The Wall's Origin: Proposed Community Stabilization Plan

The story of the wall began in Peyton Forest, an upscale, all-white subdivision of Atlanta’s Cascade Heights. Homeowners in Peyton Forest became unnerved when Dr. Clinton Warner, a black physician, bought a house within their subdivision. His mere presence seemed to confirm the long-held fears among the Peytonites of expanding black settlement, falling property values, and racial unrest. Determined to head off any of these issues, they turned to local government.

Ultimately, the white citizens submitted a report to Mayor Allen titled “Proposed Community Stabilization Plan Peyton, Harlan and Willis Mill Road Area” (see document below). The report asked the mayor to close the aforementioned roads to prevent the expansion of black neighborhoods into what was deemed white areas. The report claimed such a closure was necessary as “in the past several years, the subject communities have been plagued with racial tensions, losses in property values, and a general disruption of the peaceful and tranquil conditions normally characterizing these communities. Citizens have become increasingly distraught over the prospects of seeing their homes absorbed by the rapidly expanding Negro community lying to the north.” This plan, they claimed, would be mutually beneficial to black and white communities alike. While white communities would be allowed to maintain their separation, the plan “offer[ed] the Negro citizens a tremendous advantage by providing them with approximately 250 acres of land, heretofore not available, for residential development." The plan also “include[d] the construction of additional roads for the Negro citizens to permit their access to the proposed residential development.” Mayor Allen, agreeing to the proposed terms, green lit the project in 1962.

The documents on the left feature not only the submitted plan, but also maps of where the wall was placed. Click on the documents to read the full report or to see the map in full size.