Kirkwood, Atlanta

Kirkwood is a national historic designated neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is a historic streetcar suburb, and was designed by architect Will Saunders. Kirkwood is situated entirely in DeKalb County, bordered by the neighborhoods of Lake Claire, East Lake, Edgewood, and Oakhurst. Kirkwood is bound on the north by DeKalb Avenue, on the south by Memorial Drive and Interstate 20, on the west by Montgomery Street, and on the east by 1st Ave.

History

Prior to the Civil War, the most prominent landholders in early Kirkwood were the Kirkpatrick, Dunwoody, and Clay families. The name Kirkwood was likely derived from a blending of the Kirkpatrick and Dunwoody family names.

James H. Kirkpatrick (1778–1853), a native of Ireland, settled in the area in 1827 and owned thousands of acres of property in Land Lots 111 and 112, in what are now the north Kirkwood and Lake Claire neighborhoods. His plantation estate was located just to the north of Georgia Railroad line near the vicinity of East Lake Road. At the time of his death, James Kirkpatrick’s personal estate was considered one of the largest in DeKalb County.