a city in the forest
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Sarah Horsley
Advisor: Hugh Crawford
May 2, 2013
A City in the Forest:Atlantas History Through its Trees
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TondafullgrownAmericanElmistondburiedtreasure.
Thesehistorictreesusedtolineouravenuesandboulevardswithgracefullyarchinglimbsthatmadeatunnelforpeople,cars,andpowerlines.Peoplesurroundedthemselveswiththemintheirtownsandwerealsodrawntothegracesofthewildelm.AsDonaldPeattieputsit,Ifyouwanttoberecalledforsomethingthatyoudo,youwillbewelladvisedtodoitunderanElm.
25But
thiswasadifferentage.AblightofDutchElmDiseasesweptthecountryintheearlytwentiethcenturyafterthirtyyearsonlytwopercentoftheElmslininginnumerablestreetssurvived.Eventheyounger,unaffectedtreeswerechoppeddowntotrytostopthespread.Now,Elmtreesarecharactersoflegend,theirfountainofleavesandvase-likesilhouettesomethingyouexpecttobecarvedintoatabletorsungbyminstrels.However,thankfullytheirstoriesaremuchmorerealthanfolklore.
An Elm in Inman Park:
A Story of Restoration
4
Therei sapart icular AmericanElmstillstandinginAtlanta.Itsnotthebiggestoroldest,butitisoneofthefew.ThesignicanceofthisElmisthatitlivesinaneighborhoodwherethecommunitysstoryparallelsitsown.ThisElmlivesinInmanPark,fabledasAtlantasrstsuburb.Driv-ingthroughInmanParkcansometimessetyoubackonehundredyears,whereyouare
surroundedbyVictorianre-vivalhomesandOlmstedstyleneighborhoodparks.ThisElmsstoryissignicantbecauseitisatreeconnectedwithourcountrysfounding,asInmanparkisconnectedtothebegin-ningsofAtlanta.DonaldPeat-tiealsofoundthatasurveyofallofthehistorictreesofourcountryshowsthatamongthemElmsoutnumbereachoftheseOaksnearlytwotoone...[O]nendsthatinalmostallcasesitisthetreethatmakessomemanorsomeeventremembered.
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Revolut ionarieswouldgatherunderanElminBostonknownastheLibertyTreeandplanwhatisnowafreecoun-try.
24Americawasoftenseenas
aplaceofescape,whichishowdeveloperJoelHurtenvisionedInmanPark.AfteradayinthebusycityyouwouldgetonatrolleyandrideouttoInmanpark,wherethelotswerelargeandtheatmospherepastoral.
What isnotableabouttheAmericanElmisitsarchitecture.Imaginethetreeslimbshavingbeenplacedintoavaseandal-lowedtospreadasifabouquetofowers.Inmanparkisknownforitsarchitectureaswell,withstylesfromVictorian,ColonialRevival,andQueenAnnestylehomesrepresented.Duringthedevelopmentoftheneigh-borhoodinthelate1800s,thesilhouetteofanelmtreewasjustasrecognizableandcom-monastheporticosandturretsofthehomessurroundingit.
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Wedontseethearchingsilhouetteoftheelmaroundmuchany-morebecauseofaharmfulfungusthatcametoNorthAmericafromEu-ropearound1930.Thefungusiscarriedbytheelmbarkbeetle,whichbur-rowsintotheelmsinnerbarktoreproduce.Whenthebeetlehasaccesstothispartofthetree,thefungusalsohasaccesstothexylem,whichcarriesthetreeswaterandnutrientsuptothebranchesandleaves.Thexylemisessentiallyapathwaythroughmostofthetree,sowhenthetreesensesthatithasbeeninfected,itwillplugitsxylemwithgumtopreventthespread.Theproblemisthatwhenthetreestopsthefungus,italsostopsowofnutrientsandwater.Whenthishappens,theleavesonthetopsoftreeshrivelandtheendsofthebranchesbegintoyellowanddie
off,withtherestofthetreefollowing.25
The Blight
23
Buthear,Oyeswains,'tisatalemostprofane,Howallthetyrannicalpowers,Kings,CommonsandLords,areunitingamain,Tocutdownthisguardianofours;Fromtheeasttothewestblowthetrumpettoarms,Throughthelandletthesoundofitee,Letthefarandthenear,allunitewithacheer,IndefenceofourLibertyTree.
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Thetreesprotectionmechanismcausesittosacriceitself,muchlikewhattheAmericanRevolutionariesthatstoodunderelmsover200yearsagowerewillingtodo.ThomasPaine,afoundingfatherwroteaboutthistree,
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Hisattitudehasnotbeenlost.ManygroupshaveworkedtorestoretheElm,withsoilinjectiontreatments,pruningmethods,andmostsuccess-fully,producingresistantcultivars.ResistantAmer-icanElmsweresearchedfor,buthybridizationwithforeignvarietiesprovedtobemoresuccess-ful.OthertypesofElm,suchastheChineseand
SiberianaremoreresistanttoDutchElmDisease,sotheyarecrossbredwiththeAmericanElmtocreateamoreresistantcultivar.InmanParkfea-turesthePrincetonElmcultivarplantedalongtheBeltlinetrail.TheBeltlineisalsoahybridizedproj-ectinAtlanta.TheoldBeltlinerailwaythatcircledAtlantaiscurrentlybeingtransformedintoasetofwalkingandbikingtrails.Thisisalsothesiteofthedevelopmentofthecountryslargestarboretum,spanning22milesanddevelopedbyapartnershipwithTreesAtlanta,anonprotdevotedtoenhanc-ingandprotetingAtlantastreecanopy.
6
TheareaHurtdecidedtodevelopasAt-lantasrstsuburbwasalargeplotoflandSouthofPoncedeLeonandNorthoftheRaillines.HedevelopedthislandinconjunctionwiththeElec-tricRaillineshiscompanybuiltalongEdgewoodAvenue,givingthisraillineafortieddestination.Itsatonaplateauwhereyoucouldseethecitytothewestandrollinghillstothewest.TheEastAt-lantaLandCompanyboughtthelandfromHurtsfamilythatlivedthereduringtheCivilWar.IntheCycloramapaintingoftheBattleofAtlanta,you
candistinguishAugustusHurtandTroupHurtshouses.AugustusHurtshousewasusedasSher-mansheadquartersduringthesiegeandstoodwheretheCarterCentercurrentlyisjustoffPoncedeLeonAvenue.TroupHurtshouseisatwostorybrickhousethatcanbeseeninanotherportionofthelargecircularmural.
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The First Suburb
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Developedin1970byaresident,thebutteryisthesymbolofInmanPark.Likethebuttery,theareatransformedfromanuglyaccumulationofoldhomestoamodelofahistoricneighborhoodaftertherevital-izationefforts.Embeddedwithinthismetaphorisanother;thewingsofthebutteryhavethepatternoftheJanusheadfromRomanmythology.Januswasthetwo-headedgodoftransi-tions,withoneheadfacingthepastandtheother,thefuture.InmanParklooksatitselfinthesameway-alwayspayinghom-agetothepastwhilemovingforwardthroughtime.
TheneighborhoodarboretumofInmanParkisdedi-catedtotheabundantoweringtrees.Theoweringthemepayshomagetotheideathattheneighborhoodhashadasecondbloomingwithitsrevitalization.
