Charming Villages Inside the Perimeter
brought to you by Chrissy Neumann

Tuesday's Tip

Neighborhood of the Week: Whittier Mills Village
Intown cottages along the river have old beauty, new comforts

For the last decade, ambitious homeowners have been rolling up their sleeves to save a tiny corner of 110 houses along the Chattahoochee River.

The enthusiasm they brought to Whittier Mills Village, a 30-acre tract of cottages nestled in a dell between Bolton Road and the river, reclaimed the turn-of-the-century structures and gave a new surge of energy to the aging community.

About six weeks ago, the curators of the country's historic places agreed with what Whittier Mills residents have long believed: The neighborhood is definitely worth preserving and deserved a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

That award, combined with the village's long-standing listing on the city of Atlanta's historic rolls, gives the neighborhood a distinct advantage, said 17-year resident Don Rooney.

"Developers have to stop and take notice of what's here, and they can't tell us what to do without considering what things look like," said Rooney, a curator at the Atlanta History Center who helped organize the neighborhood's National Register nomination.

"We always felt like we wanted to have a say about what the infill building would be, and now we know what we're getting is compatible with what's here. On the other hand, we want to be able to go into the attics of the houses and put in extra rooms, but we want to do it so they keep the character of the village. It's nice to have a neighborhood that can control that new growth."

Built in the late 1890s, the 110 cottages of Whittier Mills were built to house workers who produced cotton fabrics and yarns. Many of the first homes were duplexes and triplexes with two bedrooms; mill bosses had it a little better, with single-family abodes just a bit bigger.

The structures included heart-pine floors, bead-board moldings, masonry fireplaces and front porches -- the same features in demand by Whittier Mills buyers today.

In the last 10 years, the area's low-priced housing stock, coupled with a surge of buyers moving back inside the Perimeter, gave Whittier Mills an infusion of newcomers bent on restoring the houses. Others opted to build new cottages on the few remaining vacant lots. But both sets of buyers agree that the village's close-knit and historic character was a key reason for moving in.

"I fell in love with it immediately," said Elizabeth McDonald, whose husband owned the village home she moved into eight years ago.

"It's very much like being in the country. I know all my neighbors. We rejoice when babies are born and mourn when someone passes. It's very protected, with the river on one side and the mill property, now a park, that can't be touched. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

The saddest change McDonald has noted is the passing of the few remaining mill families. But their houses have been given new life by young owners, many with small children, who are filling the streets with new life.

"We have four expected infants on one street alone," said McDonald. "It's a young crowd, very creative, with lots of artists, writers, singers and photographers. They're the kind of people who don't mind living in an older house with a slanting floor -- but even that's going by the wayside with all the renovations."

Five years ago, Mark Harrison started renovating the cottages when they were easily acquired for less than $100,000.

"I sold my most recent one for $303,000," said Harrison with amazement. "And typically they only stay on market for a very little time. I think this is one of the last inside-the-Perimeter neighborhoods whose appreciation value is just starting to happen."

Harrison, who has lived in the area since 1997, renovates houses from the studs up, carefully replacing each detail after it's been restored.

"So what we have are new houses with Old World charm," he said. "Some of these houses are owned by people who have been there all their lives -- some are third generation -- and their houses have been maintained. They were already built with expert craftsmanship, so the integrity of the homes is hard to match."

Job and Kelly Meiller were looking for an old house to fix up when they found Whittier Mills about four years ago. Though they lost out on several houses they bid on, the couple was intrigued by the idea of building a compatible structure on one of the vacant lots.

"We took pictures of our neighbors' houses, and I went to an architect and told him exactly what the front and sides should look like," said Job Meiller.

"We found out what the rules [of the city's historic zoning] were and went exactly by them, even down to the brick fireplace. Everybody who worked on our house after it was framed thought they were renovating an old house. The best compliment you can get is to have your electrician ask how old your house is."

The couple's three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath plan is one of the village's few original two-story designs. (Renovators adding second floors have had to come up with creative ways to expand attics.) But from the street, the Meillers' home barely stands out from its Victorian neighbors.

"We kept the trim simple, and went with slick ceilings," said Job Meiller. "We used pine floors exactly like the other 100-year-old houses had. But we do have attic storage, running water and bathrooms."

For Harrison, Whittier Mills offers an opportunity rarely found around Atlanta.

"Whittier is a neighborhood that's been intact for almost 100 years," he said. "I can buy a house that dates back to the last century, and be the second owner. To me, that's really exciting."

History

Once known as the Chattahoochee community, Whittier Mills Village is a cluster of turn-of-the-century cottages that housed workers of the Whittier Cotton Mills Co.

The first homes, many of which were built as duplexes and triplexes, date to 1895. The mill's superintendents had more spacious single-family residences.

The mill expanded in 1925, when the Silver Lake Co. joined the complex and put up 26 more homes, along with more streets and sanitation improvements. About that same time, workers were also given the opportunity to purchase their homes.

In 1950, the village was incorporated into the city of Atlanta. In recent years, a flurry of infill housing has used up all but a few remaining building lots in the community. The only remaining remnants of the cotton mill buildings are a few brick walls and a tower.

Last month, the community was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

BYLINE:    H.M. CAULEY; Staff

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PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL CHRISSY@CASTLESBYCHRISSY.COM OR CALL ME AT 404.925.5335

Chrissy Neumann "Making You Feel At Home" www.CastlesByChrissy.com
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