In the 1920s through 1940s, there were several summer homes in the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs area. The homes often included many acres of land and were referred to as farms, of wealthy Atlanta families. Sometimes summer homes and country farms were given names. This blog post will share history of three of these properties.
The summer home of the DuBose family sat in the triangle where Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Roberts Drive meet. In 1896, Edwin DuBose became a partner in a dry goods store known as Chamberlin-Johnson-DuBose. This store began in 1866 as Chamberlin and Boynton Dry Goods Store, one year before the beginning of M. Rich and Company, which later became Rich’s.
Edwin DuBose purchased 58.47 acres in land lot 376 for $3,630 from Dr. Nay Strickland in 1917. Dr. Strickland bought the land from Dr. Duke. Today, this property is the location of the Fairfield subdivision. The DuBose family called their summer home Ellaslea. Those who lived in Dunwoody in 1970 may have noticed the wrought iron sign that remained to that day with the name Ellaslea.
Winship Nunnally purchased land and built a summer home on Spalding Drive along the Chattahoochee River. John Cowart developed the River Oaks neighborhood on the land where the Nunnally summer home was located and recalls all that was on the property. There was a long drive leading to the house, far back from Spalding Drive. There was a gas pump, fruit orchards, a clay tennis court, and the home. The home was a log cabin, large enough for the entire family or several business associates to visit.
There was also a metal swimming pool, skeet shooting range, barn, lighted badminton court, barbeque pit and well. Although the log cabin was torn down to build new homes in the neighborhood; a stone patio, walls and stairs leading to the river remain.
Stone walls and stone steps leading to the Chattahoochee River remain from the days of the Nunnally log cabin. The cabin was torn down and the land developed for a subdivision off Spalding Drive.
Stone barbeque pit across from Nunnally log home.
Winship Nunnally was the son of James Nunnally of Nunnally Candies and Cora Winship, a cousin of the Coca-Cola Woodruff family. Newspaper articles refer to the summer home as Lazy River Farm.
The summer home and farm of A. L. Norris was located along Chamblee Dunwoody Road, just north of its intersection with Vermack Road. The property was known as Sirron Farm, which is Norris spelled backwards. Norris was the owner of Norris Candies.
A. L. Norris invited store owners who sold his candy across Atlanta to his farm every year for a barbeque. An article in the September 1, 1921 edition of the Atlanta Constitution describes Norris abilities as a host, “the genial host who has gained a wide reputation as a connoisseur in good things to eat through three successive annual ‘cues regaled them with barbeque, Brunswick stew, and all the fixings that go to make an occasion of this type a complete success.” Following the meal, entertainment included a battle royal production.
By 1939 the property was also home to Sirron Nurseries, where the Norris family employed landscape artist H. K. Shirley. A variety of plants were grown, not in pots, but in the ground and were available for sale. This makes me wonder if Lois Pattillo Bannister, just down the road at what is now Donaldson-Bannister Farm, bought boxwoods and other plants for her home from Sirron Nurseries. She called her property Boxwood Farms.
The summer home of the Norris family later burned, but the guest home remains. It is located on Sirron Court and has been expanded.
This candy box is an example of what your Norris Candy may have arrived in during the early part of the 20th century. A. L. Norris, Winship Nunnally, and Edwin DuBose all built summer homes north of Atlanta.