Note: I wrote this article for the Dunwoody Crier in June 2014 after meeting and interviewing Jim Cowart. The editor’s note below was written by Dick Williams, editor of the Dunwoody Crier at that time.
Editor’s note: The pioneering developer of the residential and commercial centers of Dunwoody has been eager to tell his story of how what is now Perimeter Mall almost became a corridor of apartments resembling Buford Highway. We were happy he spent some time with our reporter.
In 1969, builder and developer Jim Cowart heard that apartments were planned for a piece of the Spruill family land along Ashford Dunwoody Road. He immediately went with business associate Malcolm Powell over to Carey Spruill’s home to talk with him.
Mr. Spruill lived at the corner of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Mount Vernon Road, in what is now known as the Cheek/Spruill Farmhouse. He was where he could be most often found - in his garden with his plow and his mule Shorty.
As a point of reference, I-285 was under construction and scheduled to open in October. Georgetown Shopping Center with its Big Apple Grocery Store and King’s Pharmacy opened in 1968 and was still the only shopping center in Dunwoody.
Dunwoody Village and Dunwoody Hall did not exist. On either side of Ashford Dunwoody Road, north of the partially completed I-285, were a few scattered farm houses and the newly constructed Dunwoody Baptist Church. DeKalb County had three malls at the time; Columbia, South DeKalb, and North DeKalb.
“Mr. Spruill, I’m Jim Cowart,” Jim started the conversation as he approached Carey Spruill. “Yes, I’ve seen you over at the store.” The store he was talking about was where Dunkin Donuts is today, and was part of a Sinclair Gasoline Station. Jim confirmed that Mr. Spruill was considering selling his 90 acres to an apartment developer, as his land was no longer farm land and the taxes were eating him up.
Jim went on to tell Mr. Spruill that he wanted to give him the price he was looking for, but first he would like to have the property surveyed. As the land was being surveyed, Carey Spruill decided he would hold on to two acres, which increased to three acres. Eventually, Jim Cowart suggested that he mark off what he wanted to keep and Mr. Spruill kept 20 acres. That land was later purchased by a Texas developer.
Once Jim Cowart secured an option on Carey Spruill’s land, he gave a 22 percent interest in the property to Atlanta Baptist College. Atlanta Baptist College later became Mercer University Atlanta. Jim Cowart has been a member of the Mercer University Board of Trustees and the university has bestowed the honor of lifetime trustee on him.
When Cowart later sold the property to developer Michael Gearon, the closing took place at the Atlanta law offices of King and Spalding. The property was immediately resold to Richard Rich of Rich’s Department Stores, the J. C. Penney Company, and the Rouse Company (shopping center developers).
Perimeter Mall first opened August 11, 1971, with Rich’s as the anchor on the south end of the mall and J. C. Penney on the north end.
Jim Cowart also secured an option on property belonging to Early Spruill. Part of the deal was that Cowart purchase eight Black Angus cows and one Prince George bull from Mr. Spruill. Jim and his partner, Malcolm Powell, donated their share of this option to 23 churches and schools from Brookhaven to Spalding Drive.
Carey Spruill and Early Spruill were both sons of Stephen Spruill and Mollie Carter Spruill, pioneers of Dunwoody and owners at one time of most of the land along Ashford Dunwoody Road.
Jim Cowart had an office in this older home on Mount Vernon Road and across from Dunwoody United Methodist Church.
Later that same year, Jim Cowart applied for a rezoning application on land between Womack Drive and Mount Vernon Road, behind where the Dunwoody Library and Spruill Arts Center are today and which was the Dunwoody Elementary School at that time. His plan was to build condominiums on this property and the development was to be called Wynterhall.
When Jim applied for zoning for the land, nearby homeowners were strongly opposed to the development and the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association was first organized. Sixteen hundred signatures were obtained by Dunwoody homeowners and taken to the DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur. The zoning application was denied.
It was reported by some that Cowart was planning to build apartments; however, the planned development was for townhouse style condominiums. Jim never planned to build apartments in Dunwoody. He would like it to be known that “he has never asked to build one apartment in Dunwoody.”
A few years later, Jim developed a neighborhood of single-family homes on this same piece of land and he named the subdivision Chestnut Ridge. He also later developed the neighborhood we know today as Wynterhall.
In 1970, Jim Cowart purchased an older home at the corner of Vermack Road and Chamblee Dunwoody Road, along with 27 acres from nursery owner Frank Smith. That home today is part of Donaldson-Bannister Farm, owned by the city of Dunwoody and managed by Dunwoody Preservation Trust. The acreage was developed including homes and the Vermack Swim and Tennis Club, but no one seemed to be interested in purchasing the home. Jim was hopeful that someone would come along and want to restore the old home. Fortunately, Linda and David Chesnut found out about the home, purchased it and began renovations.
The imprint of developer Jim Cowart can be seen all across Dunwoody. Most significantly, Cowart helped assemble the property that would encompass all of Perimeter Center, extending from Georgetown to Peachtree Dunwoody Road. It began with that conversation in 1969, standing in Carey Spruill’s garden.