The History of Ansley Park
Ansley Park was founded in 1904 by Edwin P. Ansley. Ansley purchased the land for the neighborhood from the estate of George Washington Collier a few years after his death. Collier’s family and his personal estate once held ownership to a significant portion of present day Atlanta.
When Ansley set out to develop his neighborhood it was his plan to design it in such a way as to attract Atlanta’s most wealthy and prestigious families. He was successful by creating one of Atlanta’s first street car communities. Rather than building streets in the traditional grid pattern, Ansley designed wide, winding streets around lush green parks. The new roadways were the perfect accommodation for the newly invented motor-cars, and a perfect draw for the wealthy in Atlanta.
Ansley Park was a successful community from it’s founding. For several decades it was even home to the Georgia Governors Mansion. The neighborhood did suffer through the housing crunch and hard times that came with World War II. In fact, during that period several of the homes in Ansley Park were converted to boarding houses.
In the 1960’s things in Ansley Park, once again made a turn for the better. Single-family homes were restored, and the community reemerged as a leading intown Atlanta neighborhood. Today, Ansley Park has an active civic association, and a community of residents who are very proud of their neighborhood.
