Eye on the Street
Decatur Metro | April 21, 2017 | 10:21 am
Church Street, Decatur GA (photo courtesy of Chris)
Church Street, Decatur GA (photo courtesy of Chris)
Sharron
Sharron
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immodest proposal
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Nicole Kaplan
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jd
Before too much stress occurs over evil developers or the city being sold to the highest bidder, the Roly Poly was bought by the city 7 years ago to create an improved gateway entrance to the cemetery. See the master plan here:
http://www.decaturga.com/home/showdocument?id=1590
pretty nice
Thanks Scott. You always seem to know what’s going on in Decatur.
Here’s something I shared with Nick and posted on my Facebook page:
“I see that two buildings were torn down today at the corner of Church and Bell Streets near the eastern gateway of the Decatur Cemetery. Nothing historic about these structures but they were interesting. The first one (pictured in post) was used as a mural for a DHS student in the late 1980s. The owner of the building agreed to let the student create a countryside scene from World War II. Destroyed buildings framed farmland recovering from a terrible battle. I remember this because Anne Fowlkes, the art teacher at DHS at the time, asked me to paint the huge wall a light blue as the background for the mural. The student artist and Ms. Fowlkes added the important details. The building was a Roly Poly sandwich business for many years before the city purchased the property.
I called Ms. Fowlkes hoping she saved a picture of the old mural but alas, she said no. She recalled that the student was the daughter of a well known Decatur photographer named Kerr (or was it Carr?).
The other building (Not pictured. This was too small to be a house but maybe an office), the last remaining house/structure on Bell Street, was once owned or used by the Decatur branch of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. I remember chatting an elderly lady there in the early 90s and she asked me to take an old map of the cemetery (from the 1920s) to the DeKalb History Center. It was huge, maybe 4×6 and so large that the local printer told me he could only make two smaller copies that I could tape together. For whatever reason, I decided not to and took the original to the history center where it should be today.
I wonder what Decatur plans to do with the properties?”
Debbie Kerr. Last I heard she and husband Rusty Pugh were missionaries in the Congo. Her brother was B Kerr.
Trader Joe’s.
(Someone had to say it).
a trader joe’s would surely take us up 10 or so spots in the best places to live in the US.
Now when our time comes they can just Roly Poly us right into the cemetery. The planned entry sequence does look much more appropriate than the current obscured entrance. I hope they keep (or relocate and maintain) that old historic schoolhouse building though.
A roly-poly style hemp fiber encasement, in lieu of coffin, could open up a whole new line of eco-friendly burials there. Sign me up!
Ok that is hysterical. The top of the line model is known as the eco-burrito green supreme. I’m all about meeting my maker encased in hemp with rice, beans and compost accelerating guacamole and please…don’t forget the salsa.
LOL @ rolly polly hemp burial! Have you guys heard of Caitlin Doughty? Her book “Smoke gets in your eyes” is awesome, so is her “Ask the Mortician” youtube channel. In fact, she should be invited to the book festival. Author’s tent at the cemetery would be priceless.
Thank you Cat! I have not heard of Caitlin or her book, just the classic song (which I have always loved). Thanks to you, I’ll check out her work right away!
The other structure was used as a monument store, then became the Arts Alliance Office. I spent many years working there and have fond memories. It later became the Special Events office. We used to call it the “Art Shack” as it really was a shack! It needed to be torn down as the rats started moving in, even while we were still there! The squirrels were also eating the outside of the building- who knew that squirrels liked to eat wood. I will miss the building, but it will be nice to have an attractive cemetery entrance.
And I believe that the fire department parked trucks there a few years ago when one of the fire stations was under renovation.
They didn’t just park trucks there, they used the building as a temporary station.
My one memory of that “station” was going there to get my car seat installations checked shortly before our twins arrived. One seat was good. The other required a little fireman assistance. 😉
I always held out hope that the old Roly Poly building would become a Bell Street Burritos .
I’m a fan of Bell Street, but between Raging and Chipotle, I think we’ve achieved burrito saturation.
They need something appropriately themed for that locale. Like another ,”Six Feet Under” or “Grim Reaper Cafe'” or…”The Pearly Gates Bakery”…I hear their pastries are just divine…if your allowed in!