Capitol View Manor

Capitol View Manor is a small community in Southwest Atlanta that was named for the excellent view of the Georgia State Capitol building. Its boundaries include I-75/85 to the east, the Beltline to the north, Metropolitan Parkway to the west, and Atlanta Technical College to the south.

History

Early History

Capitol View Manor was originally vast farmland owned by a select group of people that included John Shannon and the Deckner Family. During the early 1910s, many people started to settle in the area, and, in 1912, the area known as Capitol View was annexed to the City of Atlanta. This is when many utilities, including sewage and electricity, came to the area. In 1920, Capitol View Manor was established, and more houses started to be built on the eastern side of Stewart Avenue. Five years later, Capitol View Manor was annexed to the City of Atlanta. Most of the homes in this neighborhood were built in the next twenty years. In addition, the Capitol View School was built in 1929.

Decline

During the mid-20th century, Interstate 75-85 cut through the land to the east of the neighborhood, separating Capitol View Manor to what is now known as High Pointe Estates, cutting Manford Road in two pieces, and destroying the intersection of Hillside and Deckner in the southeast corner of the neighborhood. In this timeframe, "white flight" occurred in the neighborhood. Few stayed, and the neighborhood fell into decline.

Renewal

In the late 1990s Stewart Avenue was renamed Metropolitan Parkway so the street wouldn't be referred to as a red light district. Since then, many efforts have been made to restore the area: 344 new housing units are being built close to Metropolitan Pkwy., more retail is coming to the area, the Beltline Tax Allocation District, and home sales are rising. While the area still has a long way to come, it has drastically improved in recent years.

Housing

Most of the homes in Capitol View Manor were built between the early 1920s and the mid 1940s. Earlier home styles include Bungalows, Victorians, Cape Cods, and Colonials. Most of the later homes were ranches. Capitol View Manor was originally developed by the same developer of the Morningside and Virginia Highland neighborhood. Homes in the neighborhood are some of the most affordable in the entire city for their quality; they range from $150,000-$250,000.

The neighborhood is also in close proximity to High Pointe Estates, Park Place South, the Crogman School lofts, the Lofts at Allene, Brookside Park, and St. John's Place, all of which were built in the last 5 years (with the exception of St. John's Place, which hasn't been built yet.

Parks and Recreation

Capitol View Manor is close to many recreational amenities, including the 10 acre Millican Park, the 50 acre Perkerson Park, a proposed bowling alley and arcade, the future 28 acre Hillside Park, and the Carver Family YMCA.

Emma Millican Park is the largest available greenspace in the neighborhood.It is at the western stub of Deckner Ave., and while Millican Park is mostly passive, the other places offer many athletic and active opportunities. In 2005, Emma Millican Park was chosen to undergo the Park Pride Visioning Process, in which the neighbors of the community came up with a master plan for their neighborhood park. In addition, the Dill Triangle Park is often used as a garden and a gathering place.

Landmarks

Capitol View Manor is home to two churches (Liberty International Church and the 80-year old Capitol View Baptist Church, which was recently sold by the Achor Center to some developers that will preserve the historical landmark), the 102-year old Deckner house (which was the residence of the Deckner Family), Advance Auto Parts, and the yellow-brick Masonic Lodge. The proposed Beltline also spans the entire northern boundary. In addition, Fire Station 20 is located on Manford Road, which also serves as the neighborhood polling station.

Education

The schools for the neighborhood are:
*Elementary-Capitol View Elementary School
*Middle-Parks Middle School
*High-Washington High School

In addition, the Atlanta Technical College and the Atlanta Metropolitan College are due south of the neighbohood.

External links

* [http://www.historiccvm.com Official Capitol View Manor Website]
* [http://larryfeltonjohnson.typepad.com/atlantalarry/2004/06/capitol_view_ma.html Larry Felton Johnson's Blog about CVM]
* [http://wikimapia.org/147630/ Map of Capitol View Manor from Wikimapia]