The Former Nicolson Family Home in Atlanta, Georgia
Formerly the Shellmont Inn and now once again a private residence, this 1892 home on Piedmont Avenue was designed by none other than Walter Downing, the architecture of the Healey Building.
Per this wonderful 2014 article on History Atlanta (from whom I borrowed photos), it was one of the first structures built in Midtown Atlanta, which at that time was the “frontier” as far as dwellings for Atlanta’s elite was concerned. However, by the 1890s with the Atlanta streetcar expanding northward, the area was now more accessible. By 1893, shortly after this home was completed, the Peachtree was extended to Eight Street (8th St.)
The original owners of the home were Dr. William Perrin Nicolson, who had it built as a wedding gift for his new bride, Carolyn Crane.
On Dr. Nicolson:
Dr. Nicolson would practice and teach medicine in the Atlanta for more than 30 years. He was a visiting staff member at many early Atlanta hospitals, president of the Medical Association of Georgia and the Atlanta Academy of Medicine and founded the Southern Dental College. He had offices is hospitals and one source indicated the Healey Building, but he also maintained an office in this magnificent home.
Note that his office may have been at the Healey at one time! The doctor lived with his wife and kids in the house until the end of his life in 1928. His family continued to live there.
The History Atlanta article has a wonderful description of Downing and his style:
The creativity of Downing shines in this Eclectic Colonial Revival creation; many consider it his masterpiece when it comes to the residences he designed. And he designed many homes throughout the South including the Wimbish House. Oh yeah, he also designed early commercial skyscrapers (he assisted in the design of the Healey Building) and churches such as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Downtown Atlanta.
Downing loved to put a personal touch on classic revival designs along with utilizing traditional surfaces in unusual ways. All of this is evident in the Nicolson home. Here are some of the many terms thrown around by writers describing the Shellmont Inn: shells, Ionic columns, corner pilasters, shell patterns, garlands, molded caps, Adamesque swag relief, support capitals, more shells, tongue and groove vertical siding, clapboard siding, projecting bay, board and batten, egg and dart, friezes, dormers and so much more.
Windows are cleverly placed and each seems to offer a different size and style, from hexagons to ovals to archways. Everywhere you look the home offers a tiny detail cunningly placed by Downing. And it must have pleased Carolyn in her later years the neighborhood became populated. The home stayed in the Nicolson family well after her death.
The home was purchased by Debbie and Ed McCord directly from the Nicolson family in 1982. The couple completed an epic restoration:
To realize this dream the McCords performed extensive renovations from the seven roofs down to the foundation. They have stripped paint to discover the original wall decorations and reworked the electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. Inspired by the many shells and their location on Piedmont, they opened in 1984 under the name the Shellmont Inn.
Read the full article and see many more fantastic photos over on Atlanta History!