AcarriageblocksitsnexttoourElmtreeonEuclidAvenue.Theseblocksallowedladiestostepsafelyoutofcarriagesontothesidewalkandareareminderofthewealthandclassfromtheneighborhoodsbeginnings.
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Hurt,withnancialpartnerSamuelInmanforwhomtheneighborhoodisnamed,laidthegroundworkfortheprestigeoftheneighborhoodearly.Lotshadonehundredfootfrontageandwereoftentwohundredandthreehundredfeetdeep.Thersthousesthatwerebuilttherewererequiredtocostatleastthreethousanddollarsatthetime.Notablefamilies,suchastheCandlerandWoodrufffamilies,bothinvolvedinthesuccessofCocaCola,builthouseshere.
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JoelHurtandneighborhoodlandscapearchitectJosephForsythJohnsonarealmostentirelyresponsibleforthesceniclookoftheland,continuingmorethanacenturylater.Hurtwasahobbyhorticulturistwith15yearsofbotanicalknowledgewhenhebeganInmanPark.HurtsinterestinimportedplantsisreectedbythediverseplantscapeofInmanParktoday.Hewouldoftenbringsaplingsbackinhispocketsfromhuntingtrips.Mostno-tableishisinterestintheLiveOak,whichInmanParkwasonceknownfor.OnatriptotheOkefenokeeSwamp,HurtfellinlovewiththeendlessarmsoftheLiveOak.HetooksaplingsbacktohisnurseryinAtlantatoseeiftheycouldsurvivethechangeinclimate.Oncetheyproducedacorns,
provingtheirabilitytoreproduce,heplantedthemalloverInmanParkasthestreettrees.Unfortunately,theirsurvi-vorshipinthisclimatewasshortlivedandtheybegantodieinthe1930sand1940sandwerereplacedwithwateroaks,whichwasthemostpopularstreettreeofthetime.Thistreehowever,haslargebuttressesatitsrootarethathavesincedisruptedmanycurbsandsidewalks.
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A1891MagazinearticledescribesEdgewoodAvenue,whichwasthegatewaytotheneighborhood,[T]heeyesweepseastwardinanarrowlinetotheverybrowofthefairsuburbanqueen,InmanPark,alongthedoubletrackelectricrailway.Thewholeavenuefromendtoendhasbeenplantedinthechoicestshadetrees.Thesestreettreesweretherstinthecitytoundergothecurrentmethodsofpruningforpowerandphonelines.Insteadofchoppingtheentiretopoff,friendofHurtandManageroftheCityParksDepartment,NelsonCristintroducedtheconceptoftrimmingaVintothecentertoallowthelinestopassthrough.
10OurElmprobablyhasnotknownsuch
pruningforalongtime,sincethebranchesarchupover
theheightofthelinesfromanearlyage. OaksonElizabethStreet
Hurt as a Horticulturalist
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Hurt s fasc inat ionwi th importedplantsemergesintheshowpieceoftheneighborhood,SpringvalePark.Thisplotofland,designedbyFrederickLawOlmsteadofCentralParkfame,isahorticulturalistsdream,withaplantsfrommultiplecontinentssurroundingalake.Hurtsat-tentionwasfocusedonever-greensinordertosustainfoli-ageyearround.Hisbiographystates,JoelHurtintroducedtoandcultivatedincitizensofAtlantaaknowledgeandloveofevergreenanddeciduousplantswhichbeforewasalmostunknowntothem...HespentmuchtimestudyingplantsandimportedfromEngland,Europe,China,andJapan,theevergreenvarietieswhichhemostdesiredandwhichheconsideredwouldthrivebestinthisclimate.AwalkaroundSpringvaleParkto-dayrevealsvarietiesofhollyandcypress.
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Hurtevenp lantedaCoastalRedwoodintheneigh-borhoodintheyardofhisstill-standingHurtCottage,whichwastherebeforethedevelop-mentofthesurroundingneigh-borhood.TheAtlantaTreePreservationBoarddeclaredtheRedwoodacitychampionofitsspeciesin1976.Theoriginaltreefellmanyyearsagofromastorm,butthesproutsthat
regrewareanimpressivesizetoday.Overall,theneighborhoodsucceededasanaturalescapefromthecity.A1891Magazinearticlebeams,Theresultwastheplanperfectintherequire-mentsofbeautyandhealth,em-bracingavenues,curves,linesofviews,atenacrepark,grassandowerplants,like,andtheplantingofhundredsofshadetreesofalmosteveryknownpopularvariety,includingthefa-mousliveoak,green-leavedtheyearround.
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OurAmericanElmsitsinfrontofthehousethatwasresponsiblefortherestorationmovementofInmanPark.TheBeath-Dickeyhouse,athreestory1898Victorianhousethathadfallenintodisrepair,wasboughtin1969andrestoredbyinteriordesignerRobertGriggs.Heencouragedotherstodothesameandthemomentumbegantobuildtosavethishistoricneighborhood.
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A Reason for Restoration TheneighborhoodsurroundingourElmtreesufferedfromitsownformofblight,butinsteadofabeetleorafungusitsdeclineisduetochangingtechnology,policy,andinterests.First,lotsizeandstructurerestrictionsbegantolapsearound1902andtheremaininglandbe-gantollinwithsmallerbungalowsandapartmentbuildings.
Next,acombinationoftheresurfacingofmanyroadsforheaviercarusetheriseofcarownershipcausedrichfami-liestomovefartheroutfromthecitytogrowingareassuchasBuckheadandDruidHills,surpassingtheuseoftrolleystotraveloutfromthecity.AtthesametimetheVictorianarchitecturewentoutofstyleandmanyoftheoncereveredhousesweresubdividedintoapartments.Abookwrittenin1955describesInmanParkby,Thepassageofsixty-oddyears,thedevelopmentofDruidHillsasalargermoreexpensivesuburb,theencroachmentofcheaperhomes,andtheneglectandabuseofSpringvaleParkbythecitytowhomitwasgivenafteritsbeautication,haveallchangedtheInmanParkofnineteenhundred,withitscenterjeweloflandscapingandunusualandpicturesqueplanting,totheex-tentthatthislovelysuburbisnotevenrecognizablebythosewholivedtherehalfacenturyago.
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Thelandscapeoftheneighborhoodsawthesameneglectthatitsstructuresdid.Thesamenovelstates,LittleSpringvalePark,whichattractedvisitorsfromothercitiesandoffersofshrubsandtreesfromtheUS.DepartmentofAgriculture,islaidwasteandremainsabarrenandpatheticpictureofvandalism,oftheburninganddestructionofrareplantspecimens,andofcompleteneglectbytheCityParksDepartment.
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TheCityPlanningprogramatGeorgiaTechconstructeda
revitalizationplanin1971.Thehousefeaturedatthetopwasthersthometoberestoredintheneighborhood.
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Therestorationofthelandscapeisatapeaktoday.Theaffec-tionforthematurecanopyliningthestreetsperpetuatesthedesiretoshowcaseInmanParksoriginsasagardenneighborhood.Theneigh-borhoodarboretumdrawsattentiontothediversityoftreespecimens,botholdandyoung.
AwalkthroughInmanParkcanseemlikeawalkonehundred
yearsinthepast.TheintricaciesoftheQueenAnnearchitectureliningacurvedandmeticulouslyplannedlandscapecouldholdyoureyeforaneternity.Butwhenyoustepdownontothatcarriagestepandseeamassive,matureElmheavingtheconcretesidewalkupwithitsrootsyousuddenlyfeellikethegodJanuslookingthroughhistwoheads.Itisadualworld,wheretherearecenturyoldhousesandtreesthatseemtobefrozenintime,butarereallyteemingwithacommunitythatisdedicatedtousheringthisvignetteforwardintime.
