Neighborhood Layout And Street Grid
Atkins Park consists of three parallel residential streets: St. Augustine Place, St. Charles Place, and St. Louis Place. These streets span a single block running between North Highland Avenue to the west and Briarcliff Road to the east. Service alleys run parallel to the streets in the middle of the interior blocks. A perpendicular internal sidewalk known as Malcolm's Way bisects the blocks from St. Charles Place to St. Louis Place. This pedestrian path was originally designed to provide residents with quicker access to the streetcar stop at Ponce de Leon Avenue. Stone gateways erected in 1912 stand at the neighborhood entrances and display the street names.
Architecture And Historic Origins
Before its development, the land comprising Atkins Park was primarily small rural farmland. Between 1902 and 1905, pharmaceutical entrepreneur Edwin Wiley Grove purchased the property, initially calling it St. Louis Park. Neighborhood construction took place primarily between 1912 and 1920 with design contributions from architect Knox T. Thomas. Homes along the three streets were planned on small rectangular lots with uniform setbacks and sidewalks. The residential architecture features classic Bungalow/Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival styles. In 1922, a delicatessen opened in a lifted house on North Highland Avenue, creating the historic Atkins Park tavern space that remains intact today.
Community Heritage And Civic Organization
The Atkins Park Neighborhood Association represents local households across the historic district's three streets. For formal municipal participation within Atlanta's Neighborhood Planning Unit system, Atkins Park participates through NPU-F alongside Virginia-Highland. The neighborhood association appoints a representative member to serve directly on the Virginia-Highland Civic Association board. Residents led by Paul Burks initiated a successful campaign in 2024 to rededicate the neighborhood's namesake. Approved by the Atlanta City Council, the community now honors Dr. Eliza Atkins Gleason, the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in library science. Dr. Gleason founded the Atlanta University School of Library Services, and a historic library previously stood at the site of nearby North Highland Park.