Peachtree Arcade

Peachtree Arcade was a historic shopping arcade in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It connected Peachtree Street and Broad Street near Five Points and operated as a covered pedestrian and retail passage from its completion in 1918 until it was demolished in 1964. Although it was not a modern consumer brand in the conventional corporate sense, the arcade functioned as a recognizable commercial destination and civic institution in early- and mid-twentieth-century Atlanta. The project was proposed by Atlanta businessman R. R. Otis, a partner in the real-estate firm Otis & Holliday. Otis had been impressed by the Arcade in Cleveland and sought to establish a comparable urban shopping environment in Atlanta. Architect A. Ten Eyck Brown designed the building in a Beaux-Arts idiom, drawing heavily on the Cleveland model while adapting the structure to Atlanta's street, railroad, and viaduct conditions. Construction began in March 1917 under general contractor A. V. Gude & Co. and was financed by Northwestern Life Insurance Company. Labor shortages delayed completion, but stores began moving in before the final work was finished, and the building was completed in 1918. The arcade occupied a strategically important site in Atlanta's central business district. Its Peachtree Street frontage measured approximately 111 feet, while the Broad Street frontage measured approximately 146 feet. The building was six stories high on the Peachtree side and four stories on the Broad Street side, with a central covered passage approximately 316 feet long. The interior incorporated marble floors, wrought-iron railings, bronze finishes, and glazed-terra-cotta entrance treatments. A central atrium with multiple levels of shops created a sheltered retail street between the two major downtown thoroughfares. Peachtree Arcade became one of the city's most popular public places. Contemporary civic and commercial descriptions presented it as a downtown showplace and an unofficial civic center. The building attracted national retailers, including Carson Pirie Scott & Co., while also housing smaller specialist shops. Its tenant mix included florists, jewelry stores, milliners, perfume businesses, and other retailers associated with women's consumer culture. A day-care facility enabled mothers to shop while their children were supervised, and women operated many of the businesses located there. The building's role extended beyond commerce. During World War I, prayer services were held there, and the YWCA moved its Atlanta headquarters into the arcade. By the 1920s, the building hosted schools preparing women for clerical occupations. It also accommodated institutions connected with the development of what later became Georgia State University. Seasonal displays, including Christmas trees, and public programs such as Veterans Day music and dance events reinforced its civic identity. Evangelist Billy Graham held a large service at the arcade in 1950. By the 1960s, suburban shopping malls and the rapid construction of newer office buildings had weakened the arcade's competitive position. The First National Bank of Atlanta, whose headquarters stood next to the arcade at Five Points, acquired the property with plans for a skyscraper addition. Peachtree Arcade was demolished in 1964, and the replacement First National Bank Building was completed in 1966. That tower was then the tallest building in Atlanta and the tallest in the southeastern United States. In 1993, the American Institute of Architects identified Peachtree Arcade as one of Atlanta's most notable landmarks to have been destroyed, underscoring its continuing architectural and cultural significance.

The Peachtree Arcade stood on a historically significant parcel between Peachtree Street and Broad Street near Atlanta's Five Points. Before the arcade, the property included natural springs associated with the headwaters of Intrenchment Creek. In the nineteenth century, the Dougherty family controlled the land. During the 1850s, the site included a ten-pin bowling alley and one of Atlanta's earliest bakeries. A three-story Concert Hall Building was also erected there; during the Civil War it was used as barracks and a prison, including for James J. Andrews before his execution. After the war, the structure was replaced by the National Hotel, which later served as a hospital and was destroyed by fire in 1902. The Emery Steiner Building subsequently occupied the property. Atlanta's central business district expanded rapidly from the late nineteenth century onward. Infrastructure improvements around Five Points, including a Peachtree Street viaduct completed in 1901 and the installation of electric street lighting between 1909 and 1914, improved access and encouraged commercial development. By 1917, Peachtree Street was widely regarded as the city's principal business thoroughfare. Local businessman R. R. Otis responded to this growth by proposing a shopping arcade modeled on Cleveland's famous Arcade, which he had visited and admired. The concept reflected a broader late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century urban trend toward enclosed commercial passages inspired by European and North American arcades. Architect A. Ten Eyck Brown prepared the design in 1916. The building was planned for the Emery Steiner Building site, partly because the land was large enough for the project and held under unified ownership. Flynn Realty Co., controlled by descendants of the Dougherty family, retained ownership, while Otis oversaw construction and later management. A. V. Gude & Co. served as general contractor, and Northwestern Life Insurance Company financed the project. Construction started in March 1917. Although early progress was favorable, a labor shortage connected with emergency government work delayed the schedule. The arcade was substantially occupied by February 1918 and was completed later that year. Architecturally, the building was a Beaux-Arts shopping passage with entrances on both Peachtree and Broad streets. The Peachtree entrance had a prominent three-story arch, while both street fronts used glazed terracotta ornament. Because the two streets sat at viaduct level and differed in elevation, the building presented six stories on the Peachtree side and four on Broad Street. The central passage extended roughly 316 feet and was about 40 feet wide. It included three levels of shops, with approximately 40 stores on the main floor. Marble flooring, wrought-iron railings, and bronze details gave the interior a formal character. The structure was also designed to permit the addition of eight floors if future development required it. In operation, the arcade became a leading retail destination and an important social space. National retailers such as Carson Pirie Scott & Co. operated there alongside smaller specialty merchants. The tenant mix was strongly associated with women's shopping and employment. Florists, jewelers, milliners, perfume sellers, and related businesses occupied the premises, while women operated many of the shops. A day-care service supported mothers using the arcade. The YWCA moved its Atlanta headquarters into the building during World War I, and the arcade hosted educational institutions that prepared women for clerical careers during the 1920s. Its public role was equally important. The arcade hosted Christmas displays, Veterans Day performances, prayer services during World War I, and other gatherings. It was described as an unofficial civic center and a prominent showplace of Atlanta. It also housed activities associated with the institution that later became Georgia State University. Billy Graham's 1950 service demonstrated that the building remained capable of accommodating major public events well into the postwar period. The arcade's decline resulted from structural changes in Atlanta's retail geography rather than an immediate loss of popularity. Suburban shopping malls drew consumers away from downtown during the 1960s, while new office construction increasingly concentrated north of Five Points. The First National Bank of Atlanta, headquartered next door, purchased the arcade and arranged for its demolition in 1964. The First National Bank Building replaced it and was completed in 1966 as Atlanta's tallest building and, at that time, the tallest in the Southeast. Although the physical structure disappeared, its architectural and social importance continued to attract attention. In 1993, the American Institute of Architects named it among Atlanta's most notable demolished landmarks. Later historical interpretation has emphasized the arcade's connection to women's consumer culture, downtown civic life, and the transformation of Atlanta's commercial landscape.

