The first known instance of the name Berkeley Park comes from the minutes of a 1924 City Council meeting:
By Planning Commission, we are submitting the following subdivision plats approved by this Commission in accordance with an act of the Legislature of 1921; Property of E.C. Kontz, Berkeley Park, L.L. 152-2, 17th Dist., Fulton Co, Ga.
The neighborhood was originally part of a very large farm owned by John Whitley. Mr. Whitley obtained the land in 1835 in the original land grant from the state. Jesse Wood obtained the land in 1847 from H. H. Embry. Mr. Wood immigrated to the United States with his family from Dublin, Ireland in 1800. Mr. Wood’s farm stretched from Peachtree Creek to the north, Atlanta Water Works to the south, Howell Mill Road to the west and Spring Street to the east. Mr. Wood then split the land among his sons. E.H. Wood received the land where Berkeley Park is currently located from his father Jesse in 1874. E.H. was the first minister of Peachtree Road Methodist Church. E.H. subdivided the land and began developing it in 1921.
Berkeley Park was developed by E. Rivers Realty company in the 1920s. At that time, Berkeley Park was considered the area “contiguous to Howell Mill Rd between Chattahoochee Ave and Collier Rd.” Prior to this, the area that became Berkeley Park was mostly farmland, cow pastures, and meadows. Most of the current roads were already in place, but were unpaved.
Civil War historians believe that Berkeley Park was located on several trench lines that ran along Bellemeade Avenue. The spot at the corner of Bellemeade and Tallulah/Commerce provided an excellent vantage point for soldiers to see northward, due to its height. In 1993, a Berkeley Park resident using a metal detector found several Confederate bullets and a silver button from a Confederate uniform on property on Bellemeade Avenue. The items were imbedded about 7 inches below the soil line. After the Civil War, the barracks at Camp Oglethorpe were broken down and it is believed that the lumber was sold to home builders who used some of it in construction of homes in Berkeley Park.
The early Berkeley Park homes were purchased for between $1,000 and $1,900. In the early days, most Berkeley Park families often purchased their homes with the intent to live in them the rest of their lives. In the early part of the 1900’s most residents made their living off the land or owned and/or worked in small businesses in the area. Each property had an outhouse in the back yard, which was serviced by a businessman who arrived by horse and cart. The homes were heated either by wood or coal fireplaces or kerosene cook stoves and lighted by kerosene lamps. Each home had a well that provided water.
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In 1928 E. P. Howell Grammar School moved to Howell Mill and White Street, (where Kroger is currently located). It remained at that location until 1988, when it was demolished. Many of our residents, or their children attended E.P. Howell at White Street. All the children walked to school then. One of our residents remembers walking to school in the mid 1930’s. “We walked to school, rain or shine. It seemed like a very long walk but we walked with waves of kids from farther on down DeFoors. There was an old lumber yard at the corner of Howell Mill Road and White Street and the Addy family lived next door.” Addy’s Filling Station was subsequently built on the site. On the opposite corner was the Wylie Underwood home. Mr. Underwood had a wonderful outdoor fish pond which drew the attention of E.P. Howell children. “We were instructed to only walk on one side of the street, but at times the fish and pond drew us over the line”.
Most residents attended the churches in the area. These included Northside Park Baptist Church on Howell Mill, which was established in 1907, and Underwood Methodist Church, which was founded in 1914.
After WWI, in the 1930’s and 1940’s a number additional homes were built in Berkeley Park. Many of the owners of these and the existing homes worked for Seaboard Railroad. Some other residents worked for Atlantic Steel, some were small business owners, and some were employed by other businesses located nearby. Almost all the women worked during these years. They worked in businesses downtown, local eateries, and businesses nearby.
Seaboard Railroad was first located on Old Chattahoochee Avenue, then called “Howell Yards”. There was an old bridge spanning the railroad tracks which has since been removed. Remaining are two large pipes which are still bridged over the railroad tracks. The pipes are seldom seen by passing traffic on the new bridge. The restaurant at the railroad was referred to as “The Grab”.
The men working at Seaboard relied on the Grab for their frequent snacks, lunches and dinners, that were literally “grabbed” as quick as the train schedules would allow. There were also rooms to be rented for over night runs, and a company store sold food, clothes, shoes and many other items which the employees could not have afforded without the ability to charge towards their paycheck. Many of our residents have been fed, clothed and educated because of the railroad and their employment with Seaboard.
There was a time when locals were allowed to fish in the lakes of the Atlanta Water Works. A bandstand by the lakes was frequented for picnics and musical programs.
