DuPre Excelsior Mill
Encyclopedia
The Masquerade is a mid-sized concert venue located in Atlanta, Georgia
, United States. The venue has both indoor and outdoor concert space, and the live music mostly consists of alternative music styles, such as Indie rock
, Metal
, Punk Rock
, Rockabilly
, and Electronic
.
in the Poncey-Highland
neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia
. The mill may have been built as early as 1890 by DuPre Manufacturing Co (or Du Pree Manufacturing Company as referred to on contemporary maps ). However, the mill fails to appear on Atlanta city maps in 1892 as well as 1899 which show the property as vacant.
The first possible reference to the mill exist in the report of the death of Hubert Neal on July 17, 1899. According to the report, his accident occurred at the Atlanta Excelsior Works (which may or may not be the same facility since a the time there were 3 excelsior factories in Atlanta). The earliest concrete confirmation of the mill seems to be three lawsuits filed against Dupre in 1907 for accidents that occurred at the facility.
The mill does appear on the Sanborn-Perris Fire Insurance map of 1911 (section 250). At that time, the only road connecting it was Angier Street. It was noted to have been heated by Steam power, have no lights, a private water supply from a well 10 feet in diameter and 40 feet deep. A watchman makes hourly rounds to seven stations.
The actual equipment required to run the mill was relatively simple:
• a small emery grinding machine
• a grind stone
• a saw table
• a bailing press.
• An engine and a boiler
In 1886, the cost for the actual excelsior grinder was $125 for the best grade on the market. The more machines, the greater the output. Staffing was simple a manager with "a boy" could run up to four machines. Additional workers would be needed to move the 200 pounds (90.7 kg) excelsior bails.
In 1918, the salary for the operator averaged $11–14 weekly.
The Post-depression era saw an expansion of the mill in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Unfortunately, after the Second World War, the demand for excelsior was radically reduced. The introduction of foam rubber virtually eliminated the use of excelsior as stuffing material. Even so, the secondary packing material market continued for a short time.
By the mid 1960s, the demand for excelsior was gone and the mill operated more as a storage facility than active production facility. In 1977, all the major mills in the Atlanta area shut their doors.
In 1977-1978, the mill was converted over to a pizzeria and barrio. With a Wurlitzer
Organ as part of the setting, the Excelsior Mill featured everything from movies to bands to Shakespearian plays over its decade long run, the pizza and barrio house survived until 1989. The Excelsior Mill is fondly remembered by blues fans as the residence in later years of blues legend Willie "Piano Red" Perryman. and an in-house pipe organ
.
In September 1989, it became The Masquerade, now a well-known nightclub
and concert venue.
In January 2006, the club was sold to developers Poncey Highlands Investors, who agreed not to destroy the building, for which many locals are seeking historic designation.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States. The venue has both indoor and outdoor concert space, and the live music mostly consists of alternative music styles, such as Indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, Punk Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, Rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, and Electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
History
The building was once the Dupre Excelsior Mill (the actual name as of 1911 was "Du Pree Manufacturing Company Excelsior Factory") is a former excelsior mill located at 695 North AvenueNorth Avenue (Atlanta)
North Avenue in Atlanta is a major avenue in Atlanta that divides Downtown Atlanta from Midtown Atlanta. North Avenue stretches continuously in Atlanta from Candler Park in the east, across Interstate 75 & Interstate 85, along the southern boundary of the Georgia Institute of Technology, to Joseph E...
in the Poncey-Highland
Poncey-Highland
Poncey-Highland is a neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, located south of Virginia-Highland. It so named because it is near the intersection of east/west Ponce de Leon Avenue and north/southwest North Highland Avenue. This Atlanta neighborhood was established between 1905 and 1930,...
neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The mill may have been built as early as 1890 by DuPre Manufacturing Co (or Du Pree Manufacturing Company as referred to on contemporary maps ). However, the mill fails to appear on Atlanta city maps in 1892 as well as 1899 which show the property as vacant.
The first possible reference to the mill exist in the report of the death of Hubert Neal on July 17, 1899. According to the report, his accident occurred at the Atlanta Excelsior Works (which may or may not be the same facility since a the time there were 3 excelsior factories in Atlanta). The earliest concrete confirmation of the mill seems to be three lawsuits filed against Dupre in 1907 for accidents that occurred at the facility.
The mill does appear on the Sanborn-Perris Fire Insurance map of 1911 (section 250). At that time, the only road connecting it was Angier Street. It was noted to have been heated by Steam power, have no lights, a private water supply from a well 10 feet in diameter and 40 feet deep. A watchman makes hourly rounds to seven stations.
The actual equipment required to run the mill was relatively simple:
• a small emery grinding machine
• a grind stone
• a saw table
• a bailing press.
• An engine and a boiler
In 1886, the cost for the actual excelsior grinder was $125 for the best grade on the market. The more machines, the greater the output. Staffing was simple a manager with "a boy" could run up to four machines. Additional workers would be needed to move the 200 pounds (90.7 kg) excelsior bails.
In 1918, the salary for the operator averaged $11–14 weekly.
The Post-depression era saw an expansion of the mill in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Unfortunately, after the Second World War, the demand for excelsior was radically reduced. The introduction of foam rubber virtually eliminated the use of excelsior as stuffing material. Even so, the secondary packing material market continued for a short time.
By the mid 1960s, the demand for excelsior was gone and the mill operated more as a storage facility than active production facility. In 1977, all the major mills in the Atlanta area shut their doors.
In 1977-1978, the mill was converted over to a pizzeria and barrio. With a Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
Organ as part of the setting, the Excelsior Mill featured everything from movies to bands to Shakespearian plays over its decade long run, the pizza and barrio house survived until 1989. The Excelsior Mill is fondly remembered by blues fans as the residence in later years of blues legend Willie "Piano Red" Perryman. and an in-house pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
In September 1989, it became The Masquerade, now a well-known nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and concert venue.
In January 2006, the club was sold to developers Poncey Highlands Investors, who agreed not to destroy the building, for which many locals are seeking historic designation.