Homeowners Terri and Loren Heyns bought their Queen Anne
Victorian bungalow in 2000, nearly 100 years after its original construction
when Grant Park was just a short walk from a booming railway industry.
In
fact, many of the local homeowners took in short-term tenants from the railway
like cross-country travelers, train engineers and train staff. Many homes near
the railway at the time were designed to neatly accommodate this custom,
including this one where the large entrance area was intended to store
wooden travel chests, just like the red one on display tonight.
When you first walk up to the home, you’ll notice
something unusual behind the climbing fig and cultured vines: brick columns.
The home’s original owners owned a successful brick factory. Soon after
completing 465 Oakland, they built the home next door as their family
grew. Thus, both homes have brick porch columns, a rarity in Grant Park.
As you tour the home, you’ll see artwork created by local children, which harkens to the homeowner’s years of involvement
with the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool. Even the mirror in the entrance is decorated with small toys
glued in place by two year olds, while the skyscraper painting
in the dining room emerged from the minds of traveling tots who recounted their
downtown Atlanta excursion.
The whimsical armoire cabinet in the entrance was painted
by local Grant Park artist Pat Berryhill. The picture of the guitar player was
created by driving over a piece of metal with a truck, while other images are
made from old soda cans. As you may conclude, Georgia folk art is a
favorite of the homeowners - in fact,
Terri and Loren’s very first date was to an art show in East Atlanta.
The murals in the kitchen were painted by a guest, while
the kitchen’s tin ceiling was shipped to Atlanta from Oklahoma. A painting of
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge under construction and a vintage Southern
California beauty pageant photo both hearken to Loren’s d
ays on the west coast.
As for the original character of the home itself, the unique fluted plinths at the top of the window and door moldings are original
to the home, as are the stained glass windows, the immaculately-kept fireplace
tiles, and the wooden hallway apothecary case. And if you look carefully at the
wall to the right of the case, you’ll see where a door once connected to the
kitchen. The laundry area was once a back porch and a coal burning stove
once resided where the dishwasher is.
Terri, Loren, and children Ethan and Abbey hope you enjoy
your visit to their old stomping grounds on Oakland Avenue, and look forward to
having tourgoers someday soon at their new home on Grant Street near the Neighborhood Charter School.
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