The Trees Surrounding the
Peachtrees:
A Story of Urban Triumph
EachtreeinAtlantatellsastoryofurbantriumph.First,alltellthetriumphofAtlanta,asitwasrebuiltfromtheashesthatGeneralShermanleftbehindduringtheCivilWar.Second,theytellthechallengesofanurbanlife.Theygrowinenvironmentsofconcretewithfarlessthanidealconditionsofsunlight,water,andnutrients.Andlast,theytellthethreatofAtlantasthirstfordevelopmentandrapidexpansion.ThetriumphcomesinthefactthatAtlantahasthelargestcanopycoverofanymajorcityintheU.S.,atthirtysixpercent(ninepercentabovethenationalaverage).
5Buttotrulyunderstandthisachievementyoumustseebeyondthenumberstothehis-
torythathasshapedthegroundinwhichAtlantastreestakeroot.
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Thereisaparticulartreethatembodiesallofthesestoriesinthepuresightofit.AnEasternCot-tonwoodwithacircumferenceofovertwentyfeet,makingitthelargestofitsspeciesinthecity,standsonlyafewhundredfeetfromthebusiestveinofthecity,theDowntownconnector.Thistreefeelsthevi-brationsofhundredsofthousandsofcarseveryday,buthasstoodforaboutseventyyears.Itsmassivetrunkiscoveredbydeeplyssuredbarkthattwistsupwardlikeatornadotoacrownthathaslostafewarmsovertheyears.Thefactthatthisimpressivebutscarredgiantstillstandsillustratesthechallengesur-bantreesface,aswellasthewaysAtlantahasmadesuretheysurvivethosechallenges.
ThecottonwoodthrivinginAtlantaisananom-aly.Cottonwoodsrelyonlotsofwaterforsurvival,sotheyusuallygrownearthebanksofriversorinbot-tomlands.
8ThenearestmajorwatersourcetoAtlanta
istheChattahoochee,whichismilesaway.PerhapsitdrawswaterfromthespringsthatSpringStreetwasoncenamedfor,eventhoughthosewerebuiltoverlongbeforethetreewasplanted?Eventhoughthespeciesanditssizeareawonder,itissubjecttothesamesetofconditionsthatblanketallthetreesinthecity.
Torstunderstandthestateofthecanopy,wemustunderstandthestorybehindthelandunderneath.AtlantabeganasasmalltownnamedTerminusbe-causeitwastheterminatingpointfortherailroadsinthesoutheast.ThislandwastakenfromtheCreekIndianswhooriginallyoccupieditandgivenawayinfortyacrelotsthroughalotterysystem.TheroadsweredevelopedfromalreadyestablishedraillinesandNativeAmericanpathways,sowhentheselotsweredeveloped,theownersorientedtheirstreetstodiffer-
entpointsinsteadofacentralsystem,seentodayintriangularblocksandshiftingsetofroads.AllofthesepointsillustratethatAtlantawasnotaplannedcity.Startingfromjustthe400buildingsleftafterthesiegeofAtlanta,thecitydevelopedorganically.Withoutaplanforthestreets,thestreetscapeofAtlantahasnoconsistency.Builtinthelaterhalfofthe19thcentury,thestreetsweredesignedforstreetcarsandautomo-biles,notpedestrians.Aspeoplemovedaroundmorequickly,thelandscapingofthesidewalkswasnotapriority.Theonlypolicyguidingitwasthatsomethingneededtobeplantedoutfront,withnoconditionsforspecies.Developersusuallyjustplantedwhateverwasavailableandcheap.AsyoudrivedownPeachtreestreet,thestreettreeschangespecieseveryblockorso.
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Atlantas Beginnings
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Today,thereisamuchlargerfocusonthehardi-nessofthetreesplantedinurbanenvironmentsandaconsistentlooktocertainneighborhoods,butnounitedplanforthecity.However,theissuesofjurisdictionhaveonlyexpandedwithdifferentgroupshavingre-sponsibilitydependingonwhatkindofstreetitis.Addi-tionally,betweenconstrainedgrowingconditions,lack-ingwaterandnutrients,andconstruction,streettreeshaveanaveragelifespanofsevenyears,whilesub-urbantreesliveonaverageforthirtytwoyears.
27This
rapidturnoveralsocontributestotheinconsistencyofstreettreesinAtlanta.
Whileyouthcanbefoundliningthestreets,thematurecanopyismuchmorelikelytobefoundinneighborhoodsandinthemarginsofproperties,wherethelanddoesntseechangeasoften.MostchampiontreesofAtlantaarefoundbetweenMidtownandDeca-tur,wherethelandispartofsomeofAtlantasoldestandrichestneighborhoods.ItisalsowhereyouwillasignicantnumberofpartsandFernbankForest,oneofthefewareasofoldgrowthforestleftinGeorgiathatcontainsmanyofthecityschampiontrees.Asidefromtheisolatedareaofthisoldgrowthforest,thema-jorityofAtlantastreeshavebeenpurposefullyplantedandmanyhaventsurvivedtherapiddevelopmentofthecity.
OurEasternCottonwoodsitsonthepropertyoftheAcademyofMedicine,thelasthistoricbuildingyoullseeforawhileasyourdrivenorthonWestPeachtreestreetturnsintoacorridorofglasshighrises.JustlikethewhitepuffthatgivetheCottonwooditsname,thewhiteclas-sicarchitecturewillcatchyoureyeandmakeyouwonderwhatyoureseeing,especiallyintheheartofAtlanta.Thisbuildingtellsastoryofurbantriumphaswell,asithasgonethroughtwolargescalerenova-tionsandcurrentlysitsonsomeofthemostvaluablelandinAtlanta.ConsideringthesizeofourCottonwood,itwaslikelyplantedwhenthebuildingwasrstconstructedin1941.Infact,itcanbeseeninitsyouthina1949archivedaerialphotograph.TheAcademywasbuiltbyPhilipShutze,whograduatedinGeorgiaTechsrstclassofArchitecturestudentsin1912.
16Today,itisownedbyGeorgiaTech.Whilethetreeis
onlyacoupleoffeetfromthestreet,itiscertainlynotplantedasastreettreebecausetherearenoothertreesliningthepropertysedge,andcot-tonwoodisfarfromaspeciesnormallyconsideredforstreettrees.
The Academy of Medicine21
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TheAcademyofMedicinespurposewastohousetheMedicalAssociationofAtlanta,agroupofphysiciansthatunitedbeforetheCivilWartosharedevelopingpracticesandknowl-edgewitheachother.Thegroupusedthespaceforclasses,training,alibrary,andmeetingspace.However,overthenextthreedecadesitfellintodisrepairasmedicalsocietieslostrelevanceduetospecializationinthemedicalprofessionandincreasedaccessibilityofinforma-tionwithhospitallibrariesandmedicalconferences.TheAcademyofMedicinesurvivedthrougharestorationin1983andadditiontotheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesin1983.Likethecodesthatprotectourcottonwood,theAcademysplaceonthislistkeepsthesitefrombeingupdatedinanywaythatchallengesitshistoricalintegrity.ItwasgiventoGeorgiaTechin2008aftertheandrenovatedagaintoreectthebuildingweseetoday.
