US-GA-Olmsted+Linear+Park+Deepdene+Segment


 * =Birding in Georgia=

DeKalb County
=Olmsted Linear Park= =Deepdene Segment= N Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast Atlanta, GA 30307 Olmsted Linear Park webpage Olmsted Linear Park - Deepdene Segment map

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Olmsted Linear Park - Deepdene Segment
Coordinates: 33.77217, -84.31941 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Deepdene Segment
Deepdene, the largest segment, forms the eastern end of the Linear Park. Unlike the five pastoral segments, it is a wooded tract with a stream winding through its 22 acres and a topography that ranges from steep slopes to a flat meadow. Deepdene is the property of Fernbank, which leases it to the DeKalb County Department of Parks and Recreation.

About Olmsted Linear Park
Even before the paths in the restored Olmsted Linear Park were completed, they attracted walkers and joggers. Pathways were integral to the parks Olmsted created. Routes were carefully devised to allow the visitor to enjoy the most scenic vistas, the bend in the path repeating the curve of the landscape. A parkway was another Olmstedian component, used in the residential suburbs he designed. He intended Ponce de Leon Parkway (its original name) not only to connect Druid Hills to the city but to provide space for recreational riding and carriage-driving. The traffic that hurries along Ponce de Leon Avenue today is more utilitarian, but as commuters enter the winding green corridor, they find release from the pressures of the city. “We want a ground to which people may easily go after the day’s work is done,” Olmsted wrote. A century later, his artistic vision is still bringing pleasure to Atlantans.

Olmsted submitted a preliminary plan to Hurt in 1893 in which the linear park was first laid out. The firm produced a final plan in 1905, two years after the death of its founder. Olmsted’s sons remained involved with the project until 1908, when the property was acquired by the Druid Hills Corporation. This group of investors, which included Coca-Cola magnate Asa G. Candler, completed development of the suburb and park.

Though the original park design remained intact, plants and installations inconsistent with Olmsted’s aesthetic were added over the years. Poor maintenance and the effects of erosion also contributed to a decline. In the 1980s, the park was threatened by a proposed freeway, though community opposition eventually blocked its construction. To rehabilitate the park, a coalition was formed that included the Olmsted Parks Society, Druid Hills Civic Association, Park Pride, the city of Atlanta, DeKalb County and Fernbank. Representatives drafted a master plan for restoration, aided by specialists in Olmstedian preservation. The Olmsted Linear Park Alliance was created in 1997 to implement the plan. From Olmsted Linear Park webpage

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View Map in a new window || L4026377 US US-GA US-GA-089 33.77217 -84.31941 Olmsted Linear Park - Deepdene Segment