Buckhead Heritage relocates headquarters to historic 1911 building

This project will be fully funded by private investors, with no taxes paying for the improvements, according to Buckhead Heritage. Formerly known as the Buckhead Heritage Society, the organization will move from its current headquarters on Mathieson Drive.

The E. Rivers Lodge building was constructed in 1911 by developer Eretus Rivers as a sales office for the Peachtree Heights Development Company, helping launch the Peachtree Heights West neighborhood. The building was later donated to the E. Rivers School, then Mrs. Bloodworth’s Kindergarten, and deed restrictions were put in place mandating that the building be used for educational or community purposes. In recent years, it has housed offices for the Kiddos Atlanta afterschool and summer school program.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Buckhead Hr

Credit: Photo courtesy of Buckhead Hr

“The E. Rivers building is such a vital part of the history of Buckhead,” said Buckhead Heritage Executive Director Richard Waterhouse. “We had our eye on it since we heard the Atlanta Public Schools system was planning to sell it.”

The organization will start by improving some superficial elements of the approximately 750-square-foot building, such as painting, restoring the columns and seeing what improvements can be made to the lights and drop ceiling.

“Once we get in there and take a good look around, we’ll see what more we need to do,” Waterhouse said. “We’d like to get ahold of the original plans from when it was a real estate office in 1911 and take it back to that.”

Buckhead Heritage was founded in 2006 by Tamara Bazzle and Wright Mitchell after Mitchell discovered a hidden, ivy-covered cemetery on a corner lot near West Paces Ferry and Chatham roads.

Along with fellow preservationist Bob Helget, they turned their shared interest in protecting the area’s past into a formal nonprofit dedicated to identifying, preserving and promoting Buckhead’s historic resources for future generations. Helget died in 2021.

In the roughly two decades since the organization was founded, it has taken on projects ranging from the upkeep of 10 historic cemeteries, including Harmony Grove, Mt. Olive, New Hope AME and Sardis, to the installation of Buckhead Storylines, a series of markers that highlight the history behind notable sites across the community.

The group also worked to relocate the Randolph-Lucas House to Ansley Park in 2013 after it was threatened with demolition, and it has recorded oral histories from longtime residents since 2009 to preserve firsthand accounts of the area’s evolution. Buckhead Heritage also recognizes a Preservationist of the Year and Volunteer of the Year to honor community members who support its mission.

“Buckhead Heritage’s goal has always been to protect the history and authenticity of Buckhead,” Waterhouse said.

Credit: Phoo

Credit: Phoo

Waterhouse hopes having the headquarters in this building will make Buckhead Heritage more recognizable and accessible to the community, as the group seeks more members, sponsors and contributions for preservation and programming.

“This building has served Buckhead for more than a century,” said Ivan Allen IV, who oversaw the agreement on behalf of the organization, in a statement. “With the community’s support, it will continue to do so for generations to come.”