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TheAcademyofMedicinehasspecicarchitecturaldetails,muchlikeourcottonwoodhasdistinctroughbarkandwhitecottonypuffsofseeds.Thesedetailsarethankstothepri-maryarchitect,Shutze,andhisdedicationtotheNeoclassicstyle.Impressivearchesriseabovehallsdecoratedwithcolumnsandornamentalcarvings.TheseGreekandRomandetailshaveahistoricaltiewiththegenusofthecottonwood.ThePopulusgroupoftreesisnamedsobe-causetheywereplantedinpublicmeetingspacesinancientRome,whichisalsottingbe-causeourCottonwoodsitsinfrontofameetingplaceforphysicians.ThisgroupisdividedupintotheCottonwoods,theAspens,andtheBalsamPoplarsandcontainsatleast35differentspecies.Thetreeisalsoconnectedtothehistoryofbuildingthroughitsmedicinalproperties.TheCottonwoodisintheWillowfamily,fromwhichaspirinisderived.Oilsmadefromthebarkandseedshelpreduceinammationandrelievepain.
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16 16
Whilethiscottonwoodwasntplantedasastreettreeorinaresidentialarea,itisprotectedunderthesameordinancethatisresponsibleforprotectingthecanopyofAtlanta.Whilepublictreesareownedbythecityparksdepartmentandprivatetreesbythepropertyowners,allareprotectedbythetreeordinance.In1977thecityestablishedatreeordinanceaswellastheTreeConservationCommis-siontoprotectthecitystrees.Thisordinancehasdevelopedintooneofthestrictesttreepoliciesinthenation.Itrequiresanytreeremoved,eventhedis-easedordead,tobeapprovedbythecityarboristsandthedeveloperorpropertyownermustreplantoneofcomparablesizeorpayintoaTreeTrustFund
thatpaysforthecareofthecitystrees.33
Thepolicyhashelpedtomaintainahealthycanopyinthecity,buthasnotcurbedalotofthenetlossfromdevelopment.Between1972and1993,65percentofthelandoccupiedbytreesisnowdevel-oped.
22Theeffectsoftheincreaseofimpermeable
surfaceslikeasphaltandconcretearewidespread.Atlantaasacityhasbecomeaheatisland,wherethetemperatureisuptotwelvedegreeshigherthanthesurroundingforestedareas.Thewarmertemper-aturesincreasecoolingbillsandtrappollutioninthecity.Havingimpermeablesurfacesinsteadofnaturallandalsolowerswaterqualityandincreasesrun-offuptotenpercent.Eventuallyweguredoutthebenetsofurbantrees,butoftentimestheseben-etsareoverlookedinourclimateofrapidsprawl.Between1991and2001,metroAtlantalostftyeightacresofforestadayandsawanincreaseofimpervi-
oussurfaceatthirtytwoacresaday.22
Policy and Protection
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However,notallhopeislostforthecanopyofthecity.In1985,thenon-protorganizationTreesAt-lantaformedinordertomaintainthematuretreesandtoplantthenextgenerationoftreestoshadethecity.Sincethen,ithasplanted88,000treesanddevelopedmanyprogramstoenrichtheculturesurroundingtreesinthecity.Theyhavepartneredwithneighborhoodstocreatedarboretumscelebratingeachneighborhoodsparticularlandscape,aswellasengagedandeducatedtheresidentsofAtlantaonplantingtrees.
5
Despitethedroughtsanddevelopmentthathave
characterizedAtlantaforthepastdecade,youcandrivedownoneofthePeachtreesandseeauniquegiantstickingatanangleoutofasmallpatchofgreen.Theoverwhelmingtrunk,ssuredbark,andamputatedlimbsrousesfeelings,rstawethenfaith,faiththatbetweenglasshighrisecondos,acottonwoodcansurviveboththethirstforariverandthecitysthirstfordevelopment.Thefeelingsoffaiththatcomefromthestrangenessofthissightarelikeasilentprayerofthankstothosewhobroughtatreeordinancetolife,spenttheirweekendplantinginalittlepatchofgreenspace,andbuiltacultureofloveandrespectoftheleafedgiantswhohaveseenagreaterhistoryofAtlantathanmanyofitsresidents.
ulip Poplar on Ponce: A Story o Divide
Tulip Poplar on Ponce:
A Story of Divide
PoncedeLeonAvenueisthehistoricallyrichveinto
thecity.Ittakesyoufromstreetslinedwithlargeoaksandoldmansionstoasuddenseaofconcreteandoverdevelopment.AssoonasyoupassacarvedwoodensignreadingWelcometoAtlantayourviewisoodedwithfastfoodrestaurants,busstops,andstorefrontsthatcoulduseafacelift.However,some-whereinthismassofbrickandasphaltandoverwhelminglynot-greenlandscaperisesaTulipPoplar.ATulipPoplarsomagnicentthatwhenitcomesintoyourviewitrivalstheheightandgrandeurofAtlantastallestbuilding,theBankofAmericaPlaza.ThistreestandsinfrontoftheGraceUnitedMethodistChurchandonlyabouttenfeetfromthesidewalk.Encounter-ingthistreemakesyoulookalittlecloseratyoursurroundingsandwonderWhatisthatdoinghere?Directlytothenorthisagentriedneighborhoodofthe1920sthatisadjacenttoPied-montPark.TothesouthisBoulevard,whichisalargelydiffer-entplace.Consideringtheageandlocationofthistree,itsurelyhasseentheareadevelopintwodistinctdirections.Butrstthistreehasknownanentirelydifferentstoryofdivide.
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Liriodendron tulipifera
Thetulippoplar,orLiriodendrontulipifera,isoneofonlyatwo-genusspecies.Thismeansthatthereareonlytwospeciesofthistree,unliketheoak,whichhas32speciesinGeorgiaalone.TheLiriodendronoriginallysplitfromthemag-noliafamilywhenthecontinentswerestillspreadingoutfromtheirbreakupfromPangea.EasternNorthAmerica,Europe,andAsiawereallconnected.Asthelandbrokeup,someLiriodendronwereleftinAsia,someinEurope,andsomein
NorthAmerica.TheLiriodendroninEuropewerewipedoutbythearrivalofglaciers,buttheonesinNorthAmericade-velopedintotheLiriodendrontulipiferawhiletheonesinAsiadevelopedintoLiriodendronchinense.
Becausetheywere
separatedandformedintotwodistinctspecies,withnoothersextantvarieties,theyareconsideredstrandedspecies.
8The
LiriodendrontulipiferaisnowanativespeciesintheEasternUnitedStates.ClearlydemonstratedbyourtulippoplaronPoncedeLeonAvenue,heightistheirstrongsuit.Theycanshootuptofortyfeetintheirrstfteenyears.OurPonceTulipPoplaris109feettall,whichmeansofifyousatatthetopofthistreeyouwouldbeabletoseealittleover12milesintothedistance.Ifaterminalbudcouldsee,thismeansitcouldseetotheChattahoocheeRivertothenorthortoStoneMountaintotheeast.ThisistosaythatthispoplarwithoutadoubthasseenAtlantadevelopintowhatweseetoday.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
hisTulipPoplarmustfeelathomeonPoncedeLeonbecauseoftheconfusioncausedbybothoftheirnames.PoncedeLeonstandsoutamongthestreetsinAtlantathatareeithernamedPeachtree,numbered,ordedicatedtonotableguresinAtlanta.TheclosestthatPoncedeLeoncametoAtlantaisSt.Au-gustine,Florida,andhecertainlywasnevermayorordonatedalotofmoney.Thenamehasbeenaconfusiontonatives,visitors,
andGPSs.Whatfewpeopleknowisthatthereisareasonbehindthename.BeforePoncewaspaved,builton,oreventraveled,arailroadconstructioncrewsetupcampnexttotwospringsinanarearecentlydestroyedbytheCivilWar.HavingworkedintheBeltlinerailroadintheheatforalongperiod,theywereriddledwithailments.Butafterafewweeksofdrinkingthespringwater,
theywerehealthyagain.Dr.Wilson,rstphysicianofthecity,
declaredthatthesespringshadmedicinalqualities,muchlikethefountainofyouththatJuanPoncedeLeonpursued.
