Building of the Week: Rhodes Hall, Atlanta Georgia

Rhodes Hall, 1904
The Georgia Trust

Atlanta’s Rhodes Hall, also known as the “Castle on Peachtree Street,” is considered by Georgians to be the finest example of Belle Époque architecture in the state. Built in 1904 for furniture magnate Amos Rhodes, the Romanesque Revival mansion was the crown jewel of Peachtree Street during an era when the wealthy competed for prominence.

Rhodes Hall today
The Georgia Trust

With its imposing walls and turrets of granite from Georgia’s famed Stone Mountain, the house puts one in mind of a European castle. In fact, this is just what Amos Rhodes wanted. After he and his wife visited Europe in the 1890’s, they were terribly impressed by the architecture they saw. Rhodes hired celebrated architect Willis F. Denny II to create a castle for his family—specifically in the Romanesque style. Denny, however, noted that Romanesque Revival was starting to become out of vogue. So, he created a unique style of his own heavily influenced by late Victorian trends, with its roots in the Romanesque. The result was a mansion which became the envy of everyone on Peachtree Street.

One of the Original Light Fixtures
The Georgia Trust

The interior of the house was wired for electric light during construction. Over three hundred light fixtures illuminated the mansion with an unprecedented brightness. The walls were upholstered in specially designed silk damask surrounded by opulent mahogany moldings and the ceilings were hand-painted with frescoes. The centerpiece of the mansion was the sweeping mahogany staircase surrounded by painted glass windows which featured scenes and portraits of The Civil War.

In 1927, upon the death of Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes, their children gave the house (and one of its original 114 acres) to the state of Georgia with the stipulation that it only be used for “historical purposes.” And, it was—mostly. From 1930-1965, the mansion served as the State Archives. During this time period, the house was stripped of its wall coverings and the magnificent staircase was removed and taken to be stored in another facility.

The Grand Staircase
The Georgia Trust

By 1983, the mansion was in a bad state of repair when it was taken over by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The GTHP began restoring the house to its original grandeur. By 1990, the original staircase and painted windows had been returned to their rightful homes, replicas of the frescoes were expertly painted on the ceilings, original light fixtures were returned and the ornate woodwork was stripped of many layers of pain and restored to their original finishes. For awhile, the house was used as a “Haunted House” during many a Halloween. Thankfully, that tradition has been stopped. Now, the house functions as a museum and gathering space, allowing it to proudly flaunt its original beauty.

The restored parlor
The Georgia Trust

For more information about Rhodes Hall, visit the Georgia Trust Web site. The house was also featured recently on SyFy’s Ghost Hunters. The episode airs again tonight, Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time. Just be forewarned that there's an unfortunate appearance by "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" which is, frankly, more chilling than anything spectral the investigators might have found in the house.