Lola Carlisle

Many of the dynamics associated with the United States in the mid-20th century had not yet touched the tranquil northeast Atlanta community of Virginia-Highland in 1950. The next quarter-century would be very different. A wave of change--the civil rights movement, public school integration, the highway department's attempt to build an expressway through the community, declining real estate, the advent of suburban flight, an emerging new counterculture, and the bitter antiwar movement--provided an overlapping series of challenges that could have torn the neighborhood apart. Against all odds, it did not. Citizens organized to support public schools, defeat the highway, protect the remaining housing, create parks, and preserve their community. They created an eclectic, entrepreneurial spirit and an unpretentious culture that came to define modern intown living. Preserving the essential features of their booming community soon became a new challenge.

Many of the dynamics associated with the United States in the mid-20th century had not yet touched the tranquil northeast Atlanta community of Virginia-Highland in 1950. The next quarter-century would be very different. A wave of change--the civil rights movement, public school integration, the highway department's attempt to build an expressway through the community, declining real estate, the advent of suburban flight, an emerging new counterculture, and the bitter antiwar movement--provided an overlapping series of challenges that could have torn the neighborhood apart. Against all odds, it did not. Citizens organized to support public schools, defeat the highway, protect the remaining housing, create parks, and preserve their community. They created an eclectic, entrepreneurial spirit and an unpretentious culture that came to define modern intown living. Preserving the essential features of their booming community soon became a new challenge.

One of Atlanta's most desirable neighborhoods, Virginia-Highland enjoys a rich history, a diverse urban fabric, and a distinct sense of identity. In the last years of the 19th century, city folk escaped from downtown on trolley cars to appreciate the natural springs and cool breezes of higher elevations; by the 1920s, clusters of subdivisions had created affordable homes in which the city workers could live. The community suffered a period of decline in the mid-20th century due to the impact of desegregation and a planned highway that would have cut through the neighborhood. After the highway was halted by community activists, young professionals and families began to move back into the city, renovating houses and embracing in-town living. Many historic structures, coupled with eclectic business activity, a number of parks, and vibrant culture, have influenced the identity of Virginia-Highland.