14Historian
ofGraceUMC,onwhichourTulipPoplarstands,PatsyWoodsrecallsthattheSearsBuilding,whichwasbuiltontopofPoncedeLeonSpringshadawaterfountainthatwassupposedtobe
anincarnationofthehealingwatersthatwereoncethere.37
WhilethespringsarejustamemoryandtheclosestfountainofyouthyouwillndonPonceisaZestosmilkshake,thenamestuck.Asforthetulippoplar,itisnotatuliptree,norisitapoplar.Ontopofthatitalsoknownbyyellowpoplar,tuliptree,andddletree.Sowhatswiththename?It'sacombinationofmisconceptions.
Theyellow/greenowers,whichstartappearingaroundApril,arenotsomethingyouexpecttondonatree.Theyarelargebuttheshapeisvaguelysimilaritytotulipowers,butittheleavesthatcarryatulipsilhouette,eventhoughthetwospeciesareveryfarfrombeingrelated.Insidethelongstretchofthetrunkyou'llndstrongyellow/whitewoodwhichispopularinfurnituremak-
ing.JustoutsidethereachesoftheshadeofourPoncePoplarisanantiquefurniturestorewhoseownerhasdraggedquiteafewpiecesoftulippoplarfurnitureoutfrontondisplayandneverknownarelativewassoclose.TulipPoplarsmustenjoycitylife,becausethereisaspecimencalledtheQueensGiantthatistheoldestlivingthingintheNewYorkMetropolitanArea,being
between350and450yearsold.18
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The Beginnings of Ponce de Leon Avenue
Ourstoryofdivideisnotonlyinthetree'sDNA,butalsoinitssurroundings.ThetreesalongPonceareevidenceofthisdivide.Butthisstorystartsbeforeanyofthemwereeventhere.PoncedeLeonAvenuebeganasadirtpaththatledfromPeachtreeStreettothesprings.Oncethespringswerecommoditiesthetrolleyownersaimedtobuildparklandaroundthemtofurtherenticepeopletocome.Thelandinthisareawhichwasoncestrictlyfarmland,nowhadtrolleylinestravelingthrough.OneoftheselandownerswasRichardPeters.Heownedabout450acresintheareajusteastofwherePoncedeLeonAve.andPeachtreeStreetcross.PeterstriedtocreateaparkonhislandinthefootstepsofFrederickLawOlmsted,butinsteadfoundfailure.ThislandisnowownedbyGeorgiaTechandisknownasPetersPark.Petersnamedmanyofthenorth-southrunningstreetsaftertreesfromhisnativestate,towhichhealsopayshomagetowithPennAvenue.TheyalsoblendinwiththeparallelrunningPeachtreeStreet.OnhiseasternacreageisJuniper,Myrtle,Cypress,andonhiswestern,Cherry.HislandwassoondividedintolotsonwhichlargehouseswerebuiltbythosewhoplayedcrucialearlyrolesinthesuccessofAtlanta.TrolleylineswereextendeddownPonce,takingcityfolkontripsouttoInmanPark.PoncedeLeonPark,builtaroundthespringshadamanmadelakedesignbylandscapeartistJuliusHartman.Acrossthestreetwasanamusementparkwithaferriswheelandcasino,builtwherethecurrentPonce
CityMarketprojectistoday.Poncewasaplaceofprosperity.Fastforwardafewdecadesthroughtheturnofthecentury,thelakegetslledin,Ponceispaved(butthetrolleylinesremain),andhotelsandapartmentsarebuilt.DeveloperJoelHurtbuysthelandthatistobecomeDruidHillsafewmilesdownPonceandcreatesacountryneighborhoodwiththehelpofFrederickLawOlmsted.NowPoncereallyledsomewhereinsteadofbeingjustanavenueofattractions.
14
Oneofmostlastingattractionswasthebaseballeld.ItwasbuiltontopofthedrainedlakeinPoncedeLeonParkandopenedin1907.AminorleaguebaseballteamcalledtheAtlantaCrackersplayedthereuntil1965,alongwiththeBlackCrackers,whohadtoplaywithhand-me-downuniformsandonlyondaystheCrackerswereoutoftown.Thisstadiumisfamousforitssouthernmagnoliatree,whichisinthesamefamilyasourTulipPoplar,whichhadanineldviewofthesegregationofAmericaspastime.WhiletheblackshadtositintheworstseatswhentheAtlantaCrackersplayed,youcouldndamixedandexcitedcrowdthedaystheBlackCrackersplayed.Themagnoliathatsatincentereldwasspecialbecauseitwasconsideredinplay.TherearerumorsthatBabeRuthhitahomerunbecausehisballgotstuckinthefoliageofthetree.
28TheonlygreatermagnoliainAtlantawastheonethatguarded
thegravesoftheunknownconfederatedeadatOaklandcemetery.Thebaseballstadiumburneddown,wasrebuilt,thenwastorndownandreplacedwithashoppingcenter.However,thismagnoliastillstandsincentereldbutonthefringeofdevelopment.TheAtlantaTreePreservationCommissionhonoredits
historywithaplaqueinfront,butitneverthelessisagemofhistoryyoueitherknoworstumbleupon.
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A Great Fire
ThemomentumonPoncedeLeonAvenuecametoahaltoneafter-noonin1917whenareragedupwardfromEdgewoodAvenuetowardPonce,fueledbyshantyhousescoveredwithwoodenshingles.Therelasteduntilthelateevening,onlycrossingPonceneartheend.Infact,therestoppedabout30feetfromwherethisworkisbeingwritten.Ifmyhousewerestandingthen,itwouldhavebarelybeensaved.Therewasonlystoppedbythehous-esonPonceandNorthAvenuebeingdynamitedthensprayedwithwatertodeterthespread.Oncethechaoscleared,therewerenotreesleftinthemilestretch,juststumpsandchimneys.Tenthousandpeopleweredisplaced.Manyofthepeopleinthisareawerepoorblackswhocouldnotaffordtorebuild.
7
Denseapartmentbuildingsandlowincomehousingreplacedthecommunitythatoncestood,manystillpresentintodaysstreetscape.Themajorityofthetreescurrentlyintheareaareyoung,onlyplantedaspartofarevitalizationef-
forts.
Courtesy of Patsy Woods and Grace United Method-ist Church
TheHighlandChurch,whichburnedinthe1917re,wasthehomeoftheoriginalGraceUMCcongregation.
Courtesy of Patsy Woods and Grace United Methodist Church
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Courtesy of Patsy Woods and Grace United Methodist Church
Twonewspaperclippingsshowingtheextentofthedamageofthe1917re.Noticetheforestofchimneysandburntstumps.