• 1993

  Named a notable demolished Atlanta landmark

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  The American Institute of Architects identified the arcade as one of Atlanta's most notable landmarks to have been destroyed.

• 1964

  Building demolished

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  The arcade was demolished to make way for a skyscraper addition to the First National Bank of Atlanta headquarters.

• 1950

  Billy Graham service

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  Evangelist Billy Graham held a large public service in the arcade during one of his crusades.

• 1920

  Educational and women's employment functions expand

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  By the 1920s, the arcade hosted schools preparing women for clerical work and continued to serve as a center for women's retail and civic activity.

• 1918

  Peachtree Arcade is completed

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  The building opened as Atlanta's first and only shopping arcade, with retailers occupying much of the space before final finishing work had concluded.

• 1917

  Construction begins

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  Construction started in March with A. V. Gude & Co. as general contractor and Northwestern Life Insurance Company as financier. The reported project cost was approximately $500,000 at the time.

• 1916

  A. Ten Eyck Brown prepares the design

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  Atlanta architect A. Ten Eyck Brown designed the proposed arcade, using Cleveland's Arcade as a principal model.

• 1901

  Peachtree Street viaduct improves access

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  A viaduct over the railroad tracks improved pedestrian movement and helped strengthen the Five Points commercial district.

• 1845

  Dougherty family acquires the site

  [1]Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  The land later occupied by the arcade came under the ownership of Patrick Connally and Mary A. Dougherty and remained associated with her descendants for decades.

A centrally located, architecturally prestigious urban shopping destination that combined specialty retail with civic and community functions.

• Shopping arcade · 1918

  Peachtree Arcade retail passage

  The arcade's principal offering was an enclosed pedestrian route connecting Peachtree Street and Broad Street. Its central atrium contained several levels of retail space, with approximately 40 stores on the main floor. The design combined convenient downtown circulation with an architecturally formal shopping environment.

• Retail · 1918

  Specialty retail shops

  Tenant businesses sold a variety of specialty goods, including jewelry, perfume, flowers, millinery, apparel, and related personal and household merchandise. The mix attracted national retail chains as well as independent merchants and was particularly associated with women's shopping.

• Public events · 1918

  Civic and community venue

  Beyond retail, the building provided space for prayer services, Christmas displays, Veterans Day programs, educational activities, YWCA operations, and large religious gatherings. This multi-use role helped make it an unofficial civic center for Atlanta.

• 1964

  Replace the arcade with a bank skyscraperStrategy

  Background

  Suburban shopping malls and newer office development were increasing competitive pressure on downtown retail, while the neighboring First National Bank of Atlanta sought additional headquarters space.

  Action taken

  The bank acquired the arcade property and demolished the building for a skyscraper addition.

  Aftermath

  The arcade disappeared from Atlanta's urban landscape, and the replacement tower became the tallest building in Atlanta and the Southeast when completed in 1966.

  Source

• 1916

  Adopt the Cleveland arcade model for AtlantaStrategy

  Background

  R. R. Otis believed Atlanta's expanding central business district could support an enclosed shopping environment modeled on Cleveland's Arcade.

  Action taken

  Otis commissioned A. Ten Eyck Brown to design a large Beaux-Arts arcade linking Peachtree and Broad streets.

  Aftermath

  The project produced Atlanta's first and only purpose-built shopping arcade and became a major downtown retail and civic destination.

  Source

1. 1Peachtree Arcadeen.wikipedia.org