, incidentally, was apparently pronounced as “ROAM-a-ree”. And did I mention he secretly fathered a son with a Black woman in South Carolina?13 It was certainly never mentioned in Atlanta, where his wife, Lucy, and their six daughters were popular social fixtures.

    G.L. Norrman. Paul Romare Residence (1892, demolished before 1926). Illustration by W.L. Stoddart.
    G.L. Norrman. Paul Romare Residence (1892, demolished before 1926). Illustration by W.L. Stoddart.14

    About the Residence

    The house shown here was the second Norrman designed for Romare and was built at 17 East North Avenue,15 on what is now the site of the Bank of America Plaza in Midtown Atlanta.

    Location of Paul Romare Residence

    However, the home was long gone before Bank of America, demolished between 1923 and 1925,16 17 18 and replaced by a car dealership in 1926.19 What else would you expect from Atlanta?

    There are a few things to note about the floor plans shown below:

    • The Journal mislabeled the first story plan as the “Second Floor Plan” and the second story plan as the “Ground Floor Plan”, because of course they did.
    • The first story plan centered on a reception hall with a fireplace, an evolution of the living hall concept Norrman used in the 1880s, which can still be seen in the Edward C. Peters House and T.W. Latham House in Atlanta. For the Romare design, a separate stair hall was placed behind the reception hall. So many halls.
    • There were two full bathrooms in the Romare house — one per floor. The first-floor bathroom was connected to both the main bedroom and the stair hall, presumably to be shared by guests.
    • Bedroom closets were still a novelty in 1892, and like most homes that had them, the closets in the Romare design were tiny. However, Norrman also included spacious“dressing rooms” with closets in three of the five bedrooms, undoubtedly designed for Romare’s wife and daughters.
    • Typical of Norrman’s residential designs for wealthy clients, the service areas were well-defined and separate from the rest of the home. Servants would be expected to enter from the rear porch, and the kitchen and rear stairs were buffered from the dining room by a large butler’s pantry.

    The Romare house was one of the better works from a short-lived period in Norrman’s career, circa 1892-1893, when he became particularly audacious and avant-garde in his residential designs, freely mixing classical, Colonial, Romanesque, and Palladian elements in striking combinations.

    The approach didn’t always work — the C.D. Hurt Residence, for example, is an unholy mess — but it’s clear Norrman put his best effort into the Romare Residence, and the results speak for themselves. Vacker som en dag!

    G.L. Norrman. Paul Romare Residence (1892, demolished before 1926). Atlanta.
    G.L. Norrman. Paul Romare Residence (1892, demolished before 1926). Atlanta.

    Journal’s Model Houses; Home of Paul Romare.

    The above cut represents the residence of Mr. Paul Romare on North avenue. It was built from the plans of Mr. G.L. Norrman at a cost of $12,000, and is one of the best constructed and most comfortable residences in the city. The plan is not altogether of any conventional style, but the details are in that of the renaissance. The interior arrangement fully appears in the floor plans of the first and second stories. The interior finish of the lower story is of hard wood, built in special designs from detail plans by Mr. Norrman. The parlor is finished in sycamore and beautifully frescoed. The diningroom [sic], library and other rooms of the lower story are finished in oak. The details are in keeping with the general style shown in the details of the exterior.

    The workmanship and material from foundation to roof are of the best, and the arrangement makes the residence one of the most comfortable in the city.

    The house is fitted with the best modern appliances for comfort, including electric bells, etc., and everything of that kind.20

    First story plan of Paul Romare House (1893)
    Second story plan of Paul Romare House (1893)

    References

    1. Photo credit: Atlanta Homes: Attractiveness of Residences in the South’s Chief City. Atlanta Presbyterian Publishing Company (1901). ↩︎
    2. “The Home Builders”. The Atlanta Constitution, June 20, 1892, p. 8. ↩︎
    3. “My, How We Do Grow!” The Atlanta Constitution, September 21, 1892, p. 4. ↩︎
    4. “Paul Romare, Financier, Dead After Long Illness”. The Atlanta Journal, February 8, 1904, p. 2. ↩︎
    5. Photo credit: City of Atlanta: A Descriptive, Historical and Industrial Review. Louisville, Kentucky: The Inter-State Publishing Company (1893), p. 74. ↩︎
    6. “Mr. Paul Romare.” The Atlanta Constitution, February 12, 1893, p. 7. ↩︎
    7. “Funeral Notice.” The Atlanta Journal, February 9, 1904, p. 11. ↩︎
    8. “Romare To Rest In West View”. The Atlanta Constitution, February 9, 1904, p. 5. ↩︎
    9. “New President Will Be Romare”. The Atlanta Constitution, May 9, 1903, p. 6. ↩︎
    10. “Romare Made President Of Bank”. The Atlanta Journal, May 10, 1903, p. 1. ↩︎
    11. “The Club Reception.” The Atlanta Constitution, October 19, 1887, p. 2. ↩︎
    12. Mebane, Anne Fonvielle. (1967). Immigrant Patterns in Atlanta, 1880 and 1896 [Master’s thesis, Emory University], p. 48. ↩︎
    13. Historic Joplin » Paul Romare ↩︎
    14. Illustration credit: The Southern Architect, Volume 10, no. 11, September 1899, p. 10. ↩︎
    15. Insurance maps, Atlanta, Georgia, 1911 / published by the Sanborn Map Company ↩︎
    16. “Four Apartment Houses Purchased By Manget; Over $100,000 Involved”. The Atlanta Journal, January 26, 1923, p. 36. ↩︎
    17. “Atlanta Title And Trust Company Publishes Comprehensive Summary Of Atlanta Real Estate Information”. The Atlanta Journal, May 13, 1923, 8F. ↩︎
    18. “Property Transfers”. The Atlanta Journal, January 25, 1925, p. 8F. ↩︎
    19. “Contract Is Signed For $600,000 Home For Motor Agency”. The Atlanta Journal, January 7, 1926, p. 1. ↩︎
    20. “Journal’s Model Houses; Home of Paul Romare”. The Atlanta Journal, January 29, 1898, p. 10. ↩︎

  • Urban Life: The Morning Train

    Looking toward the northbound MARTA train on Donnelly Avenue SW, West End, Atlanta
    Looking toward the northbound MARTA train on Donnelly Avenue SW, West End, Atlanta