ThelandthatwaszonedinblackneighborhoodsafterEmancipationwassmallandofteninindustrialareas,whichdoesnotofferalotforurbantreegrowth.Theseneighborhoodformedonlandnearrailroads,borderingdowntown,inthecheaplandinvalleysandbottoms,andintheservantsrowbehindwhitehomes.(Bayor)Afterthe1917re,cityofcialssuggestedtobuilda150footparkwaycalledGrandBoulevardtoessentiallydividetheneighborhoodbetweenblacksandwhites.Thezoningpracticesusedhereweredeclaredunconstitutionalandthehighwayneverbuilt,butthisdidntstopthecityofcialseffortstocontrolneighborhoodsbyrace.ASNCCnewsreleasein1962statedInpastyears,cityofcialshaveattemptedtoblockNegroexpan-sionbyusingparks,cemeteries,andexpresswaysasarticialbufferzonesbetweenWhitesandNegros.(Bayor)Thistypeofzoningpracticescontinuedtoabsurdlevels,leadingtoAtlantahav-ingoneofthemostdividedcitiesbyrace.OncetheblackpopulationwasallowedtouseGrantPark,acoupleofmilessouthofPonce,(whichdidnthappenforaverylongtime),thecitycutdownmanyofthetreestoincreasepoliceandresidentvisibilitybecausetheysuspectedcrimewouldrise.(Bayor148)Someconcreteeffectsofthissegregationbycitydevelopmentisevidentrightintheshadeofourpoplar.ManystreetscrossingPoncechangenamewhentheyintersect
itbecausewhitesdidntwanttoliveonthesamestreetsasblacks.MorelandbecomesBriarcliff,BoulevardtoMonroe,andParkwaytoCharlesAllen,rightnexttoourTulipPoplar.Inotherpartsofthecity,ofcialsleftsectionsunpavedtocreateabufferzonebetweentheraces.Thegreenspacewasalargeindicationofthesedivisions.Nineyearsafterthere,whiteshad21play-groundswhileblacksonlyhad3.Whiteneighborhoodshad11,000acresofpublicgreenspaceandblacksonlyhad16(Bayor),whichwassegregatedlandforalongtime.
A Widening Gap
ThelandthatwaszonedinblackneighborhoodsafterEmancipationwassmallandofteninindustrialareas,whichdoesnotofferalotforurbantreegrowth.Theseneighborhoodsformedonlandnearrailroads,borderingdowntown,inthecheaplandinvalleysandbottoms,andintheservantsrowbehindwhitehomes.
7
Afterthe1917re,cityofcialssuggestedtobuilda150footparkwaycalledGrandBoulevardtoessentiallydividetheneighborhoodbetweenblacksandwhites.Thezoningpracticesusedhereweredeclaredunconstitutionalandthehighwayneverbuilt,butthisdidntstopthecityofcialseffortstocontrolneighborhoodsbyrace.ASNCCnewsreleasein1962statedInpastyears,cityofcialshaveattemptedtoblockNegroexpansionbyusingparks,cemeteries,andexpresswaysasarticialbufferzonesbetweenWhitesandNegros.
7Thistypeofzoningpracticescontinued
toabsurdlevels,leadingtoAtlantahavingoneofthemostdividedcitiesbyrace.OncetheblackpopulationwasallowedtouseGrantPark,acoupleofmilessouthofPonce,(whichdidnthappenforaverylongtime),thecitycutdownmanyofthetreestoincreasepoliceandresidentvisibilitybecausetheysuspectedcrimewouldrise.
7Someconcreteeffectsofthissegregationbycitydevelopmentisevidentright
intheshadeofourpoplar.ManystreetscrossingPoncechangenamewhentheyin-tersectitbecausewhitesdidntwanttoliveonthesamestreetsasblacks.MorelandbecomesBriarcliff,BoulevardtoMonroe,andParkwaytoCharlesAllen,rightnexttoourTulipPoplar.Inotherpartsofthecity,ofcialsleftsectionsunpavedtocreateabufferzonebetweentheraces.Thegreenspacewasalargeindicationofthesedivisions.Nineyearsafterthere,whiteshad21playgroundswhileblacksonlyhad3.Whiteneighborhoodshad11,000acresofpublicgreenspaceandblacksonlyhad16,whichwassegregatedlandforalongtime.
7Ifyoudrivethroughthisareanow,
mostoftheoldertreeshavegrowninthemarginsofpropertylinesandbackyards.Streettreeplantingandgreencorridorshaveonlyrecentlystartedtoappear.
Thiscomparisonshowsthattreesonceplantedtolandscapethisapartmentbuild-
ingwere,infact,removed.Manyofthebuildingsinthisareawerebuiltrightuptothestreetsedgetomaximizelanduse,
whichischaracteristicofthediscriminitoryzoningbycityofcialsduringthistime.
1
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DuringthistimeourTulipPoplarhasbeenshootingupward,passingthetwoandthreestoryapartmentbuildingssurroundingitandthenthesanctuaryitstandsinfrontof.Theexacttimeofplantingandageofourtulippoplarremainsamystery.Beforethereof1917,themansionofRichardM.CallawaystoodonthepropertyofthecurrentGraceUnitedMethodistChurch.Apictureshowsafewsaplingsliningthestreet,buttheylikelyburnedwhenthehousedidin1917.ThepicturebelowoftheGraceSanctuary,builtin1923,wastakeninthemidtolate1930sanddoesnotshowanysignofthetree,butanotherangleshowsbranchesreachingthesecondstory.DetermingtheageofaTulipPoplarcanbeespeciallydifcultbecauseoftheirearly,fastgrowth.Theyarecompetitveintheforest,shootingupwardtogetasmuchsunlightaspossibleasearlyaspossible.Infact,apictureofthechurchin1957showsthetulippoplaralittlelessthanitscurrentsize. Muchliketheboominggrowthoftheliriodendrontulipifera,GraceUMCisnotedforskyrocketingsize.From1948to1960,ReverendCharlesAllenwasresponsibleforthechurchsgrowthto4,000members,thelargestinGeorgiaandthelargestMethodistchurchinthecountry.Beforethestainedglasswindowswereputin,thesanctuarywouldopenitswindowssothecrowdsittingoutsideunderandaroundourtulippoplarcouldhearhimspeaktoo.In1957,heand80otherwhitemin-istersinAtlantapublishedtheMinistersManifesto,whichdenouncedsegregationinresponsetothestateofGeorgiaconsid-eringclosingitsschoolsratherthanallowingintegration.Today,ParkwayDriveturnintoCharlesAllenDrive,adjacenttothechurch,tohonorthereverend.
Inthetoprightcornerofthepictureontheright,therearebranchesappearingataboutthesecondstory.
Courtesy of Patsy Woods and Grace United Methodist Church
37
Thispicture,takenin1957,showsthecrowdsthatReverendCharlesAllendrewtothechurch.
Courtesy of Patsy Woods and Grace United Methodist Church
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Circa1963
Twoanglesofthetulippoplarinfullbloomabout1976.Itiseasilythetallestthingforblocks.
