#walter downing

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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! 

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Atlanta Design Commission on The Healey Building

From Atlanta’s Lasting Landmarks, book published in 1987 by Atlanta Urban Design Commission, City of Atlanta:

Healey Building 57 Forsyth Street, N.E. Morgan and Dillon, Architects W.T. Downing, Associated Architect 1913, National Register Property UCD Property

Designed by well-known Atlanta architects Morgan and Dillon, in association with W.T. Downing, the Healey Building was completed in 1913. Its Commercial style incorporates Tudor-Gothic details into the design. As in many buildings of this era, including the Hurt, Candler, and Standard Federal, the entrance-floor extends from the street on one side completely through the block to the street on the other side.

The original design of the Healey Building contemplated twin towers joined by a low connecting element containing a lighted top rotunda. Only the Forsyth Street tower and central rotunda were completed, however A familiar site on the walking tour of the downtown Fairlie-Poplar District, the Healey Building is now being rehabilitated.

Notice how the renovation, which was not then complete, is mentioned towards the end. The AIA guide to Atlanta, which I will quote later on, has more about that.

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Walter T. Downing was apparently the major designer for this later and atypical Atlanta skyscraper. Acclaimed by many Atlanta architects as the best of the early skyscrapers, its antecedents were clearly Gothic Revival. Gothic details ornament the unusual projecting first story shop windows, the cornice edges, the ribbed elevator lobby ceiling, and interior court space originally intended as a connection to a second tower portion that was never built. Downing, who constantly experimented in his building with a variety of formal elements, created here an effectively simple office tower slab.

Atlanta Architecture: The Victorian Heritage: 1837-1918

From the catalog by Elizabeth A. Lyon prepared for a 1976 exhibit at the Atlanta Historical Society

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If you’re reading this, you likely know the Healey. But what you do know about the man who designed it, Walter Downing? And do you know what other Atlanta buildings he was responsible for? Here is his obituary in the paper of record

Walter T. Downing, Atlanta architect, died on Thursday

The Atlanta Constitution Nov. 2, 1918

Word was received in Atlanta Friday [October 31] of the death late Thursday night in Philadelphia of Walter T. Downing, one of the leading architects of the city. Mr. Downing was in Philadelphia on a combination business and pleasure trip, and was accompanied by his wife and daughters. About one week ago he sustained injuries which culminated in his death when he was run over by a large touring car. The car was driven by its owner, who has been arrested and bound over.

It was thought for several days after the accident that Mr. Downing would recover, but despite the best medical care and nursing, he passed away on Thursday night. Mrs. Downing and his two daughters were with him at the time of his death.

Mr. Downing was 53 years old, having been born in Boston, Mass., on April 7, 1865. He came to Atlanta when about seven or eight years old, and was educated in the public schools of the city.

Distinguished architect

He bore a distinguished reputation as an architect, and had won his high standing in the profession solely on his own efforts. He was a self-educated man and largely as a consequence of this, was a man whose many fine characteristics were not all evident on the surface to the casual beholder. He was a man of high sensitiveness, strong ambition and high self-culture. He was highly educated among mathematical lines, and accomplished in artistic scholarship and training.

He was an amateur musician of rare ability, and his home life possessed a charm and beauty only rarely found.

Mr. Downing began his professional career in association with Mr. Wheeler, and his first work was connected with the rebuilding of the old Kimball house. Later Mr. Downing took over the business himself, at the time being engaged in the erection of the Sam Inman home, which he carried to completion.

In 1890 he opened an office for private practice of his profession, and conducted it with signal ability and success. He represented most significantly the pioneer work of the best ideals in architecture, not only in this city, but abroad throughout the entire country.

Professionally, Mr. Downing's chief gift was in the designing of homes, and among those able to afford it it became to be a popular thing to possess a “Downing home.” He also attained high success in commercial and other fields.

Designed Many Buildings

He was associate architect for the Third National Bank Building, Healey building and Oglethorpe University building, as well as for a number of buildings in the Atlanta exposition of the nineties. He was on the Chamber of Commerce committee which was instrumental in the foundation of the Southeastern fair and was personally largely responsible for the artistic consummation of many of the ideas in this enterprise.

Among the best known pieces of his work are the residences of John Grant, Robert F. Maddox, E.P. McBurney, Mrs. J.M. High, Mel Wilkinson, Frank Inman, Hugh Richardson and others; the First Presbyterian Church on Peachtree Street, Trinity Methodist, and the Davison-Paxson-Stokes building and others.

He is survived by his wife, one son, Capt. Francis P. Downing, of the intelligence department, now in France, and has two daughters, Misses Elizabeth and Nancy Downing

Mr. Downing was a member of the American Institute of Architects and a past-president of the Georgia chapter of that body. He was a member of the Capital City Club, Druid Hills and Atlanta Athletic clubs.

The body will arrive here from Philadelphia on Saturday night and the funeral will be held from St. Luke's Episcopal church, of which she was a member, probably on Sunday, arrangements to be announced later.