Article in Saving Places (National Trust for Historic Preservation)
George W. Adair Elementary School was designed by one of Atlanta’s leading architects of the time, Edward Dougherty, who designed other notable structures in Atlanta such as Druid Hills Baptist Church, Druid Hills Golf Club, Imperial Hotel and the Highland School. On November 18, 1911, the Mackle–Crawford Construction Company was awarded the contract to build the new elementary school in the “tenth ward” of Atlanta for $34,000 (approximately $850,000 today). The school officially opened its doors on September 9, 1912, and was later expanded in 1937. The George W. Adair School is located at the heart of the Adair Park neighborhood and was originally constructed to be the gathering place for the community. Enrollment in the school diminished in the early 1970s as residents of the surrounding neighborhood fled for the suburbs and has been vacant since 1973 when the school closed its doors. As the Atlanta Beltline has pushed through the area, new residents and investors have been transforming intown neighborhoods and causing new commercial development. Without the vision of the 711 Catherine Developers, the Adair Elementary School would like turn into luxury condominiums due to the significant construction costs required for rehabilitation and its location only one block from a recently completed portion of the Beltline trail.
Photos: Courtesy of Personal Collections and the Atlanta Public Schools Archives Museum Collection
