You know the luxury retailers, the award-winning restaurants, the explosive real estate market, but here’s what you don’t know. We take you back—to the beginning—and present 10 things you might not know about Buckhead.
1. After slaying a champion buck, a local hunter mounted his trophy in the area of today’s Buckhead Triangle/Charlie Loudermilk Park, across the street from the town market. Community members soon started making plans to meet at the “buck’s head,” and shortly after, this rural community officially became known as Buckhead.
2. Buckhead is not a city. Buckhead is not a neighborhood. Buckhead is not a town. Buckhead is a community. In fact, Buckhead did not officially become part of the City of Atlanta until it was annexed in 1952. See the full interactive map of Buckhead!
3. Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center was originally dubbed Atlanta Historical Society, chartered by Atlanta residents with the mission of preserving the city’s heritage. Atlanta History Center as it is known today was founded in 1990 when Atlanta Historical Society officially changed it’s name. Under the patronage of Atlanta History Center, Atlanta History Museum opened in it’s current West Paces Ferry location, which just underwent a massive $21.1 million renovation, making it the largest freestanding history museum in the Southeast in 1993. (photo courtesy of Atlanta History Center)
4. Known as one of the most recognizable landmarks in Buckhead, The Swan House was designed by legendary architect Phillip Trammell Shutze and completed in December 1928. It has starred on the silver screen as President Snow’s Palace in the Hunger Games franchise. Another iconic Buckhead venue for weddings, teas and luncheons is its former garage, The Swan Coach House (photo courtesy of Atlanta History Center).
5. Buckhead is home to the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, founder of SPANX Sara Blakely. Blakely got the idea for SPANX in 1998, wrote her own patent for the game-changing hosiery and was in production by 2002. The SPANX corporate office is located at the Shops Buckhead Atlanta.
6. Director, writer and producer Tyler Perry made history in late April when he sold his Paces Ferry estate for a new Buckhead high of $17.5 million. The home has a runway for model airplanes, a parking deck and is a palatial 34,688 sq ft.
7. The oldest home in Buckhead is located on W Wesley Road. In the Civil War, the home served as both a General headquarters and later as a hospital. Built in the North Georgia town of Resaca in 1797, it was later moved to Buckhead and has recently been remodeled.
8. With 85% as much commercial office space as downtown Atlanta, Buckhead has 5,257+ hotel rooms and 1,500+ retail outlets… In fact, just one acre of land in the Buckhead Village neighborhood is valued at upwards of $10 million.
9. Buckhead is a favorite locale of Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary. In early March, “Mr. Wonderful,” who often travels to Atlanta on business, told Atlanta Business Chronicle, “I also look at Atlanta as one of my favorite places because when I was young I used to hangout in Buckhead, which was a hell of a place.” He adds, laughing, “It’s a great spot.”
10. One of America’s wealthiest zip codes is 30327 in Buckhead, according to Forbes. 30327 includes the following neighborhoods: Mt Paran/Northside, West Paces Ferry/Northside, Margaret Mitchell, Brandon, Randall Mill, Kingswood and Paces.
By Elizabeth Harper for Buckhead.com
