North Druid Hills, Georgia
Encyclopedia
North Druid Hills, known alternatively as Briarcliff, is an unincorporated community
and census-designated place
(North Druid Hills CDP) in DeKalb County
, Georgia
, United States
. The population was 18,947 at the 2010 census. The center of the area is the intersection of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills roads. Among local residents and Metro Atlantans, the area is commonly known as Briarcliff, in addition to North Druid Hills. The Briarcliff name is seen in the names of area subdivisions and shopping centers, and also sees use in government facilities, such as the Briarcliff Library and Briarcliff High School
, both now closed.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), of which 0.20% is water. The CDP boundaries are:
The North Druid Hills CDP has two large professional office parks on the south side of Interstate 85. Executive Park and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are on the west and east sides of North Druid Hills Road, respectively. In addition to the commercial development around these office parks, there is a second commercial district known as the Toco Hills shopping center at North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road.
of 2000, there were 18,852 people, 9,760 households, and 3,074 families residing in the CDP. Population density
was 3,790.0 people per square mile (1,464.5/km²). There were 10,240 housing units at an average density of 2,058.7/sq mi (795.5/km²). CDP ethnic makeup was 82.50% White, 7.30% African American, 0.15% Native American, 4.32% Hispanic or Latino (any race), 6.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races
, and 1.85% from two or more races.
There were 9,760 households, of which 10.0% had children under age 18 living with them, 24.9% are married couples
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 68.5% were non-families. 45.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Average household size was 1.84 and average family size was 2.67.
CDP population had 9.9% under age 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 40.8% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were age 65 or over. Median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 or over, there were 92.3 males.
CDP household median income was $48,530, and family median income was $67,956 (these figures rose to $49,790 and $82,003 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,313 versus $37,327 for females. CDP per capita income
was $33,288. About 4.9% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Major Washington Jackson Houston owned land on the north side of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, in what is now the North Druid Hills CDP. Visitors used to visit Major Houston to buy ground cornmeal
produced by his 1876 gristmill
or to attend social gatherings held on his property. Major Houston converted the mill into an early hydroelectric plant circa 1900. Atlanta contractor Harry J. Carr bought Houston's land in the 1920s and constructed the fieldstone
and wrought iron
home now known as the Houston Mill House. Emory University
purchased the home in the 1960s and renovated it. Houston Mill House
, located at 849 Houston Mill Road, is now open for dining and special events.
operates the Druid Hills Post Office at 1799 Briarcliff Road NE in the CDP.
is in the North Druid Hills CDP.
serves the CDP. Briar Vista Elementary School, the zoned school of North Druid Hills, is in the CDP. Residents zoned to Briar Vista are also zoned to Shamrock Middle School (in North Decatur CDP
) and Druid Hills High School
(in Druid Hills CDP
).
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
operates the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, a parochial school, at 2855 Briarcliff Road in the CDP.
Private schools:
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(North Druid Hills CDP) in DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 18,947 at the 2010 census. The center of the area is the intersection of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills roads. Among local residents and Metro Atlantans, the area is commonly known as Briarcliff, in addition to North Druid Hills. The Briarcliff name is seen in the names of area subdivisions and shopping centers, and also sees use in government facilities, such as the Briarcliff Library and Briarcliff High School
Briarcliff High School (DeKalb County, Georgia)
Briarcliff High School was a public high school opened by the DeKalb County School System in 1958 in order to relieve overcrowding at Druid Hills High School...
, both now closed.
Geography
North Druid Hills is located at 33.819654°N 84.328061°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), of which 0.20% is water. The CDP boundaries are:
- Interstate 85Interstate 85Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
to the north, across which is the Buford HighwayBuford HighwayBuford Highway is an international community along and on either side of a stretch of Georgia State Route 13 in DeKalb County, Georgia. It begins just north of Midtown Atlanta, continues northeast through the towns of Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville, and ends northeast of the Perimeter at the...
corridor and Brookhaven (North Atlanta CDP)Brookhaven, GeorgiaBrookhaven is an unincorporated community located on the western edge of DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, directly northeast of Atlanta. Most of the area was formerly incorporated as the city of North Atlanta, which disincorporated during the 1960s... - Clairmont Road and the North Decatur CDPNorth Decatur, GeorgiaNorth Decatur is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 16,698 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Decatur is located at ....
and city of DecaturDecatur, GeorgiaDecatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
to the east - the South Fork of Peachtree CreekPeachtree CreekPeachtree Creek is a major stream in Atlanta. It flows for almost due west into the Chattahoochee River just south of Vinings. Like other "Peachtree" names in the area, the name is most likely a corruption of "pitch tree", from the area's many pines and their sticky sap.Peachtree Creek is an...
and the Druid Hills CDPDruid Hills, GeorgiaDruid Hills is a community which includes both a census-designated place in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, as well as a neighborhood of the city of Atlanta. The CDP's population was 14,568 at the 2010 census...
to the south, and - the DeKalb County boundary and the BuckheadBuckhead (Atlanta)Buckhead is the uptown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown and Midtown...
community of the city of Atlanta to the west
The North Druid Hills CDP has two large professional office parks on the south side of Interstate 85. Executive Park and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are on the west and east sides of North Druid Hills Road, respectively. In addition to the commercial development around these office parks, there is a second commercial district known as the Toco Hills shopping center at North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,852 people, 9,760 households, and 3,074 families residing in the CDP. Population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,790.0 people per square mile (1,464.5/km²). There were 10,240 housing units at an average density of 2,058.7/sq mi (795.5/km²). CDP ethnic makeup was 82.50% White, 7.30% African American, 0.15% Native American, 4.32% Hispanic or Latino (any race), 6.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.85% from two or more races.
