North Druid Hills, Georgia

North Druid Hills, Georgia
Unincorporated community Census-designated place
Toco Hills Shopping Center
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia
North Druid Hills location within central Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 33°49′11″N84°19′41″W / 33.81972°N 84.32806°W / 33.81972; -84.32806
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	DeKalb
Area [1]
• Total	4.46 sq mi (11.55 km2)
• Land	4.45 sq mi (11.53 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	1,014 ft (309 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	20,385
• Density	4,580.90/sq mi (1,768.54/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	13-56168 [2]
GNIS feature ID	1805271 [3]

North Druid Hills, also known as Briarcliff or Toco Hills, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (North Druid Hills CDP) in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 20,385 in 2020. The commercial center of the area is the Toco Hill Shopping Center, located near the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road.

Contents

• History
• Incorporation movement
• Geography
• Neighborhoods
• Demographics
• Government and infrastructure
• Diplomatic missions
• Education
• Culture
• Parks
• Transportation
• References
• Further reading
• External links

History

One of the earliest European settlers in north DeKalb County was Chapman Powell, whose "Medicine House" cabin was built near the intersection of Clairmont and North Decatur roads (later relocated to Stone Mountain Park, where it still stands). Dr. Powell (1798–1870) owned most of the land in the Candler Lake and South Fork Peachtree Creek area during his lifetime. His land was later purchased by Walter Candler.

Major Washington Jackson Houston owned land on the north side of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, in what is now Briarcliff. Visitors used to visit Major Houston to buy ground cornmeal produced by his 1876 gristmill or to attend social gatherings held on his property. Major Houston converted the mill into an early hydroelectric plant circa 1900. Atlanta contractor Harry J. Carr bought Houston's land in the 1920s and constructed the fieldstone and wrought iron home now known as the Houston Mill House. Emory University purchased the home in the 1960s and renovated it. Houston Mill House, located at 849 Houston Mill Road, is now open for dining and special events. ^[4]

After World War II and continuing into the 1950s, many Jews moved out of Washington-Rawson, where Turner Field now stands, and the Old Fourth Ward into North Druid Hills and Morningside/Lenox Park. ^[5] Congregation Beth Jacob, an orthodox synagogue, moved to LaVista Road in 1962, and the neighborhood has since become a hub of Orthodox Judaism for the Atlanta area with three Jewish schools, six congregations and a mikveh located along or near LaVista Road.

The North Druid Hills CDP remained rural until 1965, when Executive Park was constructed on a former dairy farm as the first suburban office park in metropolitan Atlanta. Following the completion of Executive Park, the area boomed with suburban development. ^[6] The 19-story Executive Park Motor Hotel, built in the 1970s at the southeast corner of I-85 and North Druid Hills Road and which later served as a BellSouth training center, ^[7] was a modernist landmark until its demolition in November 2014 ^[8] after being purchased by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for $9.6 million in January 2013. ^[9]

Geography

North Druid Hills is located at 33°49′11″N84°19′41″W / 33.819654°N 84.328061°W / 33.819654; -84.328061 . ^[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km²), of which 0.20% is water. The CDP boundaries are:

• Interstate 85 to the north, across which is the Buford Highway corridor and the city of Brookhaven
• Clairmont Road and the North Decatur CDP and city of Decatur to the east
• the South Fork of Peachtree Creek and the Druid Hills CDP to the south, and
• the DeKalb County boundary with the city of Atlanta to the west

Demographics

North Druid Hills was first listed as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. census. ^[30]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,385 people, 8,672 households, and 3,215 families residing in the CDP.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Druid Hills Post Office at 1799 Briarcliff Road NE in the CDP. ^{[37] [38]} The area uses an Atlanta, GA city designation for mailing purposes.

Diplomatic missions

The Consulate-General of Mexico in Atlanta is in the North Druid Hills CDP. ^{[38] [39]}

Education

DeKalb County Schools serves the CDP. ^[38] Briar Vista Elementary School, the zoned school of most of North Druid Hills, is in the CDP. ^{[38] [40]} Some portions are served by Sagamore Hills Elementary School. ^[41] Residents in North Druid Hills are also zoned to Druid Hills Middle School (in North Decatur CDP ^[42] ) and Druid Hills High School (in Druid Hills CDP ^[43] ). ^{[44] [45]}

The Margaret Harris Comprehensive School, an alternative K-12 county school for disabled children, is in North Druid Hills. ^[46]

Parochial schools: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta operates the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, a parochial school, at 2855 Briarcliff Road in the CDP. ^{[38] [47]} The school initially had 238 pupils when it opened in August 1958. An addition was installed in circa the late 1960s/early 1970s. ^[48]

Private schools:

• Annunciation Day School (ADS), at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2500 Clairmont Road, NE. Private Greek Orthodox Christian pre-school. Private Greek Orthodox Christian elementary school (K-8).
• Atlanta Montessori International School, 1970 Cliff Valley Way. Private pre-school - middle school.
• Cliff Valley School, 2426 Clairmont Rd. Private elementary school.
• Intown Community School, 2059 LaVista Rd. Private PCA-affiliated school.
• Torah Day School of Atlanta, 1985 Lavista Road NE. Private K-8 Orthodox Jewish day school
• Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael, 1458 Holly Lane. Private Orthodox Jewish boys high school.
• Temima High School, 1985-B Lavista Road. Private Orthodox Jewish girls high school

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is headquartered in North Druid Hills. ^{[49] [50]}

Culture

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Metropolis of Atlanta is headquartered in North Druid Hills. ^[51]

Parks

• Kittredge Park, 1520 Kittredge Park Rd., 2-acre (8,100 m²) park with baseball field, pool and multi-use court.
• LaVista Park, 1319 Brookforest Dr., 4-acre (16,000 m²) DeKalb County park with playground and picnic area.
• W.D. Thomson Park, [often misspelled "Thompson"] 1760 Mason Mill Rd. (off Mason Woods Drive), 29-acre (120,000 m²) DeKalb County park with courts, playground, creek, picnic area and trails.

Transportation

• Briarcliff Rd. Major road unifying the CDP.
• Interstate 85. CDP northern boundary.
• LaVista Rd. Primary E-W road.
• North Druid Hills Rd. Primary access from Interstate 85.

Related Research Articles

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References

Further reading

• "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: North Druid Hills CDP, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau.
• "CENSUS 2000 BLOCK MAP: NORTH DRUID HILLS CDP" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau.
• 1990 U.S. Census: DeKalb County Index Map, North Druid Hills CDP on pages 6 and 10

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Druid Hills, Georgia .

• Clairmont Heights Civic Association
• Houston Mill House
• LaVista Park Civic Association
• Lindbergh-LaVista Corridor Coalition
• Merry Hills Homeowners Association
• North Druid Hills Residents Association
• Woodland Hills Neighborhood Association