Atlanta - Margaret Mitchell Identify Museum

The Margaret Mitchell House is a historic theatre museum located inward Atlanta. The construction was the habitation of writer Margaret Mitchell. Located inward Midtown, at 990 Peachtree Street, the theatre was known every bit the Crescent Apartments when Mitchell as well as her married adult man lived inward Apt. 1 on the dry reason flooring from 1925 to 1932. While living there, Mitchell wrote the mass of her Pulitzer prize-winning novel, Gone amongst the Wind. The theatre also contains a Visitor Center, as well as a part of the museum is wholly devoted to the filming of the 1939 cinema based on the book.

House history

The theatre was built every bit a single-family residence inward 1899. Commercial evolution speedily overtook the neighborhood, however, as well as inward 1907 the master copy theatre unit of measurement moved to Druid Hills. The theatre changed hands several times until the wintertime of 1913-1914 when the theatre was moved onto a novel basement story constructed on the nurture of the lot. Given a Crescent Avenue address, the edifice was remodeled inward 1919 as well as converted into a ten-unit even out building, known every bit the Crescent Apartments, as well as "three brick stores" were built where the theatre had originally sat. Located inward what was thence Atlanta's largest trouble organisation district exterior of downtown, only about trolley lines, as well as walking distance from her parents' house, the Crescent Apartments was habitation to Margaret Mitchell as well as John Marsh when they married inward July 1925.

Unfortunately, the building's possessor became over-extended, as well as it was sold at auction inward 1926. The adjacent owner, too, was driven to bankruptcy when the stock marketplace crashed inward 1929. Maintenance declined, contributing to Mitchell's characterization of their even out every bit "the Dump." By the autumn of 1931, in that location were alone 2 occupied apartments inward the building, i of which belonged to the Marshes, but they, too, moved to a larger even out a few blocks away inward the restrict of 1932.

With a novel owner, the Crescent Apartments were revived as well as continued to attract tenants until presently afterwards World War II. By then, the edifice was inward pitiable condition, as well as inward 1946 the porches were removed from the Crescent Avenue side of the building. (The master copy forepart porches were lost when the edifice was moved inward 1913). By the 1950s, the edifice was by as well as large vacant as well as overdue for rehabilitation. There were a few commercial tenants, as well as the quondam apartments were pop amongst Georgia Tech students. In 1964, the opening nearby of Ansley Mall signaled the expiry knell for the quondam commercial district on Peachtree Street betwixt eighth as well as 14th, but at the same fourth dimension the Crescent Apartments got a much-needed rehab as well as were reborn every bit the Windsor House Apartments.

 In 1977, the in conclusion tenants were evicted as well as the edifice boarded upwards past times a novel possessor who intended a major redevelopment of the area. By the fourth dimension he as well as his society went bankrupt inward the belatedly 1980s, their alone accomplishment was construction of a novel component subdivision edifice at Tenth as well as W. Peachtree as well as the razing of dozens of historic buildings inward the area. The quondam Crescent Apartments continued to deteriorate, specially afterwards a burn downwardly was gear upwards inward the southwest corner of the edifice did fry harm inward the belatedly 1980s. However, some other fire, presumed to endure arson, destroyed much of the edifice inward September 1994.[3] At the time, the roof of the theatre was covered amongst thousands of condom gloves every bit component subdivision of an off-site fine art installation related to the Piedmont Arts Festival, but this was non considered a ingredient inward the extent of the damage.

Through the efforts of Mary Rose Taylor, full demolition of the edifice was averted, as well as amongst the corporate back upwards of Daimler-Benz, restoration began inward 1995 nether the administration of the Atlanta architectural trouble solid of Surber, Barber, Choate, as well as Hertlein. Because the commercial buildings on Peachtree were gone, the master copy Tudor Revival facade of the theatre was i time to a greater extent than visible as well as it was decided to restore that facade to its appearance earlier the theatre was moved inward 1914. At the same time, the master copy Crescent Avenue facade of the Crescent Apartments would endure restored thence that visitors could sense the even out edifice that Mitchell knew. In May 1996, days earlier it was slated to opened upwards every bit the Margaret Mitchell House Museum, arsonists struck again, as well as the edifice was i time to a greater extent than gutted past times fire. Ironically, through the serial of fires, Apartment #1 escaped amongst alone fry damage. After the fire, restoration began anew, as well as the restored theatre finally opened to Earth inward 1997.

The theatre is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Museum

Docents guide visitors through the theatre as well as the even out to larn of Mitchell's life inward Atlanta, of facts surrounding her writing the novel, as well as of how the volume advanced toward publication inward North America as well as inward non-Anglophone countries.

In 1999, the Margaret Mitchell House acquired what had been a branch of a local bank, BankSouth, located across Crescent Avenue from the house. That edifice is directly the film museum. Several collectors of "GWTW" film memorabilia receive got donated parts of their collections for display inward the novel museum. Among these artifacts are photos taken during the movie's 1939 premiere inward Atlanta; the master copy entryway to the Hollywood film gear upwards of the O'Hara home, Tara; and, recognizable to the movie's aficionados, the portrait of Scarlett O'Hara from the Butler Mansion.

The Museum is directly owned as well as operated past times the Atlanta History Center.