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East Point Main Street Association, Inc. – PO Box 91274, East Point, GA 30344
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Mission
To preserve and enhance the downtown area as the heart of
East Point, communicating a sense of place, community pride and heritage, while providing for a successful business and
residential environment.

Downtown Flashback Feature

Each month, the East Point Historical Society provides an article for the "Flashback Feature" for the Downtown Newsletter. Each article highlights a piece of East Point's vibrant history. More information about East Point's history is available at the East Point Historical Society located at 1685 Norman Berry Drive, East Point, GA 30344. You can contact them at (404) 767-4656 or visit www.eastpoinths.org. All "Flashback Features" will be archived on the website and can be accessed at any time.

Downtown East Point Walking Tour Map

The City of East Point was founded in August 1887. To celebrate its 125th anniversary, the East Point Historical Society published “Downtown East Point Historical Sites.” The brochure features a walking/driving tour of historic properties throughout the down town area, primarily within the original 1887 town limits. Twenty-four buildings and sites are highlighted. Beginning at the Morgan House, the Historical Society’s headquarters, the tour meanders through the industrial district along the railroad tracks, up and down Main Street, East Point Street, and Church Street. Each listing includes a brief historical description tied to the property's location on the tour map. Well known sites such as City Hall, the Wagon Works and Victory Park are included along with properties that may not be as familiar such as Frog Hollow’s mill pond site and the Porter steam locomotive. All of these historical sites (agricultural, industrial, commercial, housing) help illustrate East Point’s rich history. How important that these sites have been preserved as tangible reminders of our past!

- Carole Griffith, East Point Historical Society

Visit the East Point Historical Society at 1685 Norman Berry Drive to pick up a complimentary copy of the tour brochure and to explore the collection of photographs, exhibits and artifacts that further illustrate East Point history.

In commemoration of East Point's 125th birthday, the East Point Historical Society has provided this Map of Historical Sites for the benefit of our citizens and visitors.
01 Historical Society
The present home of the East Point Historical Society is known as the “Morgan House.” Built in 1913 it was originally located at 2879 East Point St. next door to the present Post Office. Ownership was acquired by the City of East Point and it was moved to this location in 1988.
02 Train at EPHS
The steam locomotive is an H K Porter Co. Model # 2-4-2T, Builders # 6990. The engine was acquired by the East Point Railroad Museum in 1993 and was displayed at their site on Cleveland Ave. until it closed in July, 1997 at which time it was transferred to the East Point Historical Society. It is symbolic of the fact the railroads were instrumental in East Point’s origins.
03 Jefferson Station
Built c. 1925 as Oak Manufacturing or Oak Knitting Mills, a manufacturer of underwear and sports clothes, it has had several owners and tenants over the years. Today it is home to the government offices of the City of East Point and is known as Jefferson Station. It is located in the Historic Industrial District.
04 The Wagon Works
The White Hickory Wagon Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1878 in Atlanta by Bartow M. Blount. By 1885 the business had grown too large for its location and moved to the present location in East Point. They specialized in the manufacture of farm wagons, turpentine wagons, lumber wagons, city drays, dump carts, push carts and goat wagons. Bartow M. Blount was the first Mayor of the City of East Point.
05 The Buggy Works
Bartow M. Blount was the founder of the White Hickory Wagon Works in 1878. In 1908 he began manufacturing buggies and carriages under the name Blount Carriage and Buggy Company. The buggy plant was built adjacent to the Wagon Works on a site that was a Confederate Hospital during the Civil War. During construction excavation particles of skeletons, clothing, buttons and belt buckles were uncovered. All remains were turned over to the Confederate Veterans Association.
06 Bronze Historical Marker
Located at the foot of the pedestrian bridge at Main St. and Cleveland Ave., this marker pays tribute to East Point’s founding. The text reads as follows: East Point owes its origins to an 1847 Act incorporating the Atlanta and LaGrange RR (now Atlanta and West Point). The charter stated its eastern terminus should be at a convenient point on the Macon and Western RR (now Central of Georgia) between “the City of Griffin and the Town of Atlanta”. This exact spot is marked by a bronze disk set in a short concrete post. East Point´s charter, approved August 10, 1887, established the limits of the town from this point ~ North ¾ mile, South 5/8 mile, East and West ½ miles forming a parallelogram 1 3/8 miles long (N & S) and 1 mile wide (E & W).
07 Bank of Fulton County
Built in 1934 as the Bank of Fulton County, the façade was remodeled in the 1950’s to its present look. Today it is the offices of prominent local attorneys.



