Southern Railway North Avenue Yards Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Southern Railway North Avenue Yards Historic District
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 Location in Atlanta
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | bordered by Norfolk Southern Railway tracks on the east, North Avenue on the north, Gray Street on the west and John Street on the south. |
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| Built | 1925, 1952 |
| Architectural style | Utilitarian early 20th century railway by Southern Railways in-house architect. Tilt-slab concrete construction. |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000539 |
| Added to NRHP | 2002-07-16 |
The Southern Railway North Avenue Yards is a special place in Atlanta, Georgia. It used to be a busy train yard but is now a modern business park called NorthYards. This area is found just west of the main railway lines, a bit northwest of downtown Atlanta. It's also south of the Marietta Street Artery neighborhood, which has a lot of history about factories and industries.
The North Avenue Yards show us how American railroads changed a lot during the 1900s. It's like a mini-story of train travel and industry in one spot!
Contents
A Look Back: The Train Yard's History
The Southern Railway Company first started this complex way back in 1911. It began as a "turntable rail yard." Imagine a giant spinning platform for trains! This platform, called a turntable, helped trains turn around or move onto different tracks.
The Roundhouse: A Hub for Trains
A key building in the yard was the "roundhouse," built in 1925. This was a large, often circular building where trains were put together and fixed. Think of it as a garage for locomotives! As time went on and new ways of storing things came along, the roundhouse changed. It was later used as a big warehouse.
Growing with Warehouses
During the 1950s and 1960s, even more warehouses were built around and connected to the original roundhouse. This showed how the needs of the railway were changing, moving more towards storing goods.
From Train Yard to Business Park
In 2002, the old Roundhouse at Northyards got a big makeover. It was renovated and transformed into a modern business park. This project was done by C.D. Moody Construction. It was such a great idea that it won the 2002 Atlanta Urban Design Commission's Award of Excellence! This shows how old industrial places can be given new life and purpose.