Courtesy of Patsy Woods
and Grace United MethodistChurch
ThegroundonwhichourTul ipPop-larstandsstillholdsevidenceofaracialdivide,butbeyondjusttheskincolorsofitsresidents,itisinarchitecture,zoning,roadways,andthetreescape.However,thisneighborhood,clearedbyarethenrebuiltonfoundationsofinequality,will
haveachancetogrowstrongandnarrowthedisparatiesaspeopleacknowledgethedecisionsthatplaguesitspast.Rightalongsidewewillndthosenewlyplantedtreesfollowingthesamegrowthyethope-fullyhavingstoriestotellthatillustrateadifferentpathofdevelopmentthantheonesourTulipPoplarhasseen.
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OneoftheoldestandmostcaredforrelicsofAtlantaistheOaklandCem-
etery.Itanditstreestellastoryofpersistence,forthememoryofthepeopleandthefoliageabovethemarewhatlivesoninthepresenceofthedead.Theland-scapingyoundinOaklandisfardifferentfromwhatlivesinachurchgraveyardorsuburbancemetery.Insteadofndingasolemnyardmarkedwithheadstonesandheavymist,youenterabeaminghorticulturalmuseumco-inhabitedbythoseofAtlantaspast.OaklandisanexampleofthegardencemeterymovementthataroseintheVictoriantimes,andnowalsoservesasadisplayofthehistoricalandspiritualvalueofcitytrees.TheplantlifehereisrootedinthelivesofAtlantansandsupportedliterallybyaninvestmentinthepast,astheHistoricOaklandFounda-tionupkeepstheland.
The Trees of
Oakland Cemetery:
A Story of Persistence
ThecloselyplacedandtraditionalmarkersoftheJewishburialsectionriselikeaforestinfrontoftheactualforestthatinhabits
thecemetery.
This1892mapdrawnbyAugustusKochdepictsOaklandcemeteryatitsfull88acres.AcrossBoulevardisthemilltownofCabbagetown,withthelargebrickcomplexbeingtheFultonBagandCottonMill.Noticethe
differenceinthegridlikestructureoftheoriginialplotsofOaklandalongthebottom,andthecurvingpathsintheupperportionthatarecharacteristicoftheruralgardencemeterymovementofVictoriantimes.TheeldintheeasternpartofthecemeteryisPottersField,wherethousandsofpoorwereburiedwithwoodencrossesasmark-ersthatquicklydeteriorated.
31
19
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OurstoryofpersistencebeginswhentheOaklandCemeterywasestablishedin1850asarestingplaceforAtlantasdead.TheoriginalsixacresispossiblytheonlylandinAtlantaunchangedsince1850whentherstplotswerelaidout.Then,thelandwasonthefringesoftownandnowitlieslessthanamilefromdowntown.ThisplacementwasinkeepingwiththevaluesofthegardencemeterymovementthatcombinedpublichealthconcernsandVictorianaestheticideals.Theplacementwasaresultofconcernsofwherethedeceasedwouldbeburiedingrowingcitieswithlimitedspace.Thesolutionwastoplacethemoutsideofthecity,wherediseaseandclosequarterswerentaslargeofcon-cerns.ThecountrysettingwasalsoinlinewithgrowingUnitarianbeliefsthatdeathwasareunionwithnature.
15Furthermore,themovementofgardencemeteriesbeganwitha
shiftfromthehighlystructuredandgeometricgardensfromtheBaroqueperiodtoamore
organicdesignofVictorianlandscapesthatincludedwindingpaths,pondsteemingwithlife,androllinglawns.
36TherstofthegardencemeteriesarePereLachaiseCemeteryof
ParisandMountAuburnCemeteryofBoston,whichbothspawnedfromnecessityofburialspaceanddesiretobuildabeautifulparkatthesametime.
3TherstsixacresofOakland
cemeteryaregrid-likeandhavethefeelofachurchyard,butasthecemeteryexpandedthenewburialgroundsemulatedcharacteristicsofthePereLachaiseandMountAuburnCemeteries.ThelatersectionsaddedtoOaklandhavepathwaysthatcurvealongnaturaltopographyofthelandinsteadofterracingitintosections.Oaklandwasalsothecitysrstdesignatedgreenspace.Thelushlandscapeinvitedfamiliestovisitthesegardensasaparkaswellasaresidenceforthecitysdead.
Justlikethearchitectureofthetime,aVictoriangardenischaracterizedbybeingornamental.Acombinationofthegrowingabilitytotravel,thetrendinghobbyofplantcol-lection,andhybridizationadvancementsleadtoplantdiversitybeingthefocusofmanyVictoriangardens.
36Theshowcasingofmanynewplantsinturnputsthefocusonviewing
oneplantatatimeinanornamentalfashion.Thegardencemeterywastheperfectfor-matfortheidealsofVictoriangardeningbecauseoftheneedforpathstomakeyourwayaroundthecemeteryandtheslowpaceinwhichtheyarewalked,whichallowsforaquietobservationofthelandscapeandreectiononlifeanddeath.
A Garden Cemetery
ThispostcarddepictstheVictoriangardensthatarecommononplotsinthecemetery.Sandcoversthelottobringatropicalsensetothegar-den,whichincludesabananatree.Asimilarscene
canbeseentodayontheplotofH.C.Johnson,whichfeaturesahibiscusplantandredbananaplant.
31
OaklandCemeterywastheplaceoftherstgreenhousebuiltinAtlanta.Thegreenhouse
heldthewarmerweatherplantsthatwerepopularduringVictoriantimesduringthewinter.Today,theremainsstillserveahorticulturalpurpose.
31
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Almost170yearslater,OaklandstillexempliesVictorianidealsonits88acres.Thepathsyoucanwalkseemendlessandaresurroundedbyplotsdeco-ratedfarmorethanjustasinglebloominfrontofatombstone.Manytimesthefamilyofthedeceasedarenolongeraround,sotheHistoricOaklandFoundationcaresformanyofthesites.Today,theplotsarelandscapedwiththeintegrityoftheVictorianstyleinmind.Andevenwhilesmallshrubsandowersseemliketheidealplantstodecorateagrave,Oaklandcurrentlyhasover1,400trees.ThecemeterywasoriginallyknownasCityCemetery,butchangednamestoOak-landin1872asareectionofthetreecover.
31Currently,oaksrepresentovera
thirdofitstrees.
Inagardencemetery,treesareplantedtoshadethepeoplewhocometothecemeterytoreectbytheirlovedonesorpicnicwiththeirfamily.ThetreesthatwereplantedattheburialofmanyofOaklandsresidentsarenowmature.ThesizeanddiversityofthetreecollectioninOaklandisimpressiveenoughforittobeadesignatedarboretumThehistoricalsignicanceofitstreesmirrorsthe
historyofthepeopleinterredaroundthem.
ThelifeofthetreesinOaklandisoftensorichthatitcandisturbdeadthathavebeenrestingfordecades.Treesthatwereplantedassaplingsnowtakeoverwholeplots.Rootscreepbetweenmarkersandtoppletombstones.Brancheshangovermonumentsandobscuretheidentitiesofthosebelow.However,inthisthesetreeshavegainedtheirownidentity.Notonlyaretheyknownbyplaqueswiththeirspeciesname,butalsoaslivingguardiansofthedead,risinghigherthananyangelstatueorobelisknearby.
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Oaklandsroleasaparkaswellasacemeteryhasstoodthetestoftime.Hereyoucanseeapres-entdaybikeridealongsideavintagemotorcycleandsidecar,bothhereforthesightsandrelaxation.
