Atlanta literally rose from the ashes after the civil war, rebuilding its center into a national metropolitan hub and establishing itself as the unofficial capital of the New South. During the late 20th century, the city embraced the global trend of modern architecture, replacing many historical properties with new construction. A backlash among preservationists ensued and, in recent years, a cadre of concerned citizens who aim to protect the city’s landmarks from demolition has emerged. Stuart Noel, Ph.D., and Dr. Joseph Bishop are among those history-loving enthusiasts. They are leading the effort by raising awareness and making thoughtful lifestyle choices—like moving to Reid House, a historic property on Peachtree Street that is now celebrating its centennial.
“Joseph and I have a keen interest in historic preservation and are longtime members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the Atlanta Preservation Center and the Atlanta History Center,” says Noel, a professor of English at Georgia State University whose credentials include a doctorate in English in addition to degrees in fashion merchandising and interior design from Auburn University.
Since moving into Reid House, Noel has chaired the building’s Landscape Committee and now serves as an officer on the HOA Board of Directors. The couple are active members of the Ansley Park Neighborhood Association, and Noel serves on the association’s History and Preservation Committee.
“When we decided to downsize in late 2019, there was no question that we’d look for a unit in our favorite historic Atlanta condominium building, Reid House. It’s across from the High Museum and Woodruff Arts Center—it checked all the boxes for us,” he says.
Built in 1924 on a main thoroughfare known for its wealth of historic landmarks, the iconic Reid House is a rare example in Atlanta of a Manhattan-style “classic six and classic eight” pre-war apartment building, with apartments that feature a primary bedroom, guest room, living and dining rooms, a library, kitchen and sunroom. Atlanta’s growth came from its prominence as a railroad town, linking the South with other parts of the country. And since development came later, many of the city’s landmarks share the characteristics of modern architecture in common with buildings in the Northeast and Midwest.
The iconic building was designed by classically trained architects Neel Reid and Philip Shutze and was originally known as Garrison Luxury Apartments. In 1974, the building was sold, renamed Reid House (in honor of Neel Reid) and converted to luxury condominiums.
“The building’s design is also unique in Atlanta,” notes Noel. “The facade gives the appearance of one building, but it’s actually divided in the center, and there are two entrance lobbies. There are four stacks of apartments that share two elevators, so you have this beautiful, formal vestibule you only share with one other apartment—they’re semiprivate.”
The dual entryways flow into sprawling wood-paneled lobbies with original black-and-white marble tile floors. Noel says the original brass mailboxes are reminiscent of Holly Golightly’s mailbox in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, based on the novella by Truman Capote. Noel founded the Truman Capote Literary Society and has a book coming out entitled Studies in the Works and Life of Truman Capote (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, London).
“The building is full of character. Our floor plan has a formal foyer that leads into a large living room with a working fireplace, a generous-size formal dining room with French doors that open to a sunroom with a beautiful view of Ansley Park, developed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s chief surveyor and protégé Salon Z. Ruff,” says Noel. The “father of landscape architecture” designed 100 parks, including New York’s Central Park.
An appreciation for timeless beauty fuels the couple’s passion for all things historic—like the original 1924 Alabama marble slabs in the Reid House primary bath. The stone lends a feeling, Noel says with a laugh, of what the bathrooms on the Titanic may have looked like.
“Our last home was a large 1935 Tudor-style home in Morningside/Johnson Estates,” explains Noel. “We went to great lengths to keep the interior and exterior as original as possible while updating aging systems and refreshing original details and characteristics. After we added a loggia and terraces that opened onto a classically designed swimming pool and symmetrical garden, the house was featured in the July 2006 issue of Southern Living magazine.”
Ready for a new project, the couple sold the Tudor in 2020 and focused on the Reid House, which had already undergone a major renovation in 1974 that left many of the 1920s features intact.
“We had seen a two-floor apartment in Reid House in 2010 on a Neel Reid Tour of Homes in Ansley Park, which reminded us of our dear friend Tina Radziwill’s Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan,” recalls Noel. “The following year, Tina’s mother, Lee Bouvier Radziwill, invited us to visit her at her apartment in Paris on Avenue Montaigne. What really impressed us was the stunning, light-filled airiness of her home. The unit we found at Reid House is filled with windows that allow a glorious amount of light into every room. And everywhere you look, there are features from the 1920s.”
All the interior design and décor choices in the home were made by Noel and Bishop. Their sensibilities have been informed by extensive travel abroad, family heirlooms and years of renovation experience. “I’ve always had an affinity for fashion and interior design,” notes Noel.
Louis XVI rules throughout the 2,000-square-foot space, with nods to other European and American craftmanship. The heart of the home is anchored by a formal Empire-style dining table from J. Tribble that was made in England. The table’s centerpiece is a period Empire compote from Paris the couple bought at auction in New York. The Big Chandelier in Midtown Atlanta provided the period Empire chandelier with an unusual detail that had caught their eye: a recurring motif of a ram’s head.
“Interestingly enough, the pediment on the front of Reid House has a similar motif, so we thought it was meant to be,” says Noel. “And then we purchased a new solid brass door knocker with a ram’s head motif from Architectural Accents in Buckhead.”
A pair of precious Louis XVI fauteuil armchairs were re-covered with silk “Vernet Bleu” fabric from The House of Scalamandré.
The color palette varies throughout the home, with a spectrum of choices that run from the neutral “Amazing Gray” by Sherwin-Williams to hues that pop, like the dining room’s “Carter Plum” from Benjamin Moore’s Williamsburg Collection.
Noel says the floors in almost every room are covered with antique French Aubusson rugs purchased from Sharian Rugs in Decatur.
The couple’s taste in artwork is eclectic. Their collection includes an oil painting of a whippet in three different stances, called Bruno’s World by Miami-based artist Gregory Eltringham, and Frank Oldfield’s moody portrait of actor Montgomery Clift—a favorite of Noel’s.
“It’s really a beautiful place to live,” muses Noel. “We have Midtown out our front door and Ansley Park and Piedmont Park out our back door. It’s the perfect combination of a historic Manhattan property and the ‘City of Trees.’” *
Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com).