08 Early Buildings at Main &Cleveland
The storefronts on Main St. at Cleveland Ave. were some of East Point’s first businesses covering many trades such as hardware, dry goods, clothing and groceries to name a few. The upstairs on the corner was home to our first dentist, Dr. Yeast. The clock tower was constructed as a part of the City’s 100th Anniversary celebration.
09 Masonic-Elks Building on Cleveland
East Point Masonic Lodge No. 288, F.&A.M. was founded in 1873 some fourteen years before the actual incorporation of the City of East Point. In 1921 they built their three story Lodge Hall on Cleveland Ave. between Main St. and East Point St. Later this building became home to the East Point Elks Lodge. Today it is lofts and condo homes.
10 Nellie’s Chapel
This chapel was founded in 1873 as the East Point Methodist Episcopal Church. It originally faced Main St. but was turned in 1919 to face East Point St. It is affectionately known as Nellie’s Chapel named after Nellie Thompson, the seven year old daughter of Dr. J. D. Thompson, one of the founding members of the church. Nellie died an untimely death at the age of seven and her gravestone has the earliest known date in the church cemetery. Today it is the East Point Avenue United Methodist Church.
11 City Hall
Located on East Point St. between Cleveland Ave. and Linwood Ave., City Hall was built in 1931. Beneath this property is the origin of a spring which still flows underground and is one of the early feeder streams for Utoy Creek. Over 150 years ago this spring fed two operating mill ponds further downstream. East Point’s City Hall, which is still in use as offices for City staff and the Mayor, is among the City’s most distinct structures. With its white-columned porch and clock tower, it reflects a mix of the antebellum and Federal Revival styles popular at the time. It houses the old Council Chambers where countless public meetings were held, shaping the destiny of East Point.
12 Central School
Originally located on the site of present day City Hall, “Central School” was East Point’s first public school, built in 1895. It operated until the early 1920s. East Point operated its own school system from the 1890s until the 1920s when it merged with the Fulton County School System.
13 City Auditorium
Immediately behind City Hall is the City Auditorium, built at the same time and witness to decades of City gatherings, musical performances, theatrical productions, high school graduations and other events in the life of the City. The Auditorium had been used to hold City Council meetings. The building’s architectural style matches that of City Hall and features Palladian windows, decorative swags and medallions along the walls, and a large stage suitable for a variety of uses. The total cost to build both City Hall and the Auditorium was $65,000.00 financed through a bond issue.
14 Old City Library
Just behind the Auditorium and facing Victory Park is the old City Library, no longer in use. The Federal Revivalstyle structure bears a brass plaque attesting to its construction as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (FEAPW) in 1939. (FEAPW—a core element of FDR’s New Deal which put countless Americans back to work following the Great Depression—was renamed the Public Works Administration shortly after the Library’s construction in 1939.) Almost all of the Library’s original features remain intact, including the dark wood bookcases, shelving, Adam’s style fireplace mantels and numerous Art Deco-style lighting fixtures which grace the buildings common rooms. The first librarian was William Howell.
15 Victory Park
Victory Park was dedicated October 24, 1971. The dedication plaque reads as follows: “Dedicated in memory of all veterans who gave their lives during World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Conflict. By members of East Point Post 51, American Legion, October 24, 1971. Robert E. Brown, Mayor, Ira l. Sargent, Commander, Thomas G. Boggs, Adjutant, L. C. Daniell, Chairman.” The park contains memorial markers listing the names of all East Point citizens who lost their lives in those conflicts.
16 East Point First Mallalieu United Methodist Church
The original church on this corner traces its roots to the Shady Grove Methodist Episcopal Church founded on the Connally Plantation in 1846. The church moved to its present location on the corner of Church St. and West Forrest Ave. in 1878, building the first of three sanctuaries to be located on this site. The second came in 1920 and the present structure in 1969. In June, 2002 the East Point First UMC with a primarily white congregation merged with the Mallalieu UMC, an African-American congregation also located in East Point. The blending of these two congregations has resulted in a unique, multi-cultural congregation and worship experience. The East Point First Mallalieu United Methodist Church reflects the rich histories and traditions of the two original churches.
17 Ware & Cheney House
The J. A. Williams home, built before 1904, is located at the corner of Cheney St and Ware Ave. This is a fine example of the Victorian style popular in that era.




