Druid Hills, Georgia
Template:Short description Template:Other uses Template:More citations needed Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Druid Hills is a community which includes both a census-designated place (CDP) in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, as well as a neighborhood of the city of Atlanta. The CDP's population was 14,568 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> The CDP formerly contained the main campus of Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); however, they were annexed by Atlanta in 2018. The Atlanta-city section of Druid Hills is one of Atlanta's most affluent neighborhoods with a mean household income in excess of $238,500 (making it the ninth most affluent, per that metric).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
[edit]The planned community was initially conceived by Joel Hurt, and developed with the effort of Atlanta's leading families, including Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler. It contains some of Atlanta's historic mansions from the late 19th and early 20th century. Druid Hills includes the main campus of Emory University, which relocated to Atlanta in 1914.Template:Citation needed
Druid Hills was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and was one of his last commissions. A showpiece of the design was the string of parks along Ponce de Leon Avenue, which was designated as Druid Hills Parks and Parkways and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1975. The remainder of the development was listed on the Register as the Druid Hills Historic District on October 25, 1979.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref><ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> Later the Park and Parkways district was consolidated into the Druid Hills Historic District. The other historic districts in Druid Hills are:
- Emory University District, added in 1975
- University Park-Emory Highlands-Emory Estates Historic District, added in 1998
- Emory Grove Historic District, added in 2000.<ref>[2] Template:Webarchive</ref>
By 2015 there was a bill in the Georgia Legislature which called for annexing more of Druid Hills into Atlanta.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2016 Emory University's administration stated that it intended to petition the university to be annexed into the City of Atlanta, along with the CDC area;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 2017 the university leadership formally submitted its petition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The City of Atlanta annexed Emory's campus effective January 1, 2018, a part of its largest annexation within a period of 65 years; the Atlanta City Council voted to do so the prior December.<ref name="NiesseEmoryannexed">Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
[edit]Druid Hills is located at Template:Coord (33.787205, -84.325974).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.48%, is water. The CDP's northern boundary is the South Fork of Peachtree Creek; the CSX track and the Decatur city limits are the eastern boundary; the DeKalb County line is the western boundary; and the southern boundary is the Atlanta city limit.
The Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta is bounded by the Druid Hills CDP (i.e. unincorporated DeKalb County) on the north and east; the Morningside/Lenox Park, Virginia-Highland and Poncey-Highland neighborhoods of Atlanta on the west; and the Candler Park neighborhood of Atlanta on the south.Template:Citation needed
The Chelsea Heights neighborhood is located in the eastern part of the CDP at the Decatur border, and participates in the Druid Hills Civic Association.
Demographics
[edit]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 10,511 | 11,103 | 7,112 | 82.50% | 76.21% | 75.43% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 748 | 1,097 | 554 | 5.87% | 7.53% | 5.88% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 16 | 19 | 9 | 0.13% | 0.13% | 0.10% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 929 | 1,594 | 773 | 7.29% | 10.94% | 8.20% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0.07% | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 24 | 33 | 50 | 0.19% | 0.23% | 0.53% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 195 | 297 | 425 | 1.53% | 2.04% | 4.51% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 309 | 419 | 503 | 2.43% | 2.88% | 5.33% |
| Total | 12,741 | 14,568 | 9,429 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Druid Hills was first listed as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. census.<ref name="1980CensusGA" /> As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,429 people, 3,579 households, and 1,977 families residing in the CDP.
Economy
[edit]
Emory University, including its hospitals, is the third largest employer in Metro Atlanta as of 2007/8.<ref>Template:Cite web.</ref> The CDC is also an employer of note.
Commercial areas include Emory Village, a small node first developed in the 1920s at the terminus of the streetcar line to Emory. A revitalization of the area was completed in 2011 with new sidewalks, street furniture and two new roundabouts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The other, larger commercial areas fall just outside the community's boundaries, such as the Clairmont Road corridor in North Decatur, the Sage Hill shopping center in Atlanta's Morningside/Lenox Park, and the Ponce de Leon Avenue corridor just west of Druid Hills in Atlanta's Poncey-Highland/Virginia-Highland.
Arts and culture
[edit]
Druid Hills is home to The Atlanta Boy Choir on S. Ponce de Leon Ave. and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, housed in the Gothic-Tudor style former estate of Charles Howard Candler, president of Coca-Cola and eldest son of Asa Griggs Candler, Coca-Cola's co-founder.
Parks
[edit]- Baker Woodland, Emory University, between Fishburne Dr. & South Kilga Cir. Forest of oak, tulip poplar, beech, and hickory trees - contains over 100 plant species.
- Burbanck Park, Oxford Rd. & Clifton Rd. Template:Convert natural park which borders Peavine Creek. It is named after Madeline and William Burbanck, Emory University professors who owned the property.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Fernbank Forest, Fernbank Museum of Natural History.<ref>Fernbank Forest</ref>
- Fernbank School Park, 157 Heaton Park Dr. This DeKalb County Template:Convert park is located west of the CSX railroad tracks. It includes a multi-use field and court, playground, picnic area and walking trails.
