Subdivisions And Neighborhood Geography
Lake Claire's residential layout formed out of at least six distinct historic streetcar developments that were surveyed separately. Colquitt Hills was established in 1896 along Connecticut, Indiana, Delaware, New York, and McClendon avenues. The Edgewood City Subdivision followed in 1907 along Adolphus, Nelms, Arizona, McLendon, and DeKalb avenues. Further growth brought the Edgewood Park Realty Company subdivision in 1910 along Hardendorf, Harold, Muriel, Harriet, and Marlbrook avenues. In the 1910s, residential surveyors established Sutherland Terrace along Hampton, Sutherland, Gordon Avenue, and Oxford, followed by Oakwood Terrace on Palifox, Tuxedo, Ridgecrest, and McLendon. Before being annexed into the City of Atlanta in 1922, the section of Lake Claire situated south of McLendon Avenue was legally considered part of neighboring Kirkwood. Development later extended in 1926 through the Massell Development Company across Claire Drive and Lakeshore Drive near the former artificial Lake Ponceana.
The Historic Sutherland Estate And Landmarks
In 1871, Fanny Haralson Gordon and John Brown Gordon acquired an 86. 5-acre property from John Kirkpatrick on the site that became the core of Lake Claire. The Gordon family named their rural property the Sutherland estate after the maiden name of Mrs. Gordon's maternal grandmother. The estate stretched north of DeKalb Avenue, below Ponce de Leon Avenue, east of Mathews and Ridgewood, and west of Claire Drive toward Howard Circle. A knoll overlooking the railroad and the old Decatur Wagon Road served as the home site for Sutherland until the replacement house was torn down in 1942. Today, this high wooded knoll at 1900 DeKalb Avenue NE serves as the location for the Horizons School. Other area institutions include the Frazer Center, an organization operating on the northern edge near Ponce de Leon Avenue.
Residential Architecture And Community Culture
Rather than uniform tracts, much of Lake Claire was sold off as empty individual parcels where early residents constructed their own homes. The resulting streetscapes feature diverse home designs surrounded by mature tree canopies, gardens, and shared green spaces. Innovative architecture in the neighborhood includes an allergy-controlled, tile-floored passive-solar home designed by Kelly Jordan on Gordon Avenue in 1983. Community activities are coordinated by the Lake Claire Neighbors association, which represents local homeowners, artists, professionals, and families. The neighborhood association plans annual seasonal gatherings, including the fall Lake Claire Home & Garden Tour and a Halloween parade for neighborhood children. The neighborhood paper, the Clarion, chronicles local history ranging from early Landlot 239 purchases by Cabel McLendon to modern community gatherings.