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Justasthegravestonesandmonumentaredeco-ratedwithsymbolismconcerninglife,death,andtheascenttoheaven,theplantlifearoundcemeterieshavemeaningbeyondagenusandspecies.TheVictoriantimesareheavywithnaturalsymbolism,whichcanbeseenduallyasimag-erycarvedintostonesandtheplantsthatlieinfrontofthem.Rosemaryisplantedasasymbolofremembrance,EnglishIvyfordelity,liliesforspiritualpurity,andpalmsforaspiritualtriumphoverdeath.
26AlsoprominentinOaklandisthedaffo-
dil,whichinadditiontosymbolizingdeaththathascometoosoon,tellsastoryofpersistence.
31Oaklandfeaturesmany
heirloomdaffodils,thatarecultivarsofthepastthatarentoftenseentoday.Despitebeingplantedonplotsmanyyearsago,thedaffodilsemergeeveryspringforanotherbloom.
However,oneofthelargestandmostcommonplantsofOaklandcarriesthemostsignicance,bothinthebiologyandhistoryofitsroots.TheMagnolia grandi-
ora,orSouthernMagnoliaisasymboloftheSouthaswellastheConfederateArmyduringthewarandhasaspecialmeaninginOaklandCemetery.AftertheCivilWar,theLadiesMemorialAssociationdecidedtoservethesoldiersofthewarwitharight-fulburial.TheCityofAtlanta,ownerofthecemetery,designatedasectionofthelandtoburialsof6,900soldiers,about3,000ofwhichareunidentied.RemaininglandwassoldtotwoJewishcongregations,whichfundedthehigheststructureinthepark,andatthetimethehighestinAtlanta,anobeliskmemorialthathonorstheunidentiedConfederatedead.
15Dogwoodtrees,whichsymbolizeatonement,linethepathtothis
memorial.ThesymbolismcomesfromthelegendthatthecrossonwhichJesuswascruciedwasmadefromthewoodofadogwoodtree.KeepingwithVictoriangarden
practices,thecemeterydevelopedagardentofeatureavarietyofconiferspecies,popularcemeterytreesbecauseoftheiryear-roundfoliageandvarietyofshapeandsize.Theysymbolizeresurrection,perhapsthroughthepersistingfoliageorcones
.31
Severallargesouthernmagnolias,rumoredtohavebeenplantedatthetimeofthesesoldiersburials,shadethenumerousgraves.Evenasanativeplantinthisarea,themagnoliaisusedasanornamentalevergreenbecauseitsdarkwaxyleavesandlargefragrantwhiteowers.Thestoryoftheseowersembodiesourthemeofpersistenceaswell.Muchlikethelandscapeofthecemetery,thebiologyofthemag-noliahasbeenunchangedthroughhistory.Fossilsshowthatthemagnoliaisasoldas60millionyears,whichmakesitoneoftheoldestextantplants.Themagnoliatreedevelopedevenbeforetheappearanceofbees,soitreliedonbeetlesforpollination.Thetreeevolvedtohavelarge,strongpetalsandawidebloomtoallowforthebee-tlestocrawlintotheowers.
The Southern Magnolias
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Oneparticularmagnoliastoodoutfromtherest.Itsbranchesspreadoversixtyfeet,shadingcountlessgravesandtheLionoftheConfederacystatue.ItwasrumoredtobethelargestinAtlantaandoneofthenestinGeorgia.Unfortu-nately,ittellsthestorythateverythingissubjecttotheforcesoflifeanddeath,alessonthatthesurroundingcemeteryteaches.Thetreefelltodiseasein1998andafuneralwasheldinitshonor.Todayamarkerhonorsthetreewiththeinscription:
To everthing there is a season, and a time to every puroseunder the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time
to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.Ecclesiates 3:1-2.
Over 100 years old, origin unknown, but duty well done. Guard-ian of the Unknown Confederated Dead, sheltering arms for
Atlantas beloved Lion. Never to be forgotten, but living through
those left behind. December 3, 1998 15
OneofthemostdistinctneighborhoodsofAtlantasitsontheothersideofthewallfromOaklandCemetery.Cabbagetownisarestoredmilltownandliketheneighboringcemetery,ithasatightlygriddedlayoutwithmanysmallcottagespackedintothecondensedblocks.ThemilltownservedtheFultonBagandCottonMillonthenorthwestcorneroftheneighborhood.Themillopenedin1881byJacobElsas,whocurrentlyresidesinoneofOaklandsmausole-ums.LegendsaysthatthestainedglasswindowinthebackofthemausoleumwasinstalledsothatElsascouldlookoverhismillandthecommunityevenafterdeath.
15Hebuiltthecom-
munityfortheworkforceofthemill,whocamefrompoorcommunitiesinthesouthernAppa-lachainmountains.Muchlikemanymountaincommunities,themillworkersofCabbagetownremainedsomewhathomogenousandisolatedfromtherestofAtlanta.Itwasntuntilthemillclosedin1971thattherestofAtlantagotagoodlookdownthenarrowstreets.Theneigh-borhoodwasaddedtotheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesin1976,thesameyearasitsneighboringcemetery.However,thisdidntkeeptheneighborhoodfromfallingintodisrepairafterthemillclosing.Theneighborhoodwassavedafewyearslaterwithatrendofinner-citycommunityrevitalization.Thehouseswererestoredandthemillwasconvertedintothelargestloftapartmentprojectinthenation.Theneighborhoodisnowknownasacultureandartscen-ter,butdoespayhomagetoitspastwithitsarboretum,onethatfeaturestreesthatarenativetotheAppalachianmountains,addingtotheeccentricmixofcharacteristicsthatmakesuptheequallyeccentricallynamedCabbagetown.
Cabbagetown
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Somewherebetweenthecolumnsofaneo-classicmausoleumweshouldhaveheardCaesarswarning,BewaretheidesofMarch,forontheeve-ningofMarch14,2008atornadotraveledthroughOaklandCemetery.Ittoppledangelsandobelisksanddestroyedoveronehundredmaturetrees.Debrisandlitterfromthecitywasdepositedalloverthegrounds.Whilethismaynothavedisturbedthoseunderground,abovegroundwasaneyesore.However,withtheaidofcleanupvolunteersandrestorationefforts,Oaklandshowsonlyafewscarsfromtheincidenttoday.Brokenmonumentswererestored,markersuprighted,andwith
thehelpofTreesAtlanta,onehundredthirtynewtreeswereplantedtocarryonOaklandscanopythroughanewgenerationoftrees.
Persistence Through a Storm
13
1313
13 Withpersistencealsocomeschallenge.Therearethreegroupsthatoccupythecemetery:thedead,whichoccupyunderground,theliving,aboveground,andnature,whichspansthetwoworlds.Asthecemeterymovesforwardintime,respectmustbepaidtoeachofthesegroups.Whilethetreesshadethevisitorsandtheresidents,rootscaninterferewithwherecasketsareburied,shiftmarkers,anddisruptthewalkways.Mostcommon,theun-controllablegrowthofthetrunkcandamagethemanyretainingwallsthatseparatedplotsandturnedahillyplotoflandintonavigableterraces.How-ever,thetreesarealargepartofwhatthecemeteryisknownfor.Acaddy-whompustombstoneandundulatingwalkwayareallpartoftheexperience.Seeingarootemergefromthebrickpathinfrontofyouisjustareminderthateventhemostpersistentstoneissubjecttothesameforcesoflifethatmakeatreegrow,apersondie,andturnaoncescorchedpieceoflandturnintoathrivingcity.
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