18 Mill Pond Site
in Frog Hollow The site known as Frog Hollow, the area between Semmes St. and Cheney St. where West Cleveland Ave. intersects is known primarily as the Central Park School (1927-1990) site. In the 1870s this was the site of a grist mill operated by John L. Conley. The mill pond was fed by a stream flowing from the old Central School/City Hall site one-half mile to the east. The neighborhood of Frog Hollow surrounds this area and is one of East Point’s older neighborhoods, being the first to have paved sidewalks.
19 First Baptist Church
Founded in 1889, the first building was constructed on the present site at East Point St. and Thompson Ave. in 1894. For the first five years the congregation met in Nellie’s Chapel. The original building was replaced in 1924 with the magnificent Stone Mountain Granite structure that stands today. Other additions were added in 1939 and 1952.
20 White Way Businesses
Many of East Point’s earlier businesses were located on White Way. A 1925 industrial map shows printers, dry cleaners, a taxi stand, a laundry, a used car lot and the Odd Fellows Lodge Hall on the corner of White Way and East Point St. The street name White Way comes from the fact it was the first street in East Point to receive electric street lights.
21 Old Post Office
The Old Post Office building on Main St. at Thompson Ave. was constructed in 1935 and served East Point’s citizens until the opening of the new Post Office on East Point St. in 1966. The old Post Office building became the East Point City Hall Annex in April, 1966.
22 First Christian Church 1912 Building
In 1910, a circuit riding Restoration Movement minister set up a revival tent on the corner of Washington Ave. and Lowe St. (now Church St.) and held services. After he left, the faithful attendees continued to meet in private homes and in 1912 constructed this building on the same site taking the name the First Christian Church of East Point. This building stood until the new building was erected in 1949.
23 East Point Christian Church 1949 Building
In 1949, construction began on the new sanctuary replacing the 1912 building. The first service was held on Easter Sunday 1951. At this time the name was changed from First Christian Church of East Point to East Point Christian Church. In 2011 the congregation merged with the Peachtree City Christian Church becoming the East Point Campus of Peachtree City Christian Church (PTC3).
24 Historic Industrial District
The East Point Industrial District is the only site in East Point that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It includes a collection of late 19th and early 20th century mills and warehouses. Adjacent to the railroad corridor, these industries supported the thriving agricultural economy of the time, manufacturing wagons, horse collars, carriages, fertilizer, cotton oil and farm machinery. Three of these buildings, now known as the Buggy Works, the Wagon Works and Jefferson Station, serve as contemporary office and commercial space. The district is located between the railroad tracks and Martin Street, Norman Berry Drive on the north and Taylor Street on the south.

East Point Historical Society
Be sure to visit the East Point Historical Society at 1685 Norman Berry Drive to learn more about our city’s history. Museum & Archives - Free Admission
- Thursdays 1 - 4 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Phone: 404-767-4656

 

 

Previous Flashback Features

A Look At The Early Days Up To 1900
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jog
East Point’s Centennial Quilt: A History Lesson in Needlework, Part Two: Industry & Manufacturing, Part Two - November 2012
East Point’s Centennial Quilt: A History Lesson in Needlework, Part Two: Industry & Manufacturing, Part One - October 2012
125th Birthday Festivities . . . Ended with a BANG! - September 2012
East Point: 125 Years Ago, Part Three – August 2012
East Point: 125 Years Ago, Part Two – July 2012
East Point: 125 Years Ago, Part One – June 2012
The Man the Downtown Pedestrian Bridge was Named in Honor of in 2002 – May 2012
American Civil War: The Role of East Point – April 2012
East Point’s Centennial Quilt : A History Lesson in Needlework – March 2012
East Point’s First African-American Physician – February 2012
East Point Centennial Quilt: A History Lesson in Needlework – January 2012
Fixing Things in the Past and Present – December 2011
A Stretch of Main Street... 100 Years Ago – May 2011
Atlanta Terra Cotta Company – April 2011
Early East Point Police – March 2011
Gandy Dancers – February 2011
Early Schools of East Point – January 2011
East Point's First Fire Truck – December 2010
East Point: City of Transportation – November 2010
1906 Survey Crew in the Town of East Point – October 2010
From the Tabernacle to the Tower – September 2010
Mrs. Ware's Boarding House – August 2010