Historic Buckhead mansion could soon meet wrecking ball
Could Shutze-designed house on Tuxedo Road be the next to go?
Neoclassical architect Phillip Trammel Shutze left an undeniable impression on Atlanta in the 20th Century. The Columbus, Ga., native gave the city such landmarks such as the Swan House, the Academy of Medicine, the Temple, and the East Lake Golf Club. But Shutze also designed several prestigious homes, including one stately manor in Buckhead that preservationists fear is now in danger of meeting the wrecking ball.
According to Curbed Atlanta, the house was purchased this past November for $2.2 million by Dallas Clement, the chief financial officer and executive vice president of Cox Enterprises. And judging from the demolition permit application filed for the address, first spotted by man-about-town and architectural blogger Terry Kearns, the executive plans to demolish the home. The news has spurred some preservationists to urge the mansion be preserved.
Located on top of an ivy-covered hill in Buckhead's posh Tuxedo Park neighborhood, the approximately 4,000 square-foot home is a rarity among the newer style mansions along the street. Inside, the circa 1937 house — according to Atlanta Preservation Center Executive Director Boyd Coons, it's called the Maddox House — is simple and efficient with human-scale rooms framed by detailed moldings. The main hallway is striking but not grand by today's standards. A sun room offers views of the terraced garden in the rear of the house. An upstairs bedroom provides a wide view of the expansive 2.6-acre wooded lot — and the tall trees marked for removal.
To Coons, the home is important to not just Tuxedo Park's past but Atlanta's as well.
"History is not renewable," he says. "If you take down a Shutze, you're irrevocably destroying a part of our history."
Coons says Shutze, who focused on neoclassical architecture but would not shy away from incorporating other forms in his designs, was purposeful in everything he did. Coons noted that the Maddox House is "nestled into the landscape" far from the street and not lined up with other houses. The reason behind this was so occupants would never have to look in their neighbors' windows.
Kearns, an active architecture blogger and photographer, says the Tuxedo Road home is a significant example of Shutze’s work. He has seen and documented many demolitions around the city, and isn’t necessarily surprised when new owners consider older homes a burden and want to start from the ground up to use as much as they can out of a property.
“People want closets, they need a place for their Mercedes,” Kearns says. Styles change, he says, and nowadays owners want family rooms where everyone can do everything at once over formal dining rooms. Regardless, he says, Shutze was one of the best architects in town, and any of his work remains significant for American architecture.
Coons says there are ways a homeowner can sensitively adapt a historic house rather than demolish it. For example, Georgia offers tax incentives for people who decide to renovate a historic home versus tearing it down.
“The best preservation is when it meets the person’s needs and preserves the building,” Coons says. “This can usually be done by having a good architect.”
Clement did not return CL's requests for comment. Coons says he and the new homeowner spoke last week and he advised him of the available renovation options. The outlook for the home's survival, however, are not good.
Thomas Wheatley contributed reporting