Amy forwards along this press release from Georgia’s State Preservation Office announcing that Decatur’s downtown has been accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places.  The districts borders are “roughly bordered by N. McDonough Street on the west, East Howard Avenue on the south, Hillyer and Commerce streets on the east, and East Ponce de Leon Avenue on the north.”

The rest of the release provides a short synopsis of downtown Decatur’s historical significance…

The Decatur Downtown Historic District was listed in the National Register at the local level of significance because the commercial and residential buildings are representative of architectural styles and types built in Georgia cities from the end of the 19th century through the middle of the 20th century. Decatur has many good intact examples of commercial architecture that date from its period of greatest growth during the late 19th century into the 1960s. Many prominent Atlanta area architects designed buildings in Decatur including Bodin & Lamberson, Bothwell & Nash, Walker & Chase, Frances Daves, Edwards & Sayward, Pope Fuller, Ivey & Crook, Edmund Lind, Gottfried Norrman, and Pringle & Smith. Some of these architectural firms designed several buildings in Decatur.

Downtown Decatur retained its importance as a regional center of commerce from the late 19th to the middle of the 20th century. Typically the county seat filled this role, and provided for the day-to-day commercial needs of nearby residents, such as retail stores and offices and professional services. The district is significant for its development as a crossroads community with a railroad. The major road orientation, street grid pattern, and railroad line remain intact from the historic period. As the county seat, Decatur is also significant for the presence of buildings directly related to activities and events associated with government, such as the county courthouses and city hall.

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