There were 9,760 households, of which 10.0% had children under age 18 living with them, 24.9% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 68.5% were non-families. 45.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Average household size was 1.84 and average family size was 2.67.
CDP population had 9.9% under age 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 40.8% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were age 65 or over. Median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 or over, there were 92.3 males.
CDP household median income was $48,530, and family median income was $67,956 (these figures rose to $49,790 and $82,003 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,313 versus $37,327 for females. CDP per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
was $33,288. About 4.9% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
History and architecture
An early settler in this part of DeKalb County was Chapman Powell, whose "Medicine House" cabin was built near 1218 Clairmont Road. (It has been preserved and relocated to Stone Mountain Park.) Dr. Powell (1798–1870) owned most of the land in the Candler Lake and South Fork Peachtree Creek area during his lifetime. His land was later purchased by Walter Candler.Major Washington Jackson Houston owned land on the north side of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, in what is now the North Druid Hills CDP. Visitors used to visit Major Houston to buy ground cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
produced by his 1876 gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
or to attend social gatherings held on his property. Major Houston converted the mill into an early hydroelectric plant circa 1900. Atlanta contractor Harry J. Carr bought Houston's land in the 1920s and constructed the fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
and wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
home now known as the Houston Mill House. Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
purchased the home in the 1960s and renovated it. Houston Mill House
Historic mills of the Atlanta area
There were several historic mills around the metro Atlanta area, for which many of its current-day roads are still named. Most of the mills date back to the 1820s and 1830s, and were built along the area's many streams.-Autrey Mill:...
, located at 849 Houston Mill Road, is now open for dining and special events.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Druid Hills Post Office at 1799 Briarcliff Road NE in the CDP.
Diplomatic missions
The Consulate-General of Mexico in AtlantaDiplomatic missions of Mexico
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Mexico, excluding honorary consulates. Mexico's foreign service started in 1822, the year after the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba which marked the beginning of Mexico's independence...
is in the North Druid Hills CDP.
Education
DeKalb County SchoolsDeKalb County School System
DeKalb County School System is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States...
serves the CDP. Briar Vista Elementary School, the zoned school of North Druid Hills, is in the CDP. Residents zoned to Briar Vista are also zoned to Shamrock Middle School (in North Decatur CDP
North Decatur, Georgia
North Decatur is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 16,698 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Decatur is located at ....
) and Druid Hills High School
Druid Hills High School
Druid Hills High School is a high school operated by the DeKalb County School System. It is located at 1798 Haygood Drive, in the Druid Hills CDP in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States...
(in Druid Hills CDP
Druid Hills, Georgia
Druid Hills is a community which includes both a census-designated place in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, as well as a neighborhood of the city of Atlanta. The CDP's population was 14,568 at the 2010 census...
).
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southeastern United States. It is composed of the northern counties of the state of Georgia and is led by a prelate archbishop, who is also pastor of the mother church, the...
operates the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, a parochial school, at 2855 Briarcliff Road in the CDP.
Private schools:
- Cliff Valley School, 2426 Clairmont Rd. Private elementary school.
- Intown Community School, 2059 LaVista Rd. Private PCA-affiliated school.
Neighborhoods
- Biltmore Acres. South of LaVista Rd., west of Houston Mill Rd. & north of the South Branch of Peachtree Creek.
- Briarcliff Heights. NW of Mount Brian Woods.
- Green Hills. North of Briarcliff Rd. & south of I-85.
- LaVista Park. East of DeKalb/Fulton line and west of Briarcliff Road.
- Merry Hills. Between LaVista Rd. & North Druid Hills Rd.
- Mount Brian Woods. North of North Druid Hills Rd., NW of LaVista Rd. & west of Clairmont Rd.
- Sheridan Court. In CDP NW corner, around Sheridan Drive.
- Woodland Hills. South of LaVista Road between Briarcliff Road & DeKalb County boundary.
- Mason Mill. South of North Druid Hills Road & LaVista Road, between Clairmont Road & Houston Mill.
- Vistavia Hills. On Vistavia Circle between Clairmont Road & Mason Woods Drive.
- Executive Park. Developed in the early 1970s as one of Atlanta’s first mixed-use developments; located at I-85 and North Druid Hills Road.
Toco Hills
Toco Hills is a large commercial and residential neighborhood in the western portion of Briarcliff. The commercial component consists of two major shopping centers that are located at the intersection of LaVista and North Druid Hills roads that were developed in the 1950s. While it is generally accepted that the name "Toco Hills" is derived from the Toco Hill shopping center, the origin of that name is disputed. Some sources claim that the developer chose the name word Toco because it was the Brazilian Indian word for "good luck." Other sources claim Toco is an an informal abbreviation of "top of the County." In any case, the shopping center was developed on what was a hill, and the name gradually changed to "Toco Hills." The area is home to a large Jewish population, and marked by wooded subdivisions featuring mostly ranch homes surround the commercial area.Parks
- Kittredge Park, 1520 Kittredge Park Rd., 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) park with baseball field, pool and multi-use court.
- LaVista Park, 1319 Brookforest Dr., 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) DeKalb County park with playground and picnic area.
- W.D. Thompson Park, 1760 Mason Mill Rd. (at Vistavia Cir.), 29 acres (117,358.9 m²) DeKalb County park with courts, playground, picnic area and trails.
Transportation
- Briarcliff Rd. Major road unifing the CDP.
- Interstate 85. CDP northern boundary.
- LaVista Rd. Primary E-W road.
- North Druid Hills Rd. Primary access from Interstate 85.