- Hahn Woods, Emory University, Houston Mill Rd. (at South Peachtree Creek). Nature preserve with trail and viewing platform over the creek.
- Medlock Park North Druid Hills subdivision, Nine little league baseball fields with concessions, playground and a running/cycling trail which follows Nancy Creek.
- Olmsted Linear Park, Druid Hills, Ponce de Leon Ave. Template:Convert of six distinct parks, strung along Ponce de Leon Avenue like a necklace. They were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 19th century. Each of the six parks has its own name: Deepdene, Dellwood, Shadyside, Springdale, Virgilee and Oak Grove (formerly Brightwood).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Wesley Woods Forest, Emory University.
- Princeton Way Park, a small neighborhood park that is surrounded by the interior homes of Princeton Way. The park is equipped with picnic tables, swings, slides, a sandbox, short walking trails, and an informal baseball setup.
Government
[edit]The neighborhood organization, the Druid Hills Civic Association (DHCA)[3], gives input to two authorities since the community is divided between the city of Atlanta and unincorporated territory in DeKalb County.
The Atlanta part is an official recognized neighborhood of Atlanta, which in turn is part of NPU N. Officially, DHCA exercises its input into planning and other city processes by giving input to the NPU.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
DeKalb County does not have an officially designated role for the community within the county government in the way the City of Atlanta does (though there are five large geographic districts for the election of county commissioners), so the DHCA gives input to the unitarian county government in Decatur.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The United States Postal Service operates the Druid Hills Post Office at 1799 Briarcliff Road NE in the North Druid Hills CDP in unincorporated DeKalb.<ref>"Post Office Location - DRUID HILLS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's main offices were formerly located in the CDP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="CDPMap">"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Druid Hills CDP, GA." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref><ref>Kessler, John. "CDC flu chief: ‘Mother Nature rolling the dice’." Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sunday May 3, 2009. Retrieved on February 5, 2011. "The second bolt of lightning struck two miles south of the CDC, in Druid Hills."</ref> The City of Atlanta annexed the CDC effective January 1, 2018.<ref name=NiesseEmoryannexed/>
Education
[edit]Primary and secondary schools
[edit]
The non-Atlanta portions of Druid Hills are in the DeKalb County School District.<ref name="CDPMap"/> Most residents are zoned to Fernbank Elementary School (in the Druid Hills CDP) while some are zoned to Briar Vista Elementary School.<ref>"Elementary School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref> All residents are zoned to Druid Hills Middle School (in the North Decatur CDP<ref name=NorthDecaturmap>Template:Cite web</ref>),<ref>"Middle School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref> and Druid Hills High School (in the Druid Hills CDP<ref name="CDPMap"/>).<ref>"High School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref>
The Atlanta sections (the Emory/CDC annexation) are in Atlanta Public Schools. The zoned schools are Springdale Park Elementary School,<ref>Template:Cite web - Use the map to find where Emory University is.</ref> D. T. Howard Middle School,<ref>Template:Cite web - Use the map to find where Emory University is.</ref> and Midtown High School (formerly Henry W. Grady High School).<ref>Template:Cite web - Use the map to find where Emory University is.</ref> The Emory/CDC annexation was scheduled to be moved into APS from DeKalb Schools in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Paideia School [4] is a nearby preK–12 private school [5] in the city of Atlanta.
Colleges and universities
[edit]Emory University is a private university formerly located in the Druid Hills CDP.<ref name="CDPMap"/><ref>Compare the Druid Hills CDP map with the address of Emory University (2016 home page states: "201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 USA") and the location of its buildings.</ref> The City of Atlanta annexed Emory effective January 1, 2018.<ref name=NiesseEmoryannexed/>
Infrastructure
[edit]Transportation
[edit]Public bus transportation is provided by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, while Emory University runs an extensive fleet of shuttles, called the "Cliff".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Healthcare
[edit]Emory University Hospital and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Egleston Hospital are in the Druid Hills area.
The City of Atlanta annexed Egleston and Emory University effective January 1, 2018.<ref name="Niessecompleting">Template:Cite web - This article includes a map of the annexed area, which includes Emory Hospital</ref> Prior to the annexation, Egleston was in Druid Hills CDP, as was Emory Hospital.<ref name="CDPMap" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
[edit]- Cully Cobb, founder of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology at Mississippi State University
See also
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Bryant, James C. Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta: The Story and the People, 1912–1997. Atlanta, Ga.: Druid Hills Golf Club, 1998
- Hartle, Robert, Jr. Atlanta's Druid Hills: A Brief History. The History Press, June 27, 2008.
References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]External links
[edit]- Druid Hills Civic Association
- Druid Hills Historic District Template:Webarchive
- Arbor Atlanta: Hahn Woods
- Wesley Woods Forest
- Emory University Walking Tour
- Emory Village historic preservation incl. history of Emory Village
Template:Druid Hills Template:Atlanta Metro Template:DeKalb County, Georgia Template:Atlanta neighborhoods Template:National Register of Historic Places Template:Historic Districts in Metro Atlanta