Sep 27, 2009

Reynoldstown - Modern Community Planning - The Interwar Period

The Minimum House, designed during the Interwar Period, 1920 - 1940, for railroad workers of the Southern Railroad, which borders the Reynoldstown community to the north.




The Minimum House was marketed as an adaptation in living in response to the modern social conditions and means of production in an industrial economy. Similar to the Pacific Ready-cut Home, this 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen is of basic cinderblock construction and austere design.








Standard, low-cost, minimum houses were designed to be affordable to the average wage earner during the Interwar Period.





Wylie Avenue facing west. Beyond the wall are the Southern Railroad tracks, which extend along side the avenue. Notice the close proximity of the city skyline in the near background.





Row of 4 Slither houses, facing south. Each house is detached, one room across and has a front porch and yard space on all sides.


Close up views of the homes show that although they were identical in style and design at the time they were built, owners have individualized the structures







Representing the owners personality, these 4 dwellings have been tranformed from standard minimum houses into urban homestead.




2 family shotgun style, mininum houses, located at the southern boundary of Reynoldstown.



Reynoldstown is an Atlanta neighborhood that is nestled between the Cabbagetown and Edgewood communities. Downtown Atlanta is in close proximity to the Reynoldstown Historic District, as it is just two miles west of the district. The district was a strategic position during the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, as its rolling hills and elevation made it one of the highest points in the city. Today, many streets in Reynoldstown bear the names of military leaders who fought in the battle, like Manigault and Wylie. The district’s northern and southern boundaries followed the old Atlanta and West Point Railroad and joined the Central of Georgia (now the CSX) that ran east to west between downtown Atlanta and Decatur.





1 comment:

  1. Excellent photos, Grace. It's fascinating to see the adaptations the homeowners have done over the years.